Master of Malt Whisky Advent Calendar – Premium Edition
Are you starting to feel festive yet? If not, don’t worry, that’ll soon change because once bonfire night’s out of the way, we’re counting down to Christmas.
Myself personally? I love Christmas. It’s a great excuse to get warm and cosy, enjoy a little downtime, and of course, enjoy a great dram or two and not feel guilty about it.
Another thing I love about Christmas is the fact that we’re now making much more of a fuss about advent calendars. I remember when I was a kid how excited I’d be to open up my advent calendar and get my hands on the piece of chocolate hiding inside. Now, because boozy advent calendars are a thing, we adults can get that same excitement.
This year, available from Master of Malt, I’ve got my eyes on the Drinks by the Dram Whisky Advent Calendar – Premium Edition. Having enjoyed plenty of their boozy advent calendars in the past, I’ve got high hopes for this year’s. So, what can we expect?
Drinks by the Dram Whisky Advent Calendar – Premium Edition
December’s a fantastic month for whisky drinkers, and with this premium edition advent calendar, it just got even better.
Rather than opening up your advent calendar and receiving a measly piece of chocolate, lucky owners of this calendar can instead open up the window for the day and enjoy a wax-sealed 30ml bottle of premium whisky.
Made up of 25 top-shelf whiskies from the country’s best distilleries and producers, the calendar makes the perfect gift, either for the whisky aficionado in your life, or even yourself.
On top of that, Drinks by the Dram have also reduced their cardboard wastage by 50% and have provided compostable dram trays. As you probably know, we’re committed to being greener and more environmentally friendly here at Great Drams, so that’s also a nice touch, which I’d like to see more of in the whisky world.
What’s Inside the Calendar?
The selection of 25 premium edition whiskies found inside the calendar this year has been hand-selected by the team over at Drinks by the Dram. There are a few returning drams as they were so popular, but don’t worry, there are plenty of new ones for you to enjoy as well.
Warning, if you don’t want to know what’s inside the calendar this year, I’d suggest that you stop reading here, and go ahead and pick up your advent calendar now. Oh, and while you’re at it, be sure to grab a GreatDrams.com whisky or two at the same time.
If you don’t mind knowing what’s inside the advent calendar this year, in no particular order, here’s this year’s line-up.
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- Glenrothes 12YO – The Octave (Duncan Taylor) 3cl Sample
While I won’t be reviewing each of the 25 whiskies listed above, what I thought I would do would be to highlight a couple of whiskies that really stood out for me this year.
A Vibrant Affair 27 Year Old 1997 – Wemyss Malts (Benrinnes) Whisky
This 27-year-old Speyside was distilled at Benrinnes back in 1997 and was bottled by indie bottler Wemyss Malts. It has a light golden straw colour and an ABV of 46% ABV.
There’s plenty of sharp and acidic citrus fruits in here, tied together with toasted oats, sweet vanilla oak, toffee, and a touch of barley sugar with a medium finish and great mouthfeel.
Bushmills Causeway Collection 2000 Port Cask Finish
I’ve noticed recently that I’ve not covered as many Irish single malts as I’d have liked, and I want to change that, so keep your eyes peeled on the Great Drams blog. In the meantime, here’s a small taster, both figuratively and literally.
This single malt Irish whiskey from Bushmills’ renowned causeway collection is a port cask finish. When I say port cask finish, I really mean it, as it was matured solely in ex-ruby port casks from 2000 – 2021, before being bottled at a cask strength of 54.1% ABV.
The port influence here is evident from the onset, as the whiskey is a stunning copper crimson colour. It’s a sophisticated dram with fruity influences, berries, citrus fruits, cigar box, bitter orange marmalade, smooth drinking cocoa, and a medium malty finish that’s as smooth as you’d expect from an Irish whiskey, despite the cask strength. This is a fantastic autumn and winter dram.
Lagavulin 12 Special ‘The Ink of Legends’ 2023
Finally, as I haven’t yet provided a dram example for fans of smoky, peaty whisky, here’s the Lagavulin ‘Ink of Legends’ 12-year-old special from Diageo’s Special Release range in 2023.
The whisky provides the trademark smokiness you’d expect from an Islay whisky, especially Lagavulin. This smokiness is intensified from a finishing period in Don Julio Anejo Tequila casks.
Bottled at a cask strength of 56.4% ABV, it’s a very pale hay colour, yet extremely aromatic. There’s plenty of bonfire and charcoal notes here, accompanied by spicy pepper, smooth chocolate, caramelized pineapples, orange zest, cigar smoke, salted caramel popcorn, and stewed fruits. If you like your whisky with a kick, this is the dram for you.
If you’d like to learn more about your favourite whiskies, or simply treat yourself to a wee dram or two at the same time, head on over to GreatDrams.com and take a look at what we have to offer.
With an impressive selection of limited-edition, rare, and award-winning whisky, as well as heaps of whisky info on our blog, it’s the perfect spot for all you wonderful whisky lovers out there.
Greg
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