Christmas Drinks Review: Highland Nectar Scotch Whisky Liqueur*

[Ad-gifted] We’re heading into the celebratory season and finding gifts or treat drinks to stock your house with is something I look forward to, so, when I got asked to review a Whiskey Liqueur from The Whisky Exchange and create some complementary cocktails I could not wait.

Unlike a straight Whiskey, this is a Highland Nectar Scotch Whiskey Liqueur, therefore milder in alcohol but still full of flavour.  A Liqueur is a spirit that has either been distilled or infused with other flavours such as spices, citrus fruits or herbs. This Whiskey Liqueur has been layered with an array of delightful tastes, such as dried fruit, nutmeg, vanilla, ginger, cinnamon and bitter orange.

In this latest drinks review, I have created two easy-to-follow Christmas-inspired cocktail recipes for you to make at home with the Highland Nectar Scotch Whisky Liqueur.

Keep reading to see how it tastes and what we created…

What I thought of the Highland Nectar Scotch Whisky Liqueur 

Firstly, let’s get to the taste. This has such a depth of flavour, for me the most prominent being vanilla and then warming spices. I can also taste a bit of citrus in the initial hit that lands on your tongue. I think this would be a great alternative to Sherry, as it has that same sweetness but much more flavour and is nowhere near as sickly as Sherry. I think you could easily enjoy this warmed or on the rocks, it certainly is a versatile drink.

The cocktails I chose to create are very much the same style of cocktails you might make with a regular Whiskey, but perhaps with less sweetness added as liqueurs tend to be a sweeter spirit.

The first cocktail is coffee-based. I remember growing up I used to attend church every Sunday and after Church – which usually finished just before lunch – we all then used to go for coffee and cake and chat with other families, but I remember around Christmas time the adults would get to have an Irish Coffee! (with us being part of a Catholic Church and there being plenty of Irish families, it was almost a must. So for a bit of nostalgia and my love of coffee, I am going to create a Scottish Coffee – this being a Scottish Whiskey an all!

The next cocktail is based on a Whiskey Sour, but due to using a liqueur, I am only going to add a little maple syrup to sweeten it as it will already be a little sweeter than regular Whiskey. This is a long drink and would be perfect as an alternative to a Bucks Fizz at Christmas – I didn’t add any sparkling water to mine but you could top your drink with some sparkling water to add a bit of fizz.

Scottish Coffee 

40ml Highland Nectar Scotch Whisky Liqueur
20ml vanilla coffee syrup (you can find this easily on Amazon or at certain supermarkets)
100ml of strong coffee – I made an instant coffee and let it cool – but you could make any type of coffee

Method 

In a cocktail mixer  (or a glass if you don’t have one) add ice and all the ingredients, mix well then serve it strained (once all the ingredients are chilled) in a short whiskey-style glass and top with a cinnamon stick and one cube of ice.

Whiskey Sweet & Sour 

50ml Highland Nectar Scotch Whisky Liqueur
20ml of maple syrup
150ml of fresh orange juice
The juice of one lime

Method 

In a tall glass add ice, then add the lime, liqueur and maple syrup and stir until it is all combined. Then pour over the orange, give one final stir and serve with two slices of orange.

Where can you buy your bottle of Highland Nectar Scotch Whisky Liqueur and how much is it? 

You can purchase a bottle of Highland Nectar Scotch Whisky Liqueur directly from their website here and it costs £25.25 plus delivery.

About The Whiskey Exchange 

Founded in 1999 by brothers Sukhinder and Rajbir Singh The Whiskey Exchange is filled with a plethora of knowledge built up over a lifetime. Having come from a family business The Nest which was a wine merchant/off-licence owned by their parents and where they lived above through all their formative years.

This business knowledge of the wine and spirit industry and the fact that they eventually went on to work at The Nest as adults, has meant that when it came to creating their own online spirit brand they were in the perfect place to do it – with all their connections and clear love of Whiskey (especially Surkhinder who has a passion for collecting this fine spirit).

Over the years they have won numerous awards, such as The Drinks Business Awards, The Spirits Business Awards, and The International Wine & Spirits Competition, amongst just some. They also are continually evolving and growing their business, they’ve opened new stores, continually expanded what they sell online and even opened up as special Whiskey-inspired event space in London.

Review by: Lex Ward

You may also want to read this:

CleanCo Non-Alcoholic Rum Review

Christmas Gift Guide – Drinks Gift Suggestions

Drinks Review : Beerwulf Low and Alcohol Free Beer Case

Review: Cocktail Subscription Box from Cocktail Consultancy

*We were sent the Highland Nectar Scotch Whisky Liqueur in return for a feature. All opinions are our own.