Side by side: Paul John Christmas Editions

Each year Paul John release a 46% Christmas Edition.

Here I try the full set.

A recent 'take over' by US group Sazerac has had a real impact on Paul John in the UK. They've 'let go' of two excellent brand ambassadors and distribution in the UK is shocking - we only received the 2021 edition in mid December when it had been available in the USA and Europe the month before. I managed to pick up a bottle from Master Of Malt but they went out of stock very quickly...

Dram	2018	2019	2020	2021
Characteristics	46% ABV NCF Natural Colour Oloroso Cask Finish	46% ABV NCF Natural Colour PX Cask Finish	46% ABV NCF Natural Colour Unpeated Oloroso & Virgin oak with peated Ex-bourbon	46% ABV NCF Natural Colour Ex-bourbon, Port and Madeira casks
Distillery notes	Offering a unique blend of unpeated and peated single malts with rich aromas of succulent fruit cake, wild plum and light smoke, woven into a creamy sherry with lots of honey. Relish the distinctive flavours of warm spice, laced with delicate sweetness and lingering notes of hazelnut and exuberant fruit. The rare dry Oloroso finish, infused with exquisite dry dates and figs, is long and memorable. Nose: Fabulous creamy sherry background with the blend of well-matured fruit cake, greengage and apple. Lots of honey, citrus and hazelnut. light smoke drifts around until it finds some spice. Palate: Ultra fruity lushness with a combination of delicate spice, nut and sweetness. Finish: Typical Spanish dry oloroso with a vaguely sweeter edge infused by notes of dry dates, figs and honey.	Exquisite aromas of orange blossom honey, pralines and luscious baked apples enhance delightful flavours of sweet honey, fine raisins and dry plum. The light mocha and a lighter smoke on the palate leads to a long Pedro Ximénez finish of spicy French toast and delicious smoked nuts. This festive season, allow the delightful nuances of this exclusive small batch of rare single malts create memorable experiences. Nose: Pralines, baked apple, caramel cheese cake, orange blossom honey, salted cereal blond chocolate. Taste: Sweet, heather honey and raisins, dry plum, light mocha, light smoke. Finish: Long, spiced French toast, smoked nuts.	Deep hues of gold and delicate aromas of orange peel and honeycomb enhanced with sweet oak and delicious plum cake awaken the palate. Created from an exclusive blend of single malts from virgin oak, ex-bourbon and Oloroso casks, this exotic limited release proffers deep flavours of creamy dark chocolate tinged with gentle barley and soft spices, culminating in a rich, long lightly peated and memorable finish. Nose: Delicate orange peel and honeycomb enhanced with sweet oak and a delicious plum cake. Palate: Deep, creamy dark chocolate tinged with gentle barley and soft spices Finish: Rich, long and lightly peated.	With tawny tints and aromas of malt-tinged caramel, a rare dash of coconut, and sweet berries balanced against dry raisins,  crafted from malts finished in Ex-Bourbon and a melange of Port and Madeira casks. Entice the palate with creamy flavours of delicate spice and butterscotch riding on a light smoked-laced barley that lead to a long finish of alluring spices, light peat and a flavourful cocoa. Nose: Caramel, orange marmalade, berries, malty, coconut and dry raisins. Taste: Creamy, spicy, light smoke, butterscotch and barley. Finish: Rather long and warming notes with Cocoa, light peat and spices.
My thoughts:
Appearance
	Dark gold / bronze in the glass. Swirls cling as thin lines, bead up and fall as slow thick legs.	Dark gold / bronze in the glass. Swirls cling as thin lines, bead up and fall as slow thick legs.	Dark gold / bronze in the glass. Swirls cling as thick lines, bead up and fall as slow thick legs.	Dark gold / bronze with a pink tinge in the glass. Swirls cling as thin lines, bead up and fall as slow thin legs.
Nose	Blueberry jam, Christmas spices, walnuts, almonds, brazil nuts and gentle smoke.	Toffee, orange, honey, nuts. Some chocolate notes alongside prunes, dates and dried fruit.	Gentle smoke, the first time I've had this on the nose. Earthy notes, citrus zest, toffee, dates, figs and dried fruit.	Gentle smoke, nuts, toffee, dried fruit, dates, figs. Some citrus, grape skins and coconut.
Palate	Thick spicy arrival, hugely dry, nutty. Dried fruit, honey, brown sugar and some tropical fruit.	Not as thick or oily as the 2018, more sweeter with hone, toffee and dried fruit. Some coffee hints and gentle smoke.	Thick smoky arrival, a little toffee, brown sugar, honey and a drying peppery spice.	Not as thick or as dry as the other drams. Sweet and spicy notes: berries, toffee, nuts and black pepper.
Finish	Lingering dry nuts with some tropical fruit.	Lingering honey, coffee / chocolate and dryness.	Lingering dry oak.	Lingering sweetness, some fruit and spice.
Overall	All four drams give you that little hint of Christmas - sherry casks are good at that! The Paul John spirit is usually quick thick on the palate, even at 46% and 3 of these shared that characteristic.  I'm usually a Port or PX cask man but for me the Oloroso stood out from the flight. Well worth trying if you can find them and if the new owners decide to release the next one in the UK...