What3Drams – BBQ Whisky

A couple of weeks ago, I put a question out to the Facebook Group and our followers on Instagram: What’s the best whisky to go with a BBQ?

We’d debated it on the podcast last week—Ross was adamant that you can’t pair whisky with cooked food. Cheeses, chocolates, etc.? Fine. But cooked meats? Not so much.

So Angus and I decided to put it to the test.

With the UK basking in a heatwave, we naturally picked the only day it rained to set up a camera, a portable BBQ, and some garden furniture. Armed with a few sausages and three whiskies—selected from both listener suggestions and our own preferences—we gave it a proper go.

🥃 Dram 1: Glenallachie 12 Year Old Sauternes Cask (UK Exclusive)
Price: £64.95 (Royal Mile Whiskies)

We tried this dram recently at a Glenallachie tasting at the Balmoral Hotel and I really enjoyed it.

It’s not a sherry bomb, and the lighter gold colour is a nice visual change from the usual Glenallachie darker amber. The question we wrestled with: Do you match smoke with smoke? In this case, I wanted something sweet to balance out the saltiness of the BBQ.

Official Tasting Notes:
Tropical fruits, heather honey, baking spices, demerara sugar, coconut, marmalade, citrus, caramel, and ice cream.

Honestly, a dram right up my street—and it went down a treat.

🥃 Dram 2: Ardnamurchan AD
Price: £47.95 (Royal Mile Whiskies)

I’m unashamedly obsessed with Ardnamurchan. I don’t know exactly what it is, but everything they release just hits the spot for me.

This one uses 50% peated and 50% unpeated malt, matured in a mix of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks.

As the sausages developed what Angus kindly called a “healthy colour” and I got repeatedly smoked in the face by the BBQ, this dram stepped in with the perfect amount of gentle smoke—enough to match the mood without overwhelming things.

There’s a coastal salinity and sweetness here too,which paired nicely with the crunchiness of our, eh… well-fired sausages.

🥃 Dram 3: Ardbeg An Oa
Price: £52.95 (Royal Mile Whiskies web exclusive)

I bought this along with the Ardbeg 10 straight after last year’s Whisky Fringe.

This was one of Angus’ original What3Drams picks back in Episode 1—and it’s still a cracker. The full-scale smoke to pair with our heavily charred sausages.

It’s a blend of sherry and bourbon cask influence, and while the smoke is definitely there, the dram has a smoothness that makes it surprisingly easy to sip.

Ross still claims I’m only pretending to be converted to peat—but honestly, I’ve grown to love the smoky stuff.

The overwhelming response to our question was: Smoke + BBQ = Yes—and I get it now.

As Angus said at the end of the video:
“If you’re having a BBQ and don’t know what drams to go for, you won’t go wrong with any of these three.”

So what do you think of our picks?
And more importantly—what are your What3Drams for a BBQ?

Let us know!