Whisky Advent Calendar: Days 19-24

The final part of our advent calendar adventure!

Day 19: The Lost Distilleries Blend Batch 6

Blended (Scotland) 49.3% ABV

Nose: There’s a lot going on! Fruity sweetness (pears and peaches), with some sweet and savory smoke. Light floral and perfume notes.

Palate: Fiery because of the ABV. Light spices, some nuttiness with a suggestion of smoke on the finish.

Notes: Very interesting!

Day 20: Isle of Jura Elixir 12 Year Old

Single Malt Scotch (Island) 40% ABV

Nose: Dried fruits (plum), brown sugar. Sweet roasted quality, almost like glazed nuts. Hint of brine on the end.

Palate: Cinnamon, chewy bread, raisins. Roasted flavor on the short finish.

Notes: It’s okay, but a bit one-dimensional.

Day 21: Dalwhinnie Winter’s Gold

Single Malt Scotch (Highland) 43% ABV

Nose: Puff of smoke right away, then a fruity sweetness.

Palate: Spices that linger. Hints of orange and a touch of brine. Long finish, but more of a one-hit wonder, like a firecracker.

Notes: Served cold, as per instructions. Didn’t like it as much as I had hoped.

Day 22: Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey

Blended (Ireland) 46% ABV

Nose: Sunshine! Bright citrus, cut grass, some spices, vanilla.

Palate: Pleasant and subtle. Mild vanilla and spices. Creamy with a little lemon.

Notes: Super drinkable.

Day 23: Glenfiddich 18 Year Old

Single Malt Scotch (Speyside) 40% ABV

Nose: Citrus, bit floral, bright. Honey, and lumber.

Palate: Fresh, with spices. Bit tart, and almost tannic. Short finish.

Notes: Glenfiddich is always a bit too spicy/punchy for me, but it is a classic.

Day 24: Invergordon 50 Year Old 1964 (Cask 2) – Xtra Old Particular (Douglas Laing)

Single Grain Scotch (Highland) 43% ABV

Nose: Wow – a lot going on! Some nail polish remover on the front, then raisins, plums, crème brûlée, and fudge.

Palate: Little heat on the initial sip, but that goes away quickly. Strong roasted flavor, but different than in a Westland malt. Sweetness (corn on the mash bill?), vanilla and caramel. Very smooth and warming.

Notes: Wow! VERY complex and interesting. A full bottle is $432, so it is likely the most expensive whisky we’ve had!

Part 4 of our advent calendar tasting finished strong. There were some very interesting malts, and some we loved and some we didn’t as much. The Lost Distilleries Blend Batch 6 was a favorite, but the clear winner was the Invergordon 50 Year Old. It’s incredibly impressive to have a whisky that old that hasn’t been ruined by that many years in a cask, but it was complex and delightful.

I’m so glad that we got this advent calendar! It had a fantastic range of whiskies – in flavor, style, and price. I now have some distilleries in mind that I’d like to follow up on to try more expressions, specifically Mackmyra. Also Fettercairn, Arran, Balvenie, and Invergordon. I’d also like to explore some Irish whiskey and see how it compares to my much-adored Scotch. We’ll definitely be getting an advent calendar again next year!