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A Very Sherry Whiskymas: Christmas Box 2020

As Christmas is the best time of year for enjoying good whisky, we like to do the season justice here at the Dram Team. And since we all need a little bit of extra luxury this year, what better way to celebrate than with a box dedicated to the most decadent of whiskies – sherry cask single malt! December 2020's box of the month: a one-off special edition of our out-of-the-ordinary whisky tastings, featuring a specially-selected set of festive drams.

Our "A very Sherry Whiskymas" line-up features a tasty selection of six premium whiskies that have all been matured in sherry casks. It also includes a “dream dram” taster of a super-premium 21 year old Scotch costing more than £120 for a whole bottle!

Sherry-matured whiskies are full of Christmas flavours, with notes of dried and stewed fruits, and sweet festive spices like cinnamon and ginger. Some of these drams are like liquid Christmas cake. It's the perfect gift for any whisky fan.

Please note: this box is now sold out, and unfortunately no longer available to order. We've left this blog post up to show the sort of selection you can expect from our limited edition whisky tasting boxes.

A Very Sherry Whiskymas Christmas Gift Box

Glasgow 1770, Peated Release

The first single malt distillery to return to Glasgow in 100 years, Glasgow Distillery Co. continue to release exciting new whiskies. This Glasgow 1770 Peated edition combines barley smoked with aromatic, heather-rich peat from the Scottish Highlands with the pure water of Loch Katrine. It's then aged in first-fill ex-sherry casks before a quick finish in virgin oak. Yum!

Tasting notes:

Sweet smoke on the nose, dried fruits with aromatic notes, flamed orange zest and rich caramel toffee. Spicy orange and sweet smoke on the palate with rich velvety toffee leading to earthiness and dark fruit. Long and smooth finish with lingering notes of macadamia and spice.

Tullibardine, 500 Sherry Finish

Tullibardine 500 Sherry cask Tullibardine 500 Sherry Finish, one of the whiskies in our 2020 Christmas box

Despite being a relatively modern distillery by Scotch standards, hidden gem Tullibardine has a storied past. Founded in 1947 on the site of an old brewery, it was mothballed once and has changed hands several times. They have embraced the cask-finish trend, and it's working well. "500" refers to the size of cask used for the finish: After a long initial maturation in ex-bourbon barrels, this whisky was finished in a 500 litre sherry butt. 

Tasting notes:

Intense toffee apple notes on the nose with a hint of oatmeal. Prominent dark caramel, orchard fruit and cereal notes combine with a spicy feel. Sweet dates and warming spice on the finish.

Douglas Laing, Rock Island Sherry Edition

Here's another Dram Team favourite that's been given a tasty sherry-cask makeover. Douglas Laing's Rock Island Sherry Edition combines selected single cask single malts from the Scottish islands of Jura, Islay, Orkney and Arran.  These malts are aged exclusively in Spanish sherry casks, before being blended together in small batches to create this limited edition, sell-out bottling.

Tasting notes:

The nose brings a warm, earthy style that develops to streaky, smoked bacon and peated barley. The palate bursts with warming spices, buttered toast and cured meats with an underlying sweetness. The finish lingers with a damp soil character plus mocha, brown sugar and allspice.

Glen Scotia, Sherry Double Cask

How do you make Glen Scotia Double Cask, a long-time favourite of ours, even better? That's easy - add more sherry! This limited edition release of Campbeltown single malt is aged in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels, and is then finished in a combination of Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks. It’s a reimagined classic, and we are big fans.

Tasting notes:

Spiced rum, juicy plum, toffee and citrus peel on the nose, leading into a rich velvety mouthfeel, with sweet vanilla and salted butter. Raisins and sultanas with warming spice of clove, cinnamon and nutmeg. Long, nutty, dry finish - like Christmas pudding with a hot buttered rum on the side.

The Lakes Distillery, "The One" Sherry Cask Finished

The Lakes Distillery have been quickly garnering a strong reputation among whisky connoiseurs, sometimes being referred to as the "Macallan of England" quite the compliment! With their meticulous approach to whisky-making and strong preference for sherry casks, we can see why. The One Sherry Cask Finished is of their first releases, a blend of their own young whisky and other whiskies from the British Isles, finished in first-fill PX sherry casks from Spain. It's "The One" for us!

Tasting notes:

Dried fruits with hints of fresh ginger, toffee, nutmeg and gentle smoke.  Smooth and creamy palate, with notes of vanilla and sun-dried raisins. A long and warming finish. Christmas cake in whisky form!

Old Particular, Inchgower 21 Year Old

Old Particular Inchgower 21 Year Old Old Particular Inchgower 21 Year Old, a Christmas treat for sherry lovers!

Inchgower whiskies are very hard to find, being a favourite of Scotch blenders. With less than 1% of this Speyside distillery's spirit destined for single malt bottlings, even independent releases are unusual. This extremely well-aged single malt from Douglas Laing's premium Old Particular range was matured exclusively in a single sherry cask, with just 292 bottles produced. A rare treat and a delightful drop for Christmas!

Tasting notes:

Creamy and sweet with lemon drizzle cake, juicy barley and dried apricots. Moreish - buttered hot cross buns, milk chocolate buttons and spiced oak. Buttery sweetness with lemon peels on the finish, which lingers long after the last sip.

Christmas Whisky Gifts Made Easy

We made itreally easy to gift our whisky tasting sets. You can upgrade to a stylish gift wrap sleeve, also included free with any gift subscription. Make it extra-special by printing a bespoke gift note free onto a whisky-themed card. Receive it yourself to give on the day, or ship directly. We use plain postal wraps with "Pop me under the tree" stickers, so the surprise will stay safe. Standard shipping isalways free. 

Or you can treat yourself by joining our Tasting Club.

We also write regular emails to our members, which is the best way to stay informed on upcoming subscription boxes, plus loads of other must-read whisky stuff. You can get on the list bysigning up here.