Xmas whisky? what does it even mean? We don’t get much Xmas here as we’re mostly a Jewish nation, but when I think about Xmas whiskies What comes into mind is a sweet, sherry-influenced dram that is easy and more-ish to enjoy drinking when there’s snow falling outside and you’re sitting comfortably next to the fireplace, sipping whisky and eating Xmas cake 🙂 Probably not what really happens, definitely not in Israel, but still.
This year’s Xmas whisky is rather a blended whisky and not a blend malt or single malt – meaning it has a single grain component as most whiskies sold worldwide have. TWE has also expanded on which Grains and which Malts are included: (they don’t tell you about the ages of the casks though)…
| Distillery | Category | Cask | Cask type |
| Glen Elgin | Speyside Malt | Hogshead | Refill |
| Linkwood | Speyside Malt | Hogshead | New Oak |
| Linkwood | Speyside Malt | Hogshead | New Oak |
| Blair Athol | Highland Malt | Butt | Oloroso |
| Blair Athol | Highland Malt | Butt | Oloroso |
| Strathclyde | Lowland Grain | Barrel | |
| Strathclyde | Lowland Grain | Barrel | |
| Cameronbridge | Lowland Grain | Butt | |
| Cameronbridge | Lowland Grain | Butt |
Interesting, let’s have a wee go.
A Good Old-Fashioned Christmas Whisky 2022, 50.5%, £84.95
Nose: This whisky screams: XMAS!!! Sweet and lovely with dried fruit (sultana, dates), Xmas cake, treacle toffee, and cinnamon spice. Baked black cherries in sweet syrup, ginger, allspice, and brown sugar on top. There are also some chocolate bonbons notes, sweet pastries, with the grain adding to the sweetness, and hints of Glühwein.
Palate: More of the dried fruit, sweet wine influence with a nice polished oak background balancing it nicely. more sponge cakes with BBQ’ed apples, dark cherries and sweet kirsch liquor, there’s a hint of grain sweetness as well.
Finish: Medium-long with more chocolate, sponge cakes, and sultana sweetness going on for quite some time.
Conclusion: This does not feel like a young blend at all, so forget what you think you know about blends and enjoy a lovely work of blending with sweet XMAS-y notes. You’re up for a treat. Easy drinking, and very very more-ish.
Merry Xmas to all.