The Whisky Club Advent Calendar 2023

The Whisky Club’s Christmas institution is back and better than ever.  We’ve checked Members’ most-wanted lists twice and curated 24 drams that’ll tick every Scotch lover’s box, chock a block with old-school Scotch classics, Sherry bombs galore along with some new favourites. 

Selected exclusively for the Club, this year’s lineup features some gob-smackingly old whiskies spanning four decades including a 42YO, 30YO, 26YO, and a 22YO as well as multiple gold medal award-winning whiskies from Scotland, Japan, Ireland, the USA and more. 

Like we said, we’ve curated these stellar spirits based on what we know Members love — and we know they love a good Sherry bomb. So expect to unbox some lush classics as well as a few surprises like a Colheita Port cask, Rioja Wine and even a Ginger Beer. 

Want to know exactly what's inside? At 7pm (AEDT) each day until Christmas we'll be sharing a video to our Facebook and Instagram Stories as well as YouTube, taking you through the dram of the day, and this page will be updated daily with all the details if you can't wait until then.

Bottle Size: 24 x 30ml

Day 24

Distillery: Nikka

Name: Nikka Days

Age: NAS

ABV: 40.0%

Cask Type: Undisclosed - Most likely American oak

Region: Japan

Notes: Combining the spirit of Miyagikyo and Yoichi distilleries alongside grain & malt whisky to create a complex blended whisky.

Nose: Fresh and fruity apples, pears, honeydew melon and strawberry, orange oil, malt sweetness and lemon cheesecake.

Palate: Smooth and creamy, roasted nuts, toffee apple, toasty malted cereal and vanilla fudge alongside a hint of barrel char, freshened up by juicy apples.

Finish: Buttery lemon shortbread sprinkled with sugar and vanilla pod.

Day 23

Distillery: Undisclosed Islay Distillery

Name: Seaweed & Aeons & Digging & Fire

Age: 10 Years Old

ABV: 40.0%

Cask Type: 25% finished in first-fill Oloroso Sherry casks

Region: Islay

Notes: Gold Outstanding: International Wine & Spirit Competition 2022. Gold: International Wine & Spirit Competition 2021.

Nose: Burnt popcorn with a hint of citrus, heavily roasted nuts with pinch of sea-salt.

Palate: Creamy leatherwood honey with salted peanuts, cinnamon and milk chocolate.

Finish: Red apple sweetness, with buttered pistachios and earthy peat.

Day 22

Distillery: Brenne

Name: Brenne Estate Cask

Age: NAS (6-8 years)

ABV: 40.0%

Cask Type: New French Limousin oak and Cognac casks

Region: Cognac, France

Notes: Aged in new French Limousin oak and Cognac casks. The result is Brenne: proudly the first single malt in the world to be aged exclusively in these two barrels. Their whiskies begin in the fields of Cognac, with its famous mineral-rich soils and mild microclimate. Every ingredient is sourced locally, 100 percent organic, and non-GMO. Double Gold: San Francisco World Spirit Competition 2021. Best NAS French Single Malt 2020: World Whisky award.

Nose: Perfumed fruit and French patisserie aromas with creamy and complex sugar notes of rich crème brûlée and burnt caramel.

Palate: Notes of banana, tropical fruits, and warm spices like cinnamon and clove.

Finish: Chocolate raisins, pineapple and coconut ice.

Day 21

Distillery: Roe & Co

Name: Blended Irish Whisky

Age: NAS

ABV: 45.0%

Cask Type: Ex-Bourbon 

Region: Ireland

Notes: Made from the finest hand-selected stocks of Irish malt and grain whiskies, aged in Bourbon casks. 

Nose: Light floral notes with macadamia nuts, fresh apricots and a hint of spice.

Palate: Soft citrus and spice meet barley sugars and stewed orchard fruits with vanilla oak.

Finish: Lingering and creamy. Buttered toast, white peach and almonds.

Day 20

Distillery: FEW Distillery

Name: Straight Bourbon

Age: NAS

ABV: 45.0%

Cask Type: American white oak

Region: Chicago, USA

Notes: Grain to glass since 2011, Ultimate Spirits Challenge: 92 Points Excellent - Highly Recommended 

Nose: Cloves, vanilla and rich caramel form a rich and spicy, woody aroma.

Palate: Sweet with notes of sticky toffee and caramel alongside baking spices and dried apricots.

Finish: Treacle and dried apple meld with gooey white chocolate.

Day 19

Distillery: Glenrothes

Name: Oloroso Cask Finish

Age: 12 Years Old

ABV: 60.6%

Cask Type: Oloroso Sherry cask finish

Region: Speyside

Notes: A big Sherry bomb independently bottled by Darkness.

Nose: Silky caramel with mashed banana nestled beside floral tobacco and a hint dark chocolate.

Palate: Layers of dried fruit, brown sugar and woody spice, mingling with roasted malt and charred oak.

Finish: Candied fruits and sweet baking spices with a long stewed dark fruit finish.

Day 18

Distillery: Blended Malt - Scotch Undisclosed

Name: Sherry Cask Matured - The Classic Range

Age: NAS

ABV: 44.2%

Cask Type: Sherry Cask

Region: Scotland

Notes: Gold: The Scotch Whisky Masters 2022: Blended Malt -Super Premium. The team at Berry Bros. and Rudd, specially selected a blend of Sherry cask single malts to create this classic Sherry bomb.

Nose: Blood orange juice, brown sugar and dried fruit lead with a hint of charred pineapple and rich oak.

Palate: Black fruit compote alongside Seville orange marmalade and toasted cinnamon.

Finish: Christmas cake notes with dark chocolate.

Day 17

Distillery: Undisclosed Distilleries

Name: Cutler & Stubbs Blended Whisky

Age: 42 Years Old

ABV: 44.1%

Cask Type: Undisclosed

Region: Scotland

Notes: Distilled 13 Dec 1976.

Nose: Malty vanilla, freshly backed biscuits, dense caramel and cooked orchard fruit.

Palate: Treacle and buttered shortbread with poached pears in syrup alongside mature oak.

Finish: Smooth, soft and balanced. Delicate oak notes with lightly dried fruits and lasting chocolate.

Day 16

Distillery: Kyrö

Name: Malt Rye

Age: NAS

ABV: 47.2%

Cask Type: New American white oak casks

Region: Finland

Notes: Using 100% Finnish wholegrain rye, it’s the first ever Finnish single-batch rye whisky. Gold Outstanding - 2020 International Wine & Spirits Competition.

Nose: Loads of dry spice, caramel and vanilla, dried fruits and dense chocolate.

Palate: Sweet rye bread with honey, wild berries meets fresh muffins and toffee..

Finish: Smooth peppery finish with caramel and mocha.

Day 15

Distillery: Lochlea

Name: Our Barley

Age: NAS

ABV: 46%

Cask Type: Ex-Bourbon, Oloroso Sherry & STR ex-Rioja Casks

Region: Lowlands

Notes: Won Gold - San Francisco World Spirits Competition. It's made from and inspired by their own barley, grown on Lochlea Farm. Production Director/ Master Blender is John Campbell - ex Laphroaig Distillery Manager.

Nose: Pear syrup with fruit bon bons, malt biscuits and marmalade.

Palate: Golden syrup with toasted rye bread, macadamia nuts and white chocolate.

Finish: A rounded finish with orange, Anazc biscuits and lightly toasted almonds.

Day 14

Distillery: Undisclosed Islay Distillery

Name: Seaweed & Aeons & Digging & Fire & Sherry Casks & Cask Strength

Age: 10 Years Old

ABV: 56.4%

Cask Type: 100% Finished in Sherry Casks

Region: Islay

Notes: As opposed to the classic 10YO which was only 25% finished in Sherry casks, this release has had the whole volume released in Sherry casks.

Nose: Juicy orange backed up by fruit cake and chocolate notes with a big peat punch.

Palate: Dried cherry and chewy raisin with cinnamon and burnt damper bread.

Finish: Seville orange marmalade, smoky peanut shells, charred oak and chocolatey mocha.

Day 13

Distillery: Starward

Name: Ginger Beer Cask #7

Age: NAS

ABV: 48.0%

Cask Type: Finished in Ginger Beer Casks

Region: Melbourne, Australia

Notes: Gold - San Francisco World Spirits Competition 

Nose: Ginger, orange, fresh cookie dough and dark chocolate.

Palate: Strong spicy ginger, vanilla and fresh pineapple alongside sweet raisins and fig.

Finish: Big and warming finish. Candied ginger, bright citrus and sweet fruitcake.

Day 12

Distillery: Strathmill

Name: Batch 7 22 Year Old

Age: 22 Years Old

ABV: 49.6%

Cask Type: Sherry Butt

Region: Speyside

Nose: Toffee, apricots, dried fruit, a touch of furniture polish and some tobacco.

Palate: Orange oil with layers of chewy caramel, juicy dried fruits and dark chocolate.

Finish: Rich and gooey. Almonds and dried apricots meld with thick treacle and a touch of leather.

Day 11

Distillery: Undisclosed Blended Grain

Name: Butterscotch & Vanilla & Toast & A Generation

Age: 30 Years Old

ABV: 40%

Cask Type: Undisclosed but most likely American oak

Region: Scotland

Notes: Blended grain whisky made up from multiple grain Scotch distilleries. 

Nose: Buttery honeycomb, waxy orange peel with popcorn and Werther's Original butterscotch lollies.

Palate: Rich butterscotch & freshly baked biscuits with chocolate chunks, buttered white bread and a hint of spice.

Finish: Layers of vanilla, cinnamon, gingerbread, and treacle.

Day 10

Distillery: Old Pulteney

Name: 15 Year Old

Age: 15 Years Old

ABV: 46%

Cask Type: Second fill American oak, finished in first fill Spanish Oloroso butts

Region: Highlands

Notes: Single Malts up to 12 years - Independents: International Spirits Competition 2023, Double Gold: 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. 

Nose: Intense yet balanced. Bursting with rich dried fruit, ripe apples and citrus, with honey sweetness and creamy vanilla. Slightly chocolaty and floral.

Palate: Fragrant spices and Christmas cake, with layers of chocolate and a distinct dark toffee sweetness.

Finish: There is a hint of salty sea air on the finish, a clear connection to the influence of the sea.

Day 9

Distillery: Balmenach

Name: Oloroso Cask Finish

Age: 9 Years Old

ABV: 56.6%

Cask Type: Finished in a single Oloroso Sherry octave cask

Region: Speyside

Nose: Toasted almonds join crème brulée with a crunchy caramelised top, while coffee and oak char.

Palate: Layers of thick, runny toffee and chocolatey malt are backed by baking spices and burnt custard.

Finish: Chocolate buttons, barley sugar sweeties, spiced, syrupy flapjack with a trickle of treacle.

Day 8

Distillery: Undisclosed Bourbon Distillery

Name: Black & Gold Bourbon

Age: 11 Years Old

ABV: 45%

Cask Type: American White oak

Region: USA

Nose: Dense vanilla, toasted brown sugar atop apple pie, ginger snaps and cinnamon sticks.

Palate: Caramelised nuts, cask char leading to earthy cigar box and vanilla pod, with a touch of maple syrup hiding in there too.

Finish: Lasting oak and forest floor richness, well-balanced by toffee and chocolate sweetness.

Day 7

Distillery: Blend of Peated Scotch and Tennessee Rye

Name: Burnt Ends

Age: NAS

ABV: 45%

Cask Type: American White oak, Sherry casks, ex-Bourbon

Region: Tennessee & Scotland

Nose: Deliciously rich and spicy. Fresh apple & pineapple juice, with caramel and a touch of peat.

Palate: Barbequed pineapple with sticky butterscotch alongside toasted rye bread.

Finish: Long with burnt toffee, roasted nuts and a whiff of smoke.

Day 6

Distillery: Undisclosed Scotch Speyside distillery

Name: Wormtub

Age: 10 Years Old - Batch 3

ABV: 56.2%

Cask Type: Finished in first-fill Oloroso Sherry casks

Region: Speyside

Notes: Sourced from a distillery in Speyside that uses wormtub condensers. Winner of Gold, Single Malts up to 12 years - Independents: International Spirits Competition 2023. 

Nose: Dark chocolate, baking spice, oak char, fruitcake, and fruits of the forest.

Palate: Cured meat, salted caramel, red berries, oily walnuts, flamed orange peel, and stewed fruits.

Finish: Rich and thick, heavy Sherry and dried fruits with sticky treacle. 

Day 5

Distillery: Lakes

Name: The One Colheita Cask Finished

Age: NAS

ABV: 46.6%

Cask Type: Colheita wine casks finish

Region: England, Highlands, Speyside & Islau

Notes: A blended whisky crafted from a singular blend of The Lakes Single Malt and select grain and malt Scotch whiskies from the Highlands, Speyside and Islay is then finished in rare Colheita casks to create this rich and warming expression of The One. 

Nose: Peach cobbler, fresh apricots alongside strawberries & cream, with a whiff of campfire.

Palate: Ripe plums, vanilla custard, marshmallow and warming cinnamon.

Finish: Rich and comforting with caramel jersey and stewed pears.

Day 4

Distillery: Undisclosed Scotch Distillery

Name: Darkness 8 Year Old

Age: 8 Years Old

ABV: 47.8%

Cask Type: Ex-Bourbon finished in custom made Oloroso Sherry octaves

Region: Scotch

Notes: Gold at the 2020 World Whiskies Awards, Gold Single Malts up to 12 years - Independents: International Spirits Competition 2023

Nose: Candied orange peels, chocolate peanuts, cooking spice warmth and some dried cherry.

Palate: Amaretti biscuits, subtly toasty hints, powerful raisin and prune with just a touch of earthy oak.

Finish: Slightly oily with a hint of smoke and dark chocolate.

Day 3

Distillery: Undisclosed malt and grain distilleries

Name: Blended Whisky #3 - Batch 2

Age: 26 Years Old

ABV: 45.2%

Cask Type: Undisclosed 

Region: Blended Scotch Whisky

Notes: Small Batch (Only 460 bottles created)

Nose: Stewed plums, figs, and dates are joined by spiced toffee apples, fruitcake, cherry chocolate, and a whisper of bonfire smoke.

Palate: Silky layers of caramel join the chocolate notes from the nose, along with candied orange and honeyed prunes. Coffee and walnut cake develops in time, backed up by elegant wood smoke.

Finish: The flavours linger long after the last mouthful, with rounded layers of baked fruit, cakey spice, and smoked liquorice.

Day 2

Distillery: Ledaig

Name: Rioja Cask Finish - Sinclair Series

Age: NAS

ABV: 46.3%

Cask Type: Rioja Wine Cask Finish 

Region: Islands

Notes: The first release in the Sinclair series. Rioja is region in Northern Spain best known for berry-scented, barrel-aged red wines made from Tempranillo and Garnacha.

Nose: Notes of Turkish delight and rose petals balanced with candied fruits and grapes followed by rich leather and a beautiful peppery spice with a hint of chocolate.

Palate: Creamy mouthfeel full of almonds, sweet malt and notes of peppery Ledaig, which give way to black raspberries, sweet vanilla and cocoa interspersed with cinnamon spice.

Finish: Salted caramel, cherry, clove. Lingering smoky finish with red fruit and sea spray.

Day 1

Distillery: Undisclosed Islay Distillery

Name: Aerolite Lindsay

Age: 10 Years Old

ABV: 46%

Cask Type: Bourbon Barrels, Spanish Sherry Quarter Casks 

Region: Islay

Notes: Category Winner 2020 World Whisky Awards - Gold Medal

Nose: Lots of maritime peat, with notes of iodine intertwined with honey sweetness, paprika, salted caramel and old bookshelves.

Palate: Smoke returns alongside mint dark chocolate, espresso and new leather, with honey and soy sauce mixed together.

Finish: Boiled mint sweeties, liquorice allsorts, bonfire smoke and toffee penny, with a pinch of salt.

Day 12

Distillery: Strathmill

Name: Batch 7 22 Year Old

Age: 22 Years Old

ABV: 49.6%

Cask Type: Sherry Butt

Region: Speyside

Nose: Toffee, apricots, dried fruit, a touch of furniture polish and some tobacco.

Palate: Orange oil with layers of chewy caramel, juicy dried fruits and dark chocolate.

Finish: Rich and gooey. Almonds and dried apricots meld with thick treacle and a touch of leather.

Day 11

Distillery: Undisclosed Blended Grain

Name: Butterscotch & Vanilla & Toast & A Generation

Age: 30 Years Old

ABV: 40%

Cask Type: Undisclosed but most likely American oak

Region: Scotland

Notes: Blended grain whisky made up from multiple grain Scotch distilleries. 

Nose: Buttery honeycomb, waxy orange peel with popcorn and Werther's Original butterscotch lollies.

Palate: Rich butterscotch & freshly baked biscuits with chocolate chunks, buttered white bread and a hint of spice.

Finish: Layers of vanilla, cinnamon, gingerbread, and treacle.

Day 10

Distillery: Old Pulteney

Name: 15 Year Old

Age: 15 Years Old

ABV: 46%

Cask Type: Second fill American oak, finished in first fill Spanish Oloroso butts

Region: Highlands

Notes: Single Malts up to 12 years - Independents: International Spirits Competition 2023, Double Gold: 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. 

Nose: Intense yet balanced. Bursting with rich dried fruit, ripe apples and citrus, with honey sweetness and creamy vanilla. Slightly chocolaty and floral.

Palate: Fragrant spices and Christmas cake, with layers of chocolate and a distinct dark toffee sweetness.

Finish: There is a hint of salty sea air on the finish, a clear connection to the influence of the sea.

Day 9

Distillery: Balmenach

Name: Oloroso Cask Finish

Age: 9 Years Old

ABV: 56.6%

Cask Type: Finished in a single Oloroso Sherry octave cask

Region: Speyside

Nose: Toasted almonds join crème brulée with a crunchy caramelised top, while coffee and oak char.

Palate: Layers of thick, runny toffee and chocolatey malt are backed by baking spices and burnt custard.

Finish: Chocolate buttons, barley sugar sweeties, spiced, syrupy flapjack with a trickle of treacle.

Day 8

Distillery: Undisclosed Bourbon Distillery

Name: Black & Gold Bourbon

Age: 11 Years Old

ABV: 45%

Cask Type: American White oak

Region: USA

Nose: Dense vanilla, toasted brown sugar atop apple pie, ginger snaps and cinnamon sticks.

Palate: Caramelised nuts, cask char leading to earthy cigar box and vanilla pod, with a touch of maple syrup hiding in there too.

Finish: Lasting oak and forest floor richness, well-balanced by toffee and chocolate sweetness.

Day 7

Distillery: Blend of Peated Scotch and Tennessee Rye

Name: Burnt Ends

Age: NAS

ABV: 45%

Cask Type: American White oak, Sherry casks, ex-Bourbon

Region: Tennessee & Scotland

Nose: Deliciously rich and spicy. Fresh apple & pineapple juice, with caramel and a touch of peat.

Palate: Barbequed pineapple with sticky butterscotch alongside toasted rye bread.

Finish: Long with burnt toffee, roasted nuts and a whiff of smoke.

Day 6

Distillery: Undisclosed Scotch Speyside distillery

Name: Wormtub

Age: 10 Years Old - Batch 3

ABV: 56.2%

Cask Type: Finished in first-fill Oloroso Sherry casks

Region: Speyside

Notes: Sourced from a distillery in Speyside that uses wormtub condensers. Winner of Gold, Single Malts up to 12 years - Independents: International Spirits Competition 2023. 

Nose: Dark chocolate, baking spice, oak char, fruitcake, and fruits of the forest.

Palate: Cured meat, salted caramel, red berries, oily walnuts, flamed orange peel, and stewed fruits.

Finish: Rich and thick, heavy Sherry and dried fruits with sticky treacle. 

Day 5

Distillery: Lakes

Name: The One Colheita Cask Finished

Age: NAS

ABV: 46.6%

Cask Type: Colheita wine casks finish

Region: England, Highlands, Speyside & Islau

Notes: A blended whisky crafted from a singular blend of The Lakes Single Malt and select grain and malt Scotch whiskies from the Highlands, Speyside and Islay is then finished in rare Colheita casks to create this rich and warming expression of The One. 

Nose: Peach cobbler, fresh apricots alongside strawberries & cream, with a whiff of campfire.

Palate: Ripe plums, vanilla custard, marshmallow and warming cinnamon.

Finish: Rich and comforting with caramel jersey and stewed pears.

Day 4

Distillery: Undisclosed Scotch Distillery

Name: Darkness 8 Year Old

Age: 8 Years Old

ABV: 47.8%

Cask Type: Ex-Bourbon finished in custom made Oloroso Sherry octaves

Region: Scotch

Notes: Gold at the 2020 World Whiskies Awards, Gold Single Malts up to 12 years - Independents: International Spirits Competition 2023

Nose: Candied orange peels, chocolate peanuts, cooking spice warmth and some dried cherry.

Palate: Amaretti biscuits, subtly toasty hints, powerful raisin and prune with just a touch of earthy oak.

Finish: Slightly oily with a hint of smoke and dark chocolate.

Day 3

Distillery: Undisclosed malt and grain distilleries

Name: Blended Whisky #3 - Batch 2

Age: 26 Years Old

ABV: 45.2%

Cask Type: Undisclosed 

Region: Blended Scotch Whisky

Notes: Small Batch (Only 460 bottles created)

Nose: Stewed plums, figs, and dates are joined by spiced toffee apples, fruitcake, cherry chocolate, and a whisper of bonfire smoke.

Palate: Silky layers of caramel join the chocolate notes from the nose, along with candied orange and honeyed prunes. Coffee and walnut cake develops in time, backed up by elegant wood smoke.

Finish: The flavours linger long after the last mouthful, with rounded layers of baked fruit, cakey spice, and smoked liquorice.

Day 2

Distillery: Ledaig

Name: Rioja Cask Finish - Sinclair Series

Age: NAS

ABV: 46.3%

Cask Type: Rioja Wine Cask Finish 

Region: Islands

Notes: The first release in the Sinclair series. Rioja is region in Northern Spain best known for berry-scented, barrel-aged red wines made from Tempranillo and Garnacha.

Nose: Notes of Turkish delight and rose petals balanced with candied fruits and grapes followed by rich leather and a beautiful peppery spice with a hint of chocolate.

Palate: Creamy mouthfeel full of almonds, sweet malt and notes of peppery Ledaig, which give way to black raspberries, sweet vanilla and cocoa interspersed with cinnamon spice.

Finish: Salted caramel, cherry, clove. Lingering smoky finish with red fruit and sea spray.

Day 1

Distillery: Undisclosed Islay Distillery

Name: Aerolite Lindsay

Age: 10 Years Old

ABV: 46%

Cask Type: Bourbon Barrels, Spanish Sherry Quarter Casks 

Region: Islay

Notes: Category Winner 2020 World Whisky Awards - Gold Medal

Nose: Lots of maritime peat, with notes of iodine intertwined with honey sweetness, paprika, salted caramel and old bookshelves.

Palate: Smoke returns alongside mint dark chocolate, espresso and new leather, with honey and soy sauce mixed together.

Finish: Boiled mint sweeties, liquorice allsorts, bonfire smoke and toffee penny, with a pinch of salt.