Whisky Advent Calendar - Drinks by the Dram

13. November 2019

Dies ist ein unabhängiger Bericht der Whisky-Helden über Drinks by the Dram und dessen Produkte, der mein eigenes Empfinden und meinen persönlichen Eindruck schildert. 

Ready for the Christmas countdown in style?

It is the most wonderful time of the year - Christmas is knocking on the door and like almost every year I was thinking about buying my own whisky advent calendar to count the days until Christmas!

 

While last year I was searching for a calendar that meets my personal preferences, I came across the whisky advent calendar of Drinks by the Dram, but in the end, I could not justify to spent a lot of money for such a special Christmas "treat". 

 

This year's decision of whether to buy a calendar or not has been made for me. Many thanks to Drinks by the Dram for sending me one of your cool Whisky Advent Calendars for a detailed review! I am quite sure, that I will enjoy it!

 

 


Der BEEF! Whisky Adventskalender

You like your Christmas spirit in whisky form? Then maybe this splendid whisky advent calendar will make you happy! Every dram in the 2019 calendars have been handpicked by Drinks by the Dram's team specifically for this year's season.

 

Let's start my little review by looking at the packaging. The stylish and modern design of the box and the colour selection (anthracite/gold) convinced me. It is absolutely an eye-catcher. The quality of the heavy cardboard is really good and I like the arrangement of the 24 windows. Some of the bottles were positioned upright, while others were lying horizontally in the depth of the box. Even though the festive season has not yet started, I've already opened one of the windows, to get my hands on one of the bottles for my review. So please don't tell Santa :D

 

The windows are perhaps a little bit difficult to open or maybe I was just too excited, to see what's behind. The design and quality of the sample is really spectacular and they are styled with great love for the detail. All 24 drams (30ml each) are handmade and wax-sealed. The label is very clear and points out the name/logo of the distillery, the name of the whisky, the style (e.g. Single Malt, Single Grain...) and the alcoholic strength. It perfectly fits to the wax-seal! Great Job!

 

Spoiler - The Whiskys

Now let's have a deeper look on the content. The Whisky Advent Calendar is filled with 24 different whiskies and is a great opportunity to discover exciting expressions from all over the world, including Japanese Blends, Texas Single Malts and award-winning whiskies from famous distilleries. In my opinion a healthy mix of classic (like the GlenDronach 12 years or the Talisker 10 year old), premium whiskies (e.g. the Dalmore Cigar Malt or the Longmorn 10 by "That Boutique-y Whisky Company") and a variety of styles, including Single Malt, Blended Whisky, Bourbon and more. Although I am not a big Bourbon fan, my personell highlight of the calendar will be the 24 year-old Bourbon Whiskey #1 (That Boutique-y Whisky Company), that bottle (50cl) is priced with around 230 EUR...and who knows....maybe afterwards I will be a big Bourbon fan?! Never say never! 

 

And by the way...have you ever heard of a Single Malt from Australia? No? The same goes to me! So I am really excited to taste the Starward Nova and hope that he is hiding in one of the first windows. 

 

 

For those who plan to buy this calender and want it to be a surprise, better stop reading now. For those who maybe will get their hands on the calender but can't wait to find out what whiskies are included - here they are (in no particular order - I do not want to give everything away). For those whiskies I've already reviewed, I have added the link to my corresponding Whisky Review.

  • Nikka Days
  • Isle of Jura 18 Year Old
  • Hudson Baby Bourbon
  • Glenfarclas 15 Year Old
  • Bourbon Whiskey #1 24 Year old (That Boutique-y Whisky Company)
  • Fettercairn 12 Year old
  • Mackmyra Vinterglöd
  • Peat's Beast
  • The GlenDronach 12 Year Old
  • Mackmyra Äppelblom
  • Dalmore Cigar Malt
  • Starward Nova
  • BenRiach 10 Year OId
  • Brenne Cuvee Speciale French Single Malt Whisky
  • Balcones Texas Single Malt
  • Dalwhinnie 15 Year Old (---> Whisky-Review)
  • Balvenie 12 Year OLD - The Sweet Toast of Amerikan oak
  • Teeling Small Batch
  • Steel Bonnets
  • Talisker 10 Years Old
  • WhistlePig 10 Year Old
  • Balvenie 14 Year Old- The Week of Peat
  • Caol Ila 12 Year Old
  • Longmorn 10 Year Old (That Boutique-y Whisky Company)

Conclusion

Who said Advent Calender's are just for kids?? This Whisky Advent Calender is definitely a brilliant gift for whisky fans or perhaps for yourself to make your christmas countdown extra tasty. Overall I must say, this calender is really great. The design and quality of the box are persuading. The content is a well considered selection of whiskes across the globe. 

 

Sure it is a bit pricey, but good stuff and of course good whisky is simply expensive and you pay for an amazing packaging and great experience. And of course keep in mind that the entire Whisky Advent calender is nearly full a bottle of whisky (72 cl) and with the 24-year old Bourbon (my highlight) you have included a very expensive whiskey!

 

I can't wait to open a window everyday throughout December. A great excuse to drink every day ;)

Über Foodist

Launched in 2010, Drinks by the Drams was a way of offering spirits enthusiasts and connoisseurs the opportunity to sample releases at a fraction of the cost of purchasing an entire bottle. It now is the sample service of Master of Malt and the range includes over 5.000 unqiue spirits, from gin and whisky to rum, tequila, mezcal and more. Their different tasting-sets are a good way to try a selection of delicious drams.