Luxury advent calendars are having a moment. The Christmas whimsy of 24 (25 if your calendar maker of choice is generous) days of treats is a powerful lure. A month of plasticy chocolate shapes will still satisfy kids, but for adults, something more decadent may be required to stave off winter gloom. We've seen advent calendars with socks, jewellery, perfume, skincare — not to mention the plethora of luxury chocolates. How is the whisky industry to resist?
24 whisky samples is necessarily expensive, and almost a month's worth of whisky is quite a commitment, whether you're looking for a calendar for yourself or a loved one. With that in mind, the Whisky Magazine editorial team has reviewed a few of the options available this year to help you make your choice. We've kept these reviews spoiler-free, but if you'd like to preview the specific whiskies included then more information is available on the makers' websites.
The World Whisky Advent Calendar
Drinks by the Dram, £129.95, masterofmalt.com
Reviewed by Bradley Weir
Drinks by the Dram’s World Whisky advent calendar is an eye-catcher, with a simply stunning collection of whiskies from around the world included. The purple box featuring the outline of a golden earth — with grain seeds as the make-up for the countries — is sure to standout on your shelf throughout December. Inside, the whiskies come in small, labelled 30ml sample bottles, each stored mysteriously behind a purple door with gold numbering — like any exciting advent calendar should.
Without spoiling the specific brands, there are drams from Australia, Ireland, India and many more, which is great for those looking to broaden their horizons and go beyond their usual Scotch comfort zones. There are a handful of whiskies from the same brand which does lessen the scope slightly. The whiskies themselves are of a varying quality, with some brands included that are typically at a much-higher price point, giving you the opportunity to sample spirit you might not otherwise have afforded. Others are at a much lower price point, but it does give a good sense of range which could help you compare drams more easily. It’s not just the countries that provide an exciting assortment, but within that, there’s a great collection of styles and cask finishes that may reveal a new favourite to you or a loved one. 30ml is more than enough for each sample, particularly if you’re going to be trying something new every single day for 25 days!
The price for this is £129.95 — an average of just under £5.20 per whisky sample. Considering the range of brands included, this is great value for money for those who may not otherwise have access to buying whiskies from some of these countries (especially when calculating an average sample cost), but we understand this is still a large sum to spend in the current times.
There’s no denying this is a luxury purchase, but it’s truly stunning to look at, and recommended for those serious about global whisky that are happy to spend.
Assortment: 9
Quality of whisky: 8
Value for money: 9
Presentation: 10
Overall: 36/40
That Boutique-y Whisky Advent Calendar
Atom Brands, £149.95, masterofmalt.com
Reviewed by Lucy Schofield
On first impression, this advent calendar is probably the most whimsically festive option I’ve seen on the market — in-keeping, then, with That Boutique-y Whisky Company’s approach and aesthetic. The Christmas market design by TBWC’s illustrator Jenny Chappell offers lots of details to spot (I’m fond of the barefoot man holding an ampersand pretzel).
Onto the whiskies. It likely won’t surprise fans of That Boutique-y Whisky Company’s range, but while the calendar doesn’t profess to be exclusive to Scotch whiskies, there’s a heavy Scotch dominance in its contents (I counted only five non-Scotch whiskies out of the 24). However, within the Scotch selection there’s an excellent range of styles, age statements, and Scotch regions. It's a great introduction to TBWC's range, and could be a great gift for someone who has a couple of the brand's bottles and would like to try more.
Each 3cl sample is stored is a smart little wax-sealed bottle, and everything but the seals is recyclable, which is definitely appreciated at a time of year that produces so much waste.
This calendar sells for an RRP of £149.95, which comes to roughly £6.25 per sample. Given the high age statements within this calendar (about a third were more than 20 years old), that seems like decent value for money.
Assortment: 8
Quality of whisky: 8
Value for money: 9
Presentation: 10
Overall: 35/40
The Whisky Advent Calendar Premium Edition
Drinks by the Dram, £249.95, drinksbythedram.com
Reviewed by Alec McDonnell
At a glance, Drinks by the Dram’s premium edition calendar is clearly made with those seeking a more luxury whisky experience in mind this Christmas. The calendar’s use of complex Art Deco-inspired patterns and gold and blue palette might not win any festive design awards, but the product still evokes a sense of prestige to match the holiday spirit.
In terms of the packaging, aside from the wax tops, the calendar uses non-corrugated cardboard and no plastic, meaning all packaging materials can be easily recycled. The pop-out number design on each door is a nice touch and helps make accessing the whiskies much less difficult for those of us with short nails.
The whiskies inside are diverse in brand, with no more than two from the same distiller. However, with Scotch making up more than 60 per cent of the calendar, it greatly outnumbers the whiskies from other countries. Perhaps an even balance of Scotland, Ireland and the rest of the world, would make sure any whisky enthusiast feels like they’ve got the most for their money.
Drinks by the Dram’s The Whisky Advent Calendar Premium Edition retails for £249.95, which works out as approximately £10.41 per sample. Despite the varied styles on display, the approximate cost of each individual sample compared to the overall price feels quite steep. Whilst perhaps not a purchase for whisky novices, whisky veterans will likely enjoy the diversity in styles on offer, although may be disappointed at the lack of non-Scotch options.
Assortment: 7
Quality of whisky: 8
Value for money: 6
Presentation: 8
Overall: 29/40
12 Days of Whisky
Virgin Wines, £69.99, virginwines.co.uk
Reviewed by Lucy Schofield
Rather than the 24-day build up to Christmas, Virgin Wines’ advent offering is designed to take you from Christmas Day into the new year with a Scotch a day. If you’re looking for a whisky taster selection to gift to someone on the day itself, rather than an advent calendar that you have to gift a month in advance, this could be a great option.
On first impressions, the design is fairly muted and un-festive, although the black box is fairly sleek and could be dressed up by a committed present wrapper. It’s also not really Virgin Wines’ fault that the Virgin logo on the sleeve can only remind me of conversations with the Virgin Media Wi-Fi support bot.
There is a decent range of Scotch brands included in the 12 drams, including representatives from Speyside, the Lowlands, Highlands, and Islay, and varying age statements and expressions. Only one blended whisky is included — single malt dominates, which makes sense with a smaller number of whiskies. For me, since there are 12 whiskies I’d like to see just one per brand rather than duplicates (two brands have two entries each).
The whiskies themselves are good quality, and I can see this being a great treat to dive into in those lost days between Christmas and New Year — reading a new whisky book (or catching up on the latest issue of Whisky Magazine, perhaps?) while trying your new dram of the day is a great way to immerse yourself in this particular Christmas spirit.
The 12 Days of Whisky pack sells for £69.99, so £5.83 per sample. That seems a little steep for this one, but if you’re put off whisky advent calendars by the up-front cost, this smaller selection (relatively smaller, anyway — it’s still a dozen whiskies!) is a nice way to try some great Scotch whiskies before committing to a bottle.
Assortment: 7
Quality of whisky: 8
Value for money: 7
Presentation: 6
Overall: 28/40
Still undecided?
The selection of calendars we've reviewed is by no means the end of the options. Here are some more whisky-related advent calendars and Christmas collections we've seen on the market which might strike your fancy:
- For the sweet tooth: Scottish chocolatier Explore Chocolate has paired Scotch with chocolate for its new Whisky Tasting Advent Calendar 2024. Handcrafted chocolates made with Scotch whisky? Sign us up. £80, explorechocolate.co.uk.
- For American whiskey lovers: The Spirit Co's Americana Collection: Whiskey, Bourbon, and Rye Advent Calendar takes American whiskey fans on a tour of the US, with a great selection of distilleries to explore. £124.99, thespiritco.com.
- For the cocktail fan: BrewDog has released a 12 Cocktails of Christmas gift pack with its premix range Wonderland Cocktails. There are only two whisky cocktails included (a Whiskey Sour and an Old Fashioned, both made with Uncle Duke's), but the range of cocktails is fun and could be a great sharer. £40, brewdog.com.
- For big budgets: Drinks by the Dram has quite the selection of whisky advent calendars, and the most premium in the range is the Old & Rare Whisky Advent Calendar, a selection of high-age statements and single cask bottlings. At just under £800, this one is quite the treat. £799.95, masterofmalt.com.
