Each day during #Dramvent I opened a door and discovered what was inside!
You can find out more about the history of advent calendars here!
Appearance: Coloured mid gold, swirls fall as slow thin legs.
Nose: Very fresh on the nose - cut grass and orchard fruit but with a sweet edge - honey and banoffee notes.
Palate: Super smooth but quite thick, orchard fruit and strawberries - orange oil and ginger notes.
Finish: Fairly short, warming, slightly sour. There's the fruit from the nose and palate and a lovely honey note.
Overall: A nice dram - some interesting banana / toffee / honey notes throughout, but it would be so much better at 46% or higher.
Appearance: A lovely mid gold, swirls stick to the glass and fall as thick slow legs.
Nose: Bonfire smoke, bacon crisps, a little red fruit and some milk chocolate.
Palate: Thick and oily, a little orange and some honey sweetness then the smoke arrives. It's a heathery peat smoke, not medicinal - yummy!
Finish: The smoke dominates but there is a little chocolate orange note. Nice.
Overall: Interesting, I wasn't keen on a previous release of this dram but this one is yummy! It's a lovely smoke note balanced with honey and citrus.
Behind door number 3 was... Copper Dog Blended Malt at 40%Appearance: Coloured mid gold, swirls fall as slow thick legs.
Nose: Honey and orchard fruit - a little pear, peach and apple. Some vanilla notes.
Palate: Runny honey, a little ginger spice, the fruit comes through too. Vanilla again on the palate.
Finish: Spicy, warming but short.
Overall: Supposed to be a blend of 8 Speyside malts, it has a honey and fruit character typical of many of those but it's a little bland.
Behind door number 4 was... Port Askaig 8yo at 45.8%Appearance: Very pale, almost clear in the glass, swirls fall as slow thin legs.
Nose: Maritime peat - salt and rubbery smoke, some citrus and a hint of icing sugar.
Palate: Sweet peanuts, sea salt, and a little orchard fruit. There is a little peppery spice here too.
Finish: Smoke and fruit linger.
Overall: Really not impressed with this one - I think I'm going off Islay peat - too many yukky sweet peanut notes - what's happening to my palate?
Appearance: A lovely mid gold in the glass, swirls cling before falling as thick slow legs.
Nose: Gentle smoke and salty come through first with a lovely side note of vanilla, toffee and tropical fruit - lovely.
Palate: ABV hits you immediately along with a slap in the face from a smoked fish - lovely tropical fruit notes and some honey sweetness and drying spice.
Finish: Lingering fruit notes with smoke and salt
Overall: A favourite of mine, and pleased to see it in the Advent Calendar.
Appearance: Dark gold in the glass, swirls leaving thick lines on the glass before eventually falling as slow thin legs.
Nose: Orchard fruit and honey. Some tropical fruit notes and fresh cut grass. A little hint of smoke?
Palate: Orange and peach first but with some vanilla toffos and a hint of strawberry ones too! A little peppery spice.
Finish: Vanilla and toffee with a lengthy peppery note.
Overall: I'd not tried this one for a few years but the grassy fruit note shine through - lovely dram.
Behind door number 7 was... TBWC Royal Brackla Batch 1 (12yo) at 47.9%
Appearance: Very pale gold in the glass, swirls cling to the glass eventually falling as low thin legs.
Nose: Cereal and melon notes, a little fresh cut grass and hints of icing sugar.
Palate: Melon and grass from the now with a little apple, pear and honey - very sweet.
Finish: More of the honey and fruit with a lingering spice.
Overall: Lovely nose, but too sweet on the palate for me.
Behind door number 8 was... Laphroaig 10yo at 40%Appearance: Yellowy gold in the glass, swirls cling before falling as quick thin legs.
Nose: Medicinal smoke, maritime breeze and some faint tropical fruit notes.
Palate: Thin buttery arrival, smoke seems to come out of the liquid and fill your mouth. Apple pear and pineapple notes. A little hint of sourness as the liquid disappears.
Finish: Long fruit notes with the smoke blanket.
Overall: A staple on anyone whisky shelf but for me a little more watery than 5 or 10 years ago, can't help but think this would be better at 46%
Behind door number 9 was... Glenglassaugh Revival at 46%Appearance: Light gold in the glass, swirls cling and fall as slow thick legs.
Nose: Cereal, honey and some floral notes to start. After awhile there's some toffee and a little strawberry jam.
Palate: Creamy arrival with orange and strawberry notes, a lovely ginger spice develops. A few more sips reveal some sweet honey - nice!
Finish: A nice balance of honey and spice lingers.
Overall: The first release from the recently reopened distillery - shows some promise!
Appearance: Yellow gold in the class (coloured), swirls fall as fast thin legs.
Nose: Toffee apple, barley sugars and a little marzipan.
Palate: Sweet watery arrival, stewed pears and syrup. A bite of ginger spice as the liquid disappears.
Finish: Ginger spice, more pear and syrup sweetness and a drying nuttiness.
Overall: When I first started drinking whisky Cardhu 12yo was a favourite, this doesn't bring back the memories, can't help thinking an extra 6% on the ABV would make a huge difference.
Appearance: Mid gold colour, swirls fall as slow thing legs.
Nose: Heather, barley, hay and a little honey, I was expecting some smoke but there's none to be found.
Palate: Malty, fruity notes but with an immediate spice bite. Hints of grilled pineapple, oaky vanilla and some salt - there's a little dark chocolate and small hint of smoke.
Finish: The spice dominates here, a little salt and heathery smoke.
Overall: I was expecting a lot more peat smoke from this one and it just didn't arrive. The heather and maritime notes I associate with HP were though!
Appearance: Pale gold in the glass, swirls cling and fall as slow thick legs.
Nose: Orchard fruit with a citrus edge. A touch of sweet honey.
Palate: Thick mouth coating arrival, immediately spicy - ginger and pepper. There's a little fruit here and some sweetness.
Finish: Long and spicy.
Overall: The young age gives a rawness and a total lack of sherry notes makes this a strange Glengoyne.
Appearance: Dark gold in the glass, gravity defying swirls fall as slow thick legs.
Nose: Sherry bomb notes, strawberry jam and dried fruits with a hint of nuts.
Palate: Thick, mouth coating peppery spice, chunky strawberry jam and icing sugar dryness. There's a sour citrus note as the liquid disappears.
Finish: Drying, spicy, chocolate covered strawberries. Bitter grapefruit lingers.
Overall: I've tried all the batches of this dram and they are all brilliant! This one seems a little younger than previous ones but still has all the same sherry bomb notes. Yummy!
Appearance: Mid gold in the glass, swirls fall a slow thick legs.
Nose: Strawberry jam, musty book shop, hints of citrus, dates and vanilla fudge - yummy!
Palate: Thick and fruity with a lovely spice kick. Sultanas, dates, figs, some oak and pepper notes.
Finish: Long lingering sherry notes with that ginger spice.
Overall: Really impressed with this one, a lovely sherried dram at a perfect ABV, recommended!
Appearance: Dark gold in the glass, swirls cling forming an inverted crown.
Nose: Sherry bomb, dunnage warehouse, strawberry and apple jam with a little cinnamon spice.
Palate: Nice thick arrival, lots of spice and hints of strawberry, cherry and raspberries. Some milk chocolate and that icing sugar dryness I associate with oloroso casks.
Finish: Very drying, long lingering fruit and a lovely bite of cinnamon spice.
Overall: A lovely sherry bomb dram with a balance of fruit and spice.
Appearance: Pale gold in the glass, swirls fall as slow thin legs.
Nose: Salted oranges, dried pineapple and hints of smoke.
Palate: Sweet and morish, tropical fruit notes and a little salt and pepper spice.
Finish: Spice dominates, a long lingering tropical note.
Overall: Yes it's young and spicy but it has some lovely tropical fruit notes.
Appearance: Mid old in the glass, swirls stick and fall as slow thick legs.
Nose: Thick strawberry jam, old books, orange and a hint of dried pineapple.
Palate: Oily arrival, a little ginger spice and loads of fruit - strawberries, orange and sweet dried pineapple from the nose along with some red currants and raspberries. A few more sips gives a little oaky vanilla and some nuts - Yummy!
Finish: Lingering ginger spice, a little milk chocolate and some of the sherry inspired strawberry jam. Maybe a hint of smoke?
Overall: It's not a sherry bomb but it is very nice, much better than the 15yo I bought a few years ago. This one is getting added to the must buy list!
Appearance: Mid gold in the glass with a hint of red, swirls lead to slow thick legs.
Nose: Vanilla ice-cream with a salty note, some honey and strawberry too. After a while in the glass a little fudge or chewy toffee.
Palate: Creamy arrival with an oily note, again the vanilla ice cream but this time drizzled with salted caramel and sprinkled with chopped nuts.
Finish: Sherry and dark chocolate notes with a little red fruit.
Overall: One of the best non-peated Islay you can buy, reasonable priced and full of flavour.
Behind door number 20 was... Glen Grant 18yo at 43%Appearance: Pale gold in the glass, swirls cling and fall as slow thick legs.
Nose: Orchard fruit - apples, pears, peaches and a little honey. There's an underlying oaky vanilla and a hint of citrus.
Palate: Thick slightly oily arrival, full of spicy fizz and the orchard fruit from the nose.
Finish: More of the vanilla and fruit but the peppery spice lingers.
Overall: A lovely dram, hides it's low ABV really well, nice spice bite and that Speyside honey fruitiness.
Appearance: Mid gold in the glass, swirls cling before falling as slow thick legs.
Nose: Orange and lemon citrus notes, a little fresh grass and some peppery spice.
Palate: Thick smooth mouthfeel, a little toffee apple and peppery spice. There's some milk chocolate hints in there too. Nice dram.
Finish: Peppery spice and citrus dominate but the milk chocolate is there too.
Overall: I bought a bottle of this at the distillery a couple years ago - there's not much left - it's a great daily drammer!
Behind door number 22 was... Moncreiffe Signature Blend at 46%Appearance: A mid gold in the glass, swirls cling before falling as slow thin legs.
Nose: Loads of vanilla with a little smoke, sea spray and honey.
Palate: Silky smooth, buttery vanilla and honey building to a peppery spice note with a little hint of smoke.
Finish: Medium length with vanilla and honey notes and a little spice.
Overall: I'd never heard of this one before, a little research reveals a NAS blend of 70% Lowland grain married to malts from Islay, Highland and Speyside but very little else....
Nothing to really make it stand out from other mid priced blends.
Behind door number 23 was... Timorous Beastie at 46.8%
Appearance: Pale gold in the glass, swirls fall as slow thin legs.
Nose: Heathery floral notes with an almost meaty quality. Some salty sea breeze notes.
Palate: Sweet fruit arrival, some dried fruit and fresh baked bread but with sour citrus at the end spoils it a little.
Finish: Medium length, slightly drying, spicy and fruity but again with that sour citrus note.
Overall: This one's not for me, I really like the Scallywag but this one is a little strange.
Behind door number 24 was... Auchentoshan 21yo at 43%Appearance: Coloured mid gold in the glass, swirls cling and fall as slow thick legs.
Nose: Huge toffee apple notes, a little strawberry jam and some stewed fruit with custard.
Palate: Smooth buttery arrival, more of the custard but without the fruit, a little milk chocolate.
Finish: A bite of spice and more of the vanilla.
Overall: Why you would choose to colour & chill filter a 21yo whisky and bottle it at 43% is beyond me.... It's also just plain and boring once you get past the nose.
Many thanks to @MasterOfMalt for supplying the advent calendar!
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