Whisky advent calendars have always confused me. If you want a selection of whiskies that do not just rotate through the usual brands found in supermarkets you are looking at prices of over £100 and that seems steep for an advent calendar.
The fact you can get two decent middle-range bottles of whisky for a similar price means advent calendars have never really been on my radar but this year I decided to pick one up and see what all the fuss was about.
The Drinks by the Dram advent calendar has the potential to be a good one for me. I love trying new whiskies from around the world and I would even put a few right up there with the best Scotland has to offer. Starward in Australia, Filey Bay from the east coast of England and a host of Japanese whiskies all stand up to the best of the single malt scotches. That is why the promise of a tasting advent calendar promising a selection of whiskies from Scotland and beyond does sound interesting.
Scroll down for spoilers of what is inside but I will try to review the calendar without spoiling the surprise.
What did I think of the Drinks by the Dram calendar and is it worth the £100 price tag? In terms of purely the whiskies that you get then yes. Each of the 24 drams come in a wax-sealed glass bottle with a label describing each and the quality and rarity is more than enough to ensure you are not feeling short changed.
The choice and selection of whisky in the calendar is absolutely superb. There is a mix of single malts, blends and Irish whiskey and it does not feel like there are any 'fillers'. In fact, the only mainstream supermarket-sold whisky in there is actually one of the best all-round drams you can buy so it feels like a good fit.
The calendar takes you through Scotland, England and beyond with plenty of surprises including whisky from two countries I have never heard about as whisky-producing nations before.
The 24 whiskies in the calendar feel like they are worth the money and there is a wide range of tastes, flavours and whisky styles to keep each day fresh. It really does feel like an exploration of whisky culture and just how varied it can be, from use of different casks to age and methods of production to flavour and refine the drams.
My main concern with whisky advent calendars is that it is actually quite a lot of whisky if, like me, you are the only person who drinks it in your household. Drinking them in the traditional 'one a day' advent calendar style might be difficult but I've decided to take things a little slower, working my way through the whiskies at a slower pace.
The calendar could also be broken up into the individual whiskies and bundled together as gifts or stocking fillers for Christmas presents. If you want to gift whisky to multiple people then an advent calendar may be quite a useful way to go.
For me though the beauty of the calendar is tasting a huge range of whisky that, if bought as a full-size bottle, would cost thousands of pounds. The Explorer calendar is a whistle-stop tour around the world of whisky and for a fan of the dram it is excellent value for money.
There will be some people that want only single malts and that option is also available on Drinks by the Dram, but you will have to pay a bit more for that one.
You can buy the calendar here
SPOILER - Inside the calendar below
The full list of drinks in the calendar can be found below:
Grace O'Malley Blended Irish Whiskey
Daddy Rack Small Batch Straight Tennessee Whiskey
World Whisky Blend (That Boutique-y Whisky Company)
Teaninich 10 Year Old (That Boutique-y Whisky Company)
Smooth Ambler Big Level Wheated Bourbon
Aerolite Lyndsay 10 Year Old - The Character of Islay Whisky Company
Tobermory 12 Year Old
Langatun 6 Year Old (That Boutique-y Whisky Company)
Green Isle
Tamdhu 12 Year Old (43%)
Glen Scotia Victoriana Cask Strength
Burnt Ends Blended Whiskey
Blended Malt #3 21 Year Old (That Boutique-y Whisky Company)
Inchmoan 12 Year Old
Smooth Ambler Old Scout American Whiskey
Loch Lomond 12 Year Old
FEW Bourbon
Brenne Cuvée Spéciale French Single Malt Whisky
Teeling Small Batch
Glengoyne 12 Year Old
Big Peat
Talisker 10 Year Old
Singleton of Dufftown 12 Year Old
Ledaig 10 Year Old
