Burns night: What whisky to drink and what dishes to serve

Those looking for a conversation piece, meanwhile, should try one from the Macbeth series, put together by Livingstone. Pick the Bloody Sergeant Blair Athol 10-year-old (£94.95, thewhiskyexchange.com). There’s the bottle for a start, which is illustrated by Sir Quentin Blake, and pictured above. The name is for the character in the Scottish play who recounts Macbeth’s heroic deeds to King Duncan — in Livingstone’s series (which, admittedly, sounds a little like bait for collectors), there are nine other bottles to try. But this one is good whether you give a monkeys about all that or not: the flavour is sweet and almondy, with raisins and sultanas, vanilla and spice. It’s a big, barrel-chested drink, strong enough to overpower even the proudest of pipers. Mind you, if you really want a story to tell, try doing a blind-tasting with another full-bodied dram, the fig, sherry and coffee-forward Aber Falls Single Malt, a bargain at under £25 (£23.99, bythebottle.co.uk). What’s the story? This single malt isn’t Scottish at all — it’s Welsh.