Phew. We made it! Christmas is now thankfully behind us, which means right now we are as far away as possible from the holiday. Wahoo! Since I’m a Scrooge, I used the Secret Spirits Whisky Advent Calendar to survive the holidays and it worked! After 25 days of scotch, I wanted to take a look back at the calendar and share my thoughts.
25 Days of Scotch: The Secret Spirits Whisky Advent Calendar Review
The 2018 Whisky Advent Calendar was Secret Spirits’ 5th edition calendar, with 25 bottles of Scotch handpicked by owner Jonathan Bray. More details about the calendar are in my first post, if you’re curious.
I wasn’t sure what to expect with the calendar but, turns out, it was weirdly exciting to pull a different bottle out of the box each day. Many of the bottles were distilleries or independent bottlers I’d never had before, so it gave me an excuse to research them. I loved that discovery and learning aspect.
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A Community of Whisky Advent Drinkers
Another favorite part about the Whisky Advent Calendar was that so many others were doing the exact same thing. I loved reading Jonathan Bray’s detailed overview of each bottle on his blog and watching the Scotch Test Dummies and Whiskey Vault review them.
Plus the social media feeds of @Whisky_Advent and @SecretSpiritsCo reposted everyone’s pictures throughout the month. It was fun seeing where and how people were enjoying the whiskies.
Personally, I challenged myself to post a picture of each bottle in a different location, alternating between Christmas- and Chicago-themed posts. I covered some good ground and hit almost all of Chicago’s iconic landmarks! You can see all of them in order here.
25 Rare or Exclusive Whiskies
But, of course, the best part was diving into each of the drams. Confession: I actually didn’t drink them every day because these are whiskies that beg to be enjoyed, not just drank. The holidays are busy, so I saved them for when I could take my time with each one. Tasting several at once allowed me to compare and contrast them, too. (And I still have half a bottle of each one left!)
About halfway through the month it felt like many of the bottles were from Speyside. As a lover of peaty, salty whiskies, I was a little disappointed (much like Whiskey Vault). But then I realized I was fine-tuning my Speyside knowledge, a region I didn’t know much about, and discovered distilleries I’m now a fan of. Plus the tide turned towards the end of the calendar and more peated whiskies appeared. So all was good!
Discovering New Whisky Favorites
I honestly enjoyed all of the whiskies in the Secret Spirits Whisky Advent Calendar, but there were a few standout favorites. Day 8, a 13 year Old Malt Bottling of Balmenach Distillery (Speyside) hit the spot with a nose of sour cream, custard and vanilla; flavors of lemon tart with creamy topping and a ginger snap finish. Day 11’s Wemyss Malts “Delicious Burst,” a Speyside blend, had an amazing creamy mouthfeel with hints of pepper, citrus, and butterscotch. It was complex, sweet, and rich all at the same time. Another Wemyss Malts — Day 16’s “Garden Grove,“ a Highland blend — was also a favorite. Black pepper, bread, lemon, and green apples on the nose and a balanced palate of spice, butter, honey, vanilla, caramelized sugar, and an oily mouth feel.
As a peat fan, it was no surprise that I loved Day 6’s Laphroaig, Day 15’s 8 year Caol Ila, Day 19’s 13 year old Laphroaig or Day 20’s Highland Park. But discovering Craigellachie on Day 5, with its contrast of fruit and peat, changed my perception of what Speyside whisky could be. Another beautiful Speyside discovery was Day 21’s Old Malt Cask bottling of Inchgower, a 21 year sherry cask with a nose of orange sherbet and cream and a palate of chocolate orange with a cinnamon finish.
(At the time of this writing, I have not yet tried the last four days of the calendar, which include some shocking standouts. There are two 30 year whiskies — one a single grain and one a Glen Grant sherry cask — plus a 21 year Inchmurrin. I’ll update accordingly after!)
Whisky: the Gift That Keeps on Giving
I wanted the Secret Spirits Whisky Advent Calendar to distract me from the holidays that I dislike so much. And it worked in two ways. Every day I had something exciting to discover — yes, I didn’t peek at future bottles! And every day I challenged myself to take an interesting photo. I found myself admiring Christmas decorations as I walked through the city, wondering if it’d be a good place to stage a photo. Yes, my Grinch heart grew a size or two. :)
Not only that, my whisky knowledge and whisky palate expanded so much. I already found myself ordering Craigellachie at a whisky bar after having my first taste on day 5! Obviously the calendar doesn’t have to be reserved for the holidays and can be enjoyed any time of year. And they are still available, if you want to grab one.
If you happened to partake in this year’s 5th Edition Secret Spirits Whisky Advent Calendar, what were your favorites? I’d love to hear in the comments.
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Disclaimer :: The Whisky Advent Calendar was generously provided by Secret Spirits. As always, all opinions are my own.
