Craigellachie DistilleryDistillery News
WHISKY JOURNAL
WHISKY JOURNAL
Top 5 whisky bottles to try this Christmas
Top 5 whisky bottles to try this Christmas
- December 9, 2021
Finally Father Christmas is here and that is another reason to celebrate! We believe Christmas is the perfect occasion to gather your friends and family to celebrate life and to think of the less fortunate. To get the festivities started and to give Santa a warm welcome, we’ve selected 5 delightful whiskies you definitely need to try this december!
Glenglassaugh PX Sherry Wood Finish
A whisky which fit this season just perfect is the Glenglassaugh sherry. It keeps you warm during the winter days with its friendly but firm character, you’ll be surprised how rich but also subtle this dram is! We advice you to pour this one right after a frosty walk in the park and to pair with some cheese or dried dates.
Nose
Cigar box, beeswax, saw dust, cherry yoghurt, cheesecake, winegums, port, banana, sugar and coconuts.
Palette
Candy, soaked raisins, sweet spices, fruit cake and cherry juice.
Finish
Raisins, sweet, friendly, full, smooth, yoghurt, hazelnuts, chocolate and tobacco.
Tomintoul Seiridh
If you’re a real Scotsman you’ll know this Tomintoul expression is pronounced Sheh-Ree and that is what this whisky is all about! It is a great afternoon / pre dinner dram and begs for another pour! This whisky is what you can call everyone’s friend and is best enjoyed accompanied by some smoked salmon and dark chocolate.
Nose
Spicy wood and toast, some flowers and honey, raspberry and a warming whiff of hazelnut praliné. There even comes through a little bit of rum soaked raisins. Quite a wonderful nose!
Palette
The palate doesn’t really bring the same experience as the nose. There’s watery strawberry juice, some nuts and vanilla, but mostly just spicy wood and white pepper. Easy and gentle, maybe just the way they meant it to be.
Finish
Toasted oak, black pepper and walnuts. Fruity flavours are almost absent, but there’s a nice hint of warming spices to make up for it.
Arran Amarone cask finish
Christmas is about spending time with your friends and family but also about special food an drinks. If you want to make an entrance you definitely need to bring this Arran Amarone cask to the table. We think you need to pour this dram without stint and without pairing it with something to enjoy this whisky to the fullest. It’s rich and delicate character deserves your full attention!
Nose
Caramelized apple, orange jam, cake, dark chocolate and cherries.
Palette
Tropical and salty, fruity with cherry, apple and pineapples.
Finish
Spicy wood and citrus, a hint of cherry and other red fruits, tropical, salty, chocolate, a slight hint of nuts and a whiff of pear.
Glen Scotia 11yo Sherry Double Cask Finish
What screams Christmas more than a special holiday release by Campbeltown’s Glen Scotia? With a taste that resemble a German Christmas market, you can’t go wrong with gifting this.
Nose
Apfelstrudel, sour whipped cream, quite buttery too. A Finnish sauna, chamomile tea, wax, cinnamon sticks, pepper, baby puke, guinea pig shelter and lavender bags.
Palette
Tingly on the tongue, cayenne peppers and cinnamon sticks. Tea and a German roadhouse. It gets softer and fruitier after a while, but the sherry influence is subtle.
Finish
Passion fruits, grappa, cinnamon and peaches. Strudel again, but without the whipped cream this time. It leaves an aftertaste of coals. The finish suggests that you’ve been naughty this year, do you?
Ben Nevis 10 Year Old Cask Strength 2008 Batch 1
To us, this whisky would be a perfect gift. Ben Nevis doesn’t release official bottlings very often, but when they do, they make it worthwhile. The notes of Christmas cake, nuts and pine needles are unmistakably suitable for the holiday season.
Nose
Spicy leather and sweet notes of milk chocolate, hazelnuts and yellow raisins. There’s also a umami aspect, revealed by mushrooms and salty minerals. A lovely whiff of dessert wine makes me crave for a sip.
Palette
Pretty high in alcohol (62.4%), but when get through the first burn it becomes very creamy. Bursts of warming spices, fudge and leather. Nuts, pine buds syrup, raisins and minerals.
Finish
The finish is long, savoury and sweet. Many chocolate notes, but also lots of raisins, hazelnuts and chestnuts. It gets a layer of freshness in the form of champagne, mint, cough lozenges and peach.
With any of these 5 magnificent drams you’ll make a great entrance and they’ll undoubtedly be a mouth-watering pair with all the food you put on the table this Christmas. Remains for us to wish you a Merry Christmas and all the best for 2022.
Cheers to that!
