It's the most wonderful time of the year – aka boozy advent calendar time
Time to get your orders in for an advent calendar with a difference
It's the most wonderful time of the year. I was musing on Twitter yesterday that I am usually festive AF by this point in the year. This year, however, I'm not already covered in tinsel and playing Christmas songs on repeat. That needed to change.
I started out by heading to John Lewis, and buying two expensive baubles, drinking red wine in bed and watching two Christmas films (Christmas with the Coopers, one of my faves, and A Very Nutty Christmas with Melissa Joan Hart, aka Sabrina). That helped.
But then I got some exciting post: my Boutique-y Whisky Advent Calendar (pictured here with one of my excellent baubles)!
For the 24 days leading up to Christmas, instead of a tiny chocolate treat, you get a delicious 30ml dram of booze to enjoy. This year's calendar includes the likes of the sold out Boutique-y Säntis 10 Year Old, Glengoyne 17 Year Old and Cambus 28 Year Old. I am excited.
Little rummer boi
And the festivities keep on coming. As the famous Christmas song 'Little Rummer Boy' goes... 'Our finest drams we drink of rum rum rum rum.'
I've always been a gin or whisky (or wine or beer) kinda gal, but I've been trying to discover rum a bit more over the past couple of years. It just made sense that I needed a rum advent calendar in my life as well. This year's calendar features 23 different distilleries based across 16 countries, so it's a proper world tour. Every style is covered, from white to dark to spiced to flavoured and everything in between, so it'll be a proper education in all things molasses. I'm planning Old Fashioneds, Daiquiris, Mojitos and all sorts...
The rum advent calendar is £149.95, available from Master of Malt.
Ooh, tell me more...
For 2021, there are 14 different calendars available from Master of Malt – one for every kind of booze lover. These babies have been delivering 24 doses of Christmas spirit for 10 whole years now.
If you really want to treat yourself, there’s the Old & Rare Whisky advent calendar for £999.95, featuring the likes of Port Dundas 43 Year Old 1978 (cask 14767) - Xtra Old Particular (Douglas Laing), Glengoyne 30 Year Old, and WhistlePig 13 Year Old – The Boss Hog 2018 Edition (I mean, I had to include that one, right?).
However, in the (festive) spirit of having a calendar for every budget, the range starts at just £49.95 for the That Boutique-y Gin Company Advent Calendar, which features 24 gins, including one that’s been to SPACE (as tried by Richard Hammond on World Gin Day a couple of years ago). I've been preaching to everyone about how much of a bargain this one is.
And for everything in between, there's all these on offer too: Premium Gin; Rum; Scotch Whisky; Whisky; Bourbon and American Whiskey; World Whisky; Single Cask Whisky; Japanese Whisky; Premium Whisky; Vodka Explorer; and Whisky Explorer; ranging between £99.95 and £249.95.
I spent December 2020 working my way through the Bourbon and American Whiskey calendar, and learnt so much. It was a great opportunity to taste a range of whiskies I'd never had before, and even ended up buying a couple of big bottles to add to my collection. Whoops.
If 24 drams in a month (that’s 720ml, a slug over a whole bottle) is a bit much for you, you could opt for a 12 dram option instead, if you want to get your teeth into some delicious rums. There are 12 days of Christmas after all!
Which one takes your fancy?
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Comments (3)
I need one of these please
Tis the Season! 🥃😁
IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A BIT LIKE CHRIS-MAS - ie, a bit blurry