#Advent Calendars from Drinks by the Dram

[thewhiskyphiles]

Whisky New Releases 2017 Week 35

#Whisky New Releases 2017 Week 35

Whisky New Releases 2017 Week 35

Welcome to The Whiskyphiles New Releases, our weekly report on the best of both the official and independently bottled whisky recently released.

This week we see the pre-order lineup of Drinks By The Dram’s fantastic advent calendar series – yes it will soon be Christmas…!

Sláinte!

Barry@TheWhiskyphiles

Advent Calendars from Drinks by the Dram Absinthe

The…

[anthony-sap]

Can't wait to open the bottle, the calendar is a different story unfortunately lol day 1 and 2 are done I think the others can wait till December... . The Laithwaites Christmas wine advent calendar, without this I don't think I would try a wine selection of this kind at any other time. There's 23 piccolo bottles and 1 half size for Christmas Eve. There's wine from all over the world from some of their best selling winemakers and varietals. Who knows this might start another interest... 😉 If you're interested in getting one to join the wine exploration check out https://www.laithwaites.com.au/jsp/offer/common/offer.jsp?name=advent-calendar-2022 . . Yiamas! 👍🥃 . #whisky #whiskyporn #whiskylover #whiskygram #whiskytasting #whiskey #bar #scotch #singlemalt #wine #cigar #cocktail #bourbon #scotchwhisky #gin #instawhisky #rum #liqueur #mixology #cocktails #alcohol #drink #liquor #thirsty #drinking #drinkup #mixologist #dram (at Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj4uJsZydf-/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[greatdrams]

WIN a Japanese Whisky Advent Calendar from Drinks by the Dram https://www.greatdrams.com/whisky-advent-calendar-2018/

[prairiescotch]

Day 9 of the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar started out with a bit of mystery -- offering number 19 was filed in the improper place! After dipping my hand behind the cardboard barricade and checking on slot 19, I discovered the true ninth bottle: a batch strength version of Wemyss Malts’ The HIve!

Batch strength, so far as I can tell, is a term interchangeable with cask strength or barrel strength/proof. It indicates simply that, unlike most commercially-released whiskies, it is not watered down to the standard 40% and is allowed to remain at the ABV (alcohol by volume) level that it was inside the barrel. See, water evaporates faster than alcohol, so as whisky sits in the barrel the water leeches off over time, leaving more and more alcohol behind and making for stronger product. 

Like anything in whisky, there are wangs who will insist that cask strength whisky is the only whisky there is, that anything less is an unmitigated and adulterated disappointment. Anyone who insists any one thing is the only true version of that thing is an idiot, and probably supports a single political party and insists that either the Beatles or The Rolling Stones are better than the other. That’s nonsense; there are no absolutes in this world, no blacks and whites, only delicious and beguiling greys. I do happen to love cask strength whiskies, if only because you can water them down to 40% yourself for the ‘standard’ experience and get more drinks out of your bottle, increasing the value for dollar. 

The Hive is a very good whisky, as I discovered in my first whisky advent calendar experience a few years ago. The 12 year old version of The Hive was pretty splendid, with lots of honey and fruit and a hint of leather. It was not nearly as one-note as the name might suggest, and well worth trying. I think it may have also been one of the first blended malts I had tried, a type that seems to be getting more and more common. As noted earlier this year and in the original Hive post, a blended malt consists of a bunch of single malts smashed together; different from a blended scotch, it does not have any neutral grain spirits mixed in. It makes for a much more complex and rich product!

So here we have a cask strength version of The Hive, which trades an age statement for a smashing 54.5% ABV. The constituent whiskies are from various undisclosed distilleries, and are aged in bourbon and sherry barrels. This is one of the darkest products yet in this advent, but still has no colouring or chill filtration.

On the nose, I was expecting honey, but there's actually a surprising amount of spicy Sherry influence at the bowl. A little further back in the vapours there's an awful lot of honey that does come through, along with a hint of vanilla and graham crackers. When tasting, the first shot is definitely honey from the bear, and lots of it. But the Sherry influence is just as strong, with lots of warming cinnamon and nutmeg and whatnot. Orange pith is apparent, bringing a touch of bitter, and some ginger heat too. There's a touch of smokiness that enhances the warming latter half and makes for a strong, lengthy, delicious finish. Water sands down the edges off every phase of this and makes it even better, enhancing the sweetness.

This was amazing, especially with some water in it. I would definitely recommend this, as I would have the standard ABV 12 year-old. 

If I’m being honest though, the balance of the calendar so far has been leaning really far into the sherry bomb territory, and I could use a break on that. Sherry-heavy drams are nice once in a while, but probably wouldn’t be my personal choice one a day (or twice or thrice a day, as was the case this weekend while I was playing catch-up on this calendar). We’ll see what comes next!

[lextenou]

Whisky Advent Calendar: Right in Front of My Salad

Many things in this life are incredibly awesome. Last night, I saw something awesome. I saw a bunny in my front yard, just chilling and hanging out. Lil bun bun friend.

Tonight's sample is another rye! New York Distilling Company Ragtime Rye. Americans truly do love their rye. About time too. Rye was one of the most popular liquors prior to the travesty of Prohibition. Its only been in the last few years that its started to regain its popularity. It is a tasty beverage.

This one has a softer nose, sweet and spicy like watching classic ABBA live performances. By the way, I really like classic live ABBA performances.

Those PLATFORMS! Those OUTFITS! Those SONGS!

The rye flavor is definitely forward in this one, giving a strong, almost earthy flavor. This tastes like the kind of dram to have to celebrate aiding Gondor.

A couple drops of water and it mellows into almost chocolatey caremel. Not strong enough on either to really be something other than a Reisen. The flavor takes on a slightly more spice after the water, with some elements of banana. Curiouser and curiouser.

Rye is a fascinating grain because of how versatile it is in a drink. We're leaving aside ergot and related issues, okay? No Dancing Madness here. You wanna find out more, ask the Botany Department at the University of Hawaii. 

A lot of the flavors of rye have spicy notes to them, ranging from star anise to cinnamon and vanilla. Fruity notes are also able to be detected in many distillations, and of course, sweetness. Sweetness is something that comes up a lot in these reviews, in large part because of the caremelization of the wood sugars inherent to charred barrels that these are aged in. While the barrels are often already used by the time the rye is placed within them, nevertheless, many elements of fantastic flavor are still able to be detected. It is a wondrous grain.

Review from Distiller  Review from the Whiskey Wash 

[carissahickling]

Advent Minis - Whistle Pig Rye 10 year 54.3%

Advent Minis – Whistle Pig Rye 10 year 54.3%

I had to be amused by the journey our 1st sample has taken. Originally from Canada – like me – it then was aged at WhistlePig Farm in Vermont. To then be rebottled by the folks at Drinks by the Dram in the UK and finally shipped off to me in Nurnberg, Germany.

But this was no normal WhistlePg in my wee advent calendar of single casks – nope! This was a single barrel release at cask strength.

Wh…

[ginobsessions]

For the past couple of years I have been lucky enough to receive an advent calendar from the gorgeous lovelies at That Boutique-y Gin Company in collaboration with Drinks by the Dram, and this year has been no different!  Thankfully, as the arrival of Baby Button is imminent (apparently I’m making things a little too cosy in there,) timing is perfect for me to be able to enjoy a cheeky Boutique-y dram each and every day in the run up to Christmas, and I have a feeling that this year I’m really going to need those gins!!

2017 Calendar

As a child I remember being really excited by my advent calendar, mostly because it meant that I was allowed to eat a piece of chocolate before my breakfast every morning, something which was unheard of in our household, even when it was Easter!  As a grown up I’m not really much of a chocolate fan, sweets yes, chocolate I can give or take…gin on the other hand.  Who in their right mind would turn down a gin?!

2018 Calendar

The premise is exactly the same as with your average kids calendar.  Each day you open a new door but instead of merely a picture, chocolate or piece of Lego being encased in the cardboard and plastic tomb, you will find a 30ml dram of delicious gin!  Big difference, unless it’s a weekend or your day off, I would have to advise against partaking in your liquid gold before breakfast…it could land you in all kinds of trouble!  That Boutique-y Gin company have an incredibly vast and varied range of gins, including some which have been created in collaboration with other distilleries, ones which are designed to really capture nostalgic aromas and some which have even been over 24km above the earth, up in near-space!

Now I love a good surprise, especially at Christmas, but this year I’ve taken a hit for you guys and I’ve seen the list of gins which feature in the 2019 calendar…my oh my you are in for a treat!  A fantastic combination of some new, exciting and exotic offerings mixed with some of my absolute favourites which have become staples on my gin shelves.  Although I know what is in the calendar in general, thankfully I don’t know which gin is behind each door, so my excitement levels are still piqued!

2019 Calendar

  The 30ml dram bottles are beautifully labelled with small versions of the artwork featured on the larger bottles.  If you’re into crafting these little beauties could be turned into candle holders or a cute little garland…I did make one with my drams from a couple of years ago, but I can’t for the life of me find the picture anywhere, so dram pictures are just going to have to suffice!

Your daily Christmas tipple can be enjoyed as a standard G&T or as a cheeky little cocktail.  Historically Boutique-y have added an “Advent Serves” section to their website and social media accounts, which gives details of cocktails which can be created using the gin of the day.  Last year I created a blood orange and cumin margarita using the World Gin Day – 7 Continents Gin, which was rather scrummy even if i do say so myself!

30ml 7 Continents Gin 60ml Fresh Blood Orange 20ml Lime juice A dash of sugar syrup (optional) Salt and cumin rim by running a lime around the rim of glass and then dipping into the mix.

So if you think you’re going to need, or just perhaps fancy a gin related treat each December day in the run up to Christmas you need look no further.

“But how much is that going to set me back?!”

I hear you cry, well I shall tell you!  The That Boutique-y Gin Company advent calendar is currently available from Master of Malt for £49.95!  And, if you’re feeling guilty for buying it, super generous then fear not, you could always be extra nice and treat someone special to one of the other Boutique-y goodies which are available, including alternatives for your favourite whisky lovers.

So all that’s left for me to do now is wait…wait for Christmas, wait for Ginvent and wait for this baby!  My patience is most definitely being tested, I should probably just take a leaf out of Juniper’s book, she seemed to have the right idea last year…

…waiting for Christmas 2018!

That Boutique-y Gin Company Advent Calendar was gifted

A Very Boutique-y Christmas – 2019 Gin Advent Calendar For the past couple of years I have been lucky enough to receive an advent calendar from the gorgeous lovelies at…

[from-tiny-pennies]

12 Advent Calendars for 2018, and not a chocolate in sight

12 Advent Calendars for 2018, and not a chocolate in sight

I love a good Advent Calendar and I have already bought mine and my God-Daughter’s.  I just need to resist the temptation to open mine…

If you are still a bit light on the old Advent Calendars, here is a selection of chocolate free ones (there may be a bit of chocolate on the biscuits, sorry) to get you thinking.

Ginvent Calendar (2018 Edition) – £124.95 from Masters of Malt.

Drinks by the Dram…

[thewhiskyphiles]

Drinks by the Dram Unveil New Lineup of Boozy Advent Calendars for 2020

Drinks by the Dram Unveil New Lineup of Boozy Advent Calendars for 2020 The original spirit-filled advent calendars are back with a range to suit every budget and taste

● The original boozy advent calendar creators are back for 9th year ● Ranging from £50 all the way up to £1,000 this year’s range offers something for everyone ● Drinks by the Dram have again teamed up with That…

[anthony-sap]

I know very little about wine so when I had the chance get the Laithwaites Christmas wine advent calendar, I thought there's no better way to learn. I don't think I would try a selection like this at any other time. There's 23 piccolo bottles and 1 half size for Christmas Eve. There's wine from all over the world from some of their best selling winemakers and varietals. Who knows this might start another interest... 😉 If you're interested in getting one to join the wine exploration check out https://www.laithwaites.com.au/jsp/offer/common/offer.jsp?name=advent-calendar-2022 . . Yiamas! 👍🥃 . #whisky #whiskyporn #whiskylover #whiskygram #whiskytasting #whiskey #bar #scotch #singlemalt #wine #cigar #cocktail #bourbon #scotchwhisky #gin #instawhisky #rum #liqueur #mixology #cocktails #alcohol #drink #liquor #thirsty #drinking #drinkup #mixologist #dram (at Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjNuSvSvZXt/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[greatdrams]

WIN a Japanese Whisky Advent Calendar from Drinks by the Dram https://www.greatdrams.com/whisky-advent-calendar-2018/

[jculture-en]

Boozy gin, vodka, rum and whisky calendars launched for Christmas 2019

#Whisky #NikkaWhisky [Cambridge News]Drams include Isle Of Jura 18-Year-Old, Nikka Days and Balcones Texas Single Malt RRP: £149.95, Master of Malt The Old & Rare Whisky Advent Calendar from Drinks by the Dram The incredible Old & Rare …

[whiskeyandwing-blog]

The perfect gifts for the whiskey lover

There's nothing cozier than enjoying dark spirits like whiskey around the holidays. When the time comes to buy gifts for the whiskey lover in your life, you'll have a wide variety of stocking stuffers and bottles to choose from. We've put together a collection of gifts that are sure to please whiskey drinkers, from the best go-to bottles out there to treats that have been infused with the rich drink. Just sit back, pour, and enjoy:   Add to their bucket list.

Amazon Whiskey expert Ian Buxton reveals the whiskeys that enthusiasts should seek out around the world, from America and Sweden to Japan and Scotland. "Awesome sauce for even the slightest of whiskey nerds ... completely worth picking up," LiquorSnob.com raved in their review of the book.  Price: $9.99 (ebook), $10.33 (paperback), $17.29 (hardcover) Keep their whiskey perfectly chilled.

Amazon While some whiskey drinkers like their cup chilled, no one likes it watered down. Avoid the mishap altogether with these Vermont-milled stones made by the oldest soapstone workshop in the US. Just add in three stones, let them stand for five minutes, and enjoy your perfectly chilled drink. Price: $19.99 Help them count down the days to Christmas in a more adult way.

Master of Malt This adults-only Advent calendar brings some holiday fun back into the picture, with 24 windows each housing a different whisky variety. Highlights from this year's calendar include a rare 50-year-old Scotch, an award-winning Japanese whisky, and the drink that was named the World's Best Blended Whisky at the World Whiskies Awards last year. Price: $193 Make their cocktails portable.

Facebook/Carry On Cocktail Kit Ideal for the whiskey drinker who's also a frequent traveler, this compact cocktail kit comes with everything needed to craft two Old Fashioned cocktails mid-flight. The kit comes with a recipe card, spoon and muddler, linen coaster, aromatic bitters, cane sugar, and a carry-on tin. The only thing you'll need to get is the alcohol itself.  Price: $20.95 Inspire them to get to work in the kitchen.

Amazon Southern chef and James Beard Award winner John Currence delivers 130 recipes that pair well with whiskey. Whether the recipe calls for boiling, pickling, muddling, or baking, Currence's book will inspire the reader to cook up a storm. Price: $9.99 (ebook), $29.69 (hardcover) Stock their home bar.

Amazon Having the perfect cocktail recipe doesn't mean anything if you don't have all the tools to mix them with. This Cuisine Prefere Stainless Steel Barware Tool Set comes with everything you need to whip up top-notch cocktails, including a shaker, double jigger, strainer, stirrer, ice tongs, and a set of nine whisky stones. Price: $25 Keep their belongings safe and clean.

Etsy These coasters, which were made out of retired bourbon barrels, will protect valuable furniture from liquor marks. They come in sets of four, and users say the condensation from glasses often combines with the wood to release a sweet smell of whiskey. Price: $39.99 Get them a tasting glass so they can sip like the pros.

Amazon Glencairn tasting glasses are used by master blenders around the world. They have a tapering mouth (which allows for easy drinking while maintaining essential aromas), a wide bowl (which allows for an elegant display of the liquor's color), and a solid base (which makes them easy to hold). Price: $16.40 (set of two) Make spilled drinks a thing of the past.

Home Wet Bar These double old-fashioned glasses have a base that allows them to roll without tipping or spilling. They can even be engraved. Price: $29.95 (set of six) Add some natural spices to their drinks.

Amazon These bitters are excellent in Old Fashioneds, as well as other cocktails made with whiskey. They have been aged in Woodford Reserve bourbon barrels to pack a ton of flavor, including the bitterness of natural gentian root, the sweetness of cherries, and subtle notes of spice. Price: $15.41 Splurge on a limited-edition bottle.

The Whisky Exchange The Glenrothes' hallmarks are quality and purity, and this 1979 vintage whisky with delicate peaty undertones is sure to please the pickiest of drinkers. Approved on September 17, 1994 and bottled in 1995, the matured whisky includes flavors that range from fruity to spicy. Price: $461.79 Take their liquor cabinet up a notch.

Neiman Marcus Decanters are a great option for displaying liquors elegantly. Those made with high-quality materials will last well throughout the years, and there's a wide variety of shapes to choose from. We recommend this decanter for a classic piece that holds around 26 ounces. Price: $195 Get them their new favorite bottle of whisky.

Reserve Bar If you're looking for a go-to bottle of whisky that won't break the bank, Johnnie Walker Blue Label is a good choice. The blend of rare malts from hand-selected casks across Scotland has an elegant smoky finish. The whiskies used to compose Blue Label are specially selected from Johnnie Walker reserves, and only one in about 10,000 casks is typically deemed adequate. Price: $219 Get everything they need in one box.

Man Crates Give them a box that has all of the essentials, including two personalized, heavy-bottom rock glasses, two Tovolo ice sphere molds, two slate coasters, and a "33 Drams Of Whiskey" drinking journal. Packed in a sealed wooden crate with a laser-etched crowbar, the box also comes with snacks like spiced peppercorn peanuts, salted pistachios, and cranberry pecans. Price: $99.99   Talia Avakian   Read the full article

[prairiescotch]

The tenth day shall thus be dubbed “the Resurrection” as it brings back one of the most interesting whiskies from the 3rd version of the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar. 

You may recall discussion of the Jericho, another recreation from the weirdo wizards at The Lost Distillery Company. They dubbed a variation on their attempt to bring back the product from the Highlands region of Aberdeenshire “Christmas Pudding,” due to its spiced Christmas cake notes. It succeeded in that right, but I’m more interested in this version, which is taken from their ‘Archivist’ range and evidently is comprised of a “much older” stock — though I note that no one seems to be saying how old (there are sites that suggest five to ten single malts make up TLDC blends, however).

It’s worth noting that Jericho is understood to be one of the first Scotch distilleries to use sherry casks to age whisky, and thus this is sherried from soup to nuts. Bottled at a slightly elevated 46% ABV, this is, true to form, aged in sherry casks for an undisclosed amount of time. 

This was surprisingly muted on the nose. In fact, it was tough to pull much from it at all. Working hard at it, I did manage to detect a slight, musty umami and some soft Sherry Cask notes, namely a bit of the aforementioned holiday spices. There was also a very unexpected, albeit tiny, touch of purple Popsicle. All in all, very weird.

However, on the palate this was big and booming, possibly one of the best Sherry finishes I've ever had on a whisky. Admittedly, it was troublesome at first because of a surprisingly punchy alcohol sting, way stronger than I'd expect at 46%. But once that passes, the Jericho hits with somewhat-soft but still assertive holiday spices, fudgey toffee, and a warming finish. Best of all, it lacks the overly bitter, tannic element that seems pervasive in most sherry-aged scotches. Usually by the time I finish a dram that bitterness can be a bit overwhelming, so the fact that it isn’t here is worth the price of admission alone. 

I found this to be immensely satisfying, though without a more fulsome, present nose it isn’t quite the total package. But my god, what flavour! If this is what they were drinking back in the 1830s, they don’t know how good they had it.

[lextenou]

Whisky Advent Calendar: Converting You to a Compatible Format

If you haven't tried the Hallmark Channel Christmas Movie Drinking Game, I definitely recommend finding it and giving it a try. There's so much cheese it can feel difficult to get through - the drinking game makes it significantly easier to deal with the latest incarnation of two OC's falling in love.

Tonight's sample is Chicago distillery Koval's Four Grain whiskey. Typically these are corn, wheat, rye, barley, or oats. This particular dram uses oats, malted barley, rye and wheat. I'm expecting a nuanced flavor with perhaps a bit more depth than a puddle.

Chicago's Bean is a giant monstrosity of a reflective sculpture somewhere in Chicago that is relevant for a couple reasons. First is that it is commonly used in various amusing Facebook joke groups, such as "windex the bean", "paint the bean black", etc. Of all of them, my favorite remains "Paint the Bean 'Pinkest Pink' to annoy sculptor Anish Kapoor". For those who don't remember, Kapoor is the sole owner of the rights to use Vantablack, the blackest black, and is the artist who sculpted the Bean (which is a name he hates so I use it incessantly). In protest, another artist developed "Pinkest Pink" and announced everyone could use it EXCEPT Kapoor. In a delightful postscript, the same artist developed an alternative to Vantablack which is actually usable. Vantablack is only usable by "qualified technicians in a science lab or by license", whereas Stuart Semple's Black 2.0 is usable "at home, in the art studio, anywhere by brush or spray".

There is a delightful nose to this one, one that makes me think I've just spontaneously grown a Swanson 'stache. It reminds me of woodworking in the outdoors, quiet and calm. Its like fresh made banana pancakes with a hot cup of coffee on a lazy Sunday morning. It has a rich flavor, with a tempered rye burn and spice that partners very well with the sweetness and caramelization inherent to malted barley.

A splash of water brings forward the banana notes, making this more like a bananas foster then I would expect. Delightful. The flavor rounds out with the water, bringing a touch of heat forward, reminiscent of a properly done hot cider. It's pretty hard to mess up a cider, but it is possible. A lot depends on your approach to flavor profiles and balance.

If you've a chance to pick up any bottle from this Chicago distillery, do so. They are a proper grain-to-bottle distiller, rather than many of the others we see. It gives a fantastic flavor and authenticity to the liquor, allowing it to be worthy of the first Chicago distillery since Prohibition. These are proper craft libations.

Review from the Whisky Wash 

Review from Distiller 

Review from Caskers 

[carissahickling]

Drinks by the Drams - The Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2018

Now I must admit, for a few years I have coveted advent calendars… imagining exploring a bounteous array of unique whiskies.

As luck would have it, one of our Whisky Ladies of Mumbai was gifted a box – enthusiastically ordered from England for her sampling pleasure in India. A lovely thought… except those giving the generous gift had absolutely no clue the customs conundrum that would ensue……