What Makes a Christmas Whisky? – Your Guide to Choosing a Festive Dram
Christmas here in the UK is synonymous with numerous things. It’s socially acceptable to consume your bodyweight in biscuits and chocolate throughout the month of December. We’re quite happy to waste money on cheap, tatty gifts that most people won’t even use, and for some reason, a clapped-out old Coca-Cola lorry is supposed to evoke feelings of nostalgia and get us in the festive spirit. Bah Humbug, I say.
A few things that I do especially love about Christmas time, however, is coming up with the GreatDrams festive release for that particular year, and choosing a Christmas whisky or two to enjoy during my downtime.
In the leadup to Christmas each year, it’s become somewhat of a GreatDrams tradition for us to release a limited-edition expression to celebrate the holidays. Each year, our Xmas releases are specifically chosen to evoke the different aspects of traditional Christmas festivities. From smoky Islay expressions to represent a crackling log fire as you open your gifts, to sweet, dried fruits, sherry casks, and marzipan to conjure up images of a delicious slice of Christmas cake after your dinner, each of our festive drams tells its own Christmas story.
But what exactly makes a Christmas whisky? Here’s the GreatDrams guide to choosing a festive dram.
Christmas Colours
There are many things evocative of Christmas, including certain colours. While you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, or a whisky by its label, when choosing a festive dram, you may wish to pay a bit more attention to the different colours of the whisky and its packaging.
When we think of colours around Christmas, we think of greens, reds, red and white stripes, browns, whites, and icy winter colours. If you want to go with a whisky that just screams ‘Christmas’ the second you clasp eyes on it, these are the types of colours you may wish to look for.
Back in 2023 for example, our 7 Year Old Cawdor Springs Chateaux Margaux Barrique Matured Single Cask Malt Whisky was our dram of choice for Xmas. As it was matured in a red wine barrique, it took on an amazing crimson red colour. This year, we’ve gone for more colour with our labelling and have opted for a wintery burgundy and amber theme for our Christmas Release.
Christmas Flavours and Casks
People often talk about Christmas flavours, but what exactly is a Christmas flavour? People usually enjoy stuffing, roast turkey, and veg around Christmas, but I’m not sure a Christmas dinner flavoured whisky would taste all that nice (who knows, maybe it would?).
Typically, however, when we think about Christmas flavours, we think of sweet and fruity sherry, rich ports, marzipan, nuts, Christmas pudding, mince pies, dried mixed candied fruits, chocolate, crumbly and buttery pastry, vanilla cream and custard, winter baking spices, mulled wine, and things of that nature.
Not only are all the above delicious, they’re all also common flavour profiles that lend themselves wonderfully to this amazing spirit. As you’re no doubt aware, much of a whisky’s flavour comes from the cask it’s matured in. Sherry is one of the most festive drinks going, so of course Oloroso sherry and PX casks get a lot of use in our festive releases, though you should never count out a good bourbon influence either.
When crafting our Christmas releases, we meticulously choose casks that will impart Christmassy notes and characters. This year, sherry really is the star of the show. Whether it’s those candied fruit, peel, and Christmas cake notes from a sherry cask to the deep crimson, jammy mixed berry, toasted oak, and orange zesty notes from red wine barriques, cask selection plays an enormous role in determining just how festive a dram is going to taste. Just bear this in mind when choosing your whisky of choice this year.
Whisky Advent Calendars
Can’t decide upon a full-size bottle of whisky this year? No problem, just countdown to Christmas in style with a whisky advent calendar instead.
Whisky advent calendars really started to gain traction around a decade ago, and since then they’ve snowballed in popularity. This is why, as of this writing, there are only 3 remaining of our 12 GreatDrams of Christmas Limited Edition Advent Gift Packs.
Whisky advent calendars are ideal because, each day in the countdown to Christmas, you get a miniature dram of whisky. This means you can sample whiskies from different casks, different regions, and even different countries. If you find one you really enjoy, you can also then treat yourself to a full-sized bottle.
How you enjoy your whiskies is entirely down to you. You can have one each day, or you could be like me and save the ones you open on a weekday and enjoy a few over the weekend.
Unique Christmas Whisky
Christmas is a time to push the boat out, get adventurous and try new things. Don’t just bung a bag of sage and onion Paxo stuffing into the microwave, make your own with fresh herbs and sausage meat and oven bake it instead. The difference is night and day. This same principle can be applied to whisky.
Rather than releasing conventional whiskies during the holidays, we like to get a little more creative and find flavours that are not only synonymous with Christmas, but ones which are a little more unique and unusual than our typical range.
If you’re looking for a whisky to enjoy this year, how about thinking outside of the box and being a little more adventurous? Don’t just play it safe with your usual tried and tested dram from the supermarket, try a limited-edition release from an independent bottler instead.
Of course, if you or the recipient of your whisky has a favourite, it’ll be a favourite for a reason. The only way you’ll discover new flavours and new releases, however, is by trying something new and something a little different. You may need to step out of your comfort zone, but take it from someone that knows, you’ll be so pleased you did. I can’t tell you how many new whiskies I’ve discovered and loved by doing this.
So, from the GreatDrams family to yours. Be safe, be merry, and have a fantastic Christmas, however you celebrate.
If you’d like to learn more about your favourite whiskies, or simply treat yourself to a Christmas dram or two in the process, 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 any whisky lovers out there.
Greg
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