Need a whisky for Christmas? Once upon a time, whisky was whisky, and Santa wasn’t too discerning when it came to what special dram you left out for him on Christmas Eve. But as for us consumers? Well, Christmas = Christmas pudding, and that means dried fruits, raisins, dates, boozy prunes, butterscotch sauce, toffee, cherries, currants, cloves, cinnamon, and spices. And THAT, my friends, means a Christmas dram has to be sherried!
Here are five sensational sherry-matured whiskies that will fit the bill this Christmas. Four are regularly and widely available; one is an Australia-only exclusive….
- The Glenfarclas 15yo is perhaps the best and most widely available from the Glenfarclas core-range that won’t break the bank. Bottled at a higher ABV of 46%, it carries more flavour and depth than its 10yo or 12yo siblings. If your palate or wallet is feeling more adventurous, you could upgrade to the Glenfarclas 105, which is a younger whisky, but bottled at a higher ABV of around 60%. It also has more pronounced sherry influence. The official Glenfarclas website is here.
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- The last few years have seen Glendronach release a prolific number of sherried bottlings, chiefly via their single cask expressions. However, with gaps in production from previous decades (during to closure or different owners favouring bourbon-cask maturation), the core range has had to adapt in recent times – leading to the fabulous 15yo Revival temporarily disappearing for a while before being reincarnated. As we round out 2020, those gaps in production years are again starting to come home to roost, so your local liquor outlet may have limited stocks of the various expressions. The 12yo Original – pictured above – fits the bill nicely and is an affordable option. If you’re wanting to splash out (’tis the season, after all), the 18yo Allardice is a good ‘un, and the 21yo Parliament expression is one of the finest Christmas whiskies around. The official Glendronach website is here.
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- Yes, it’s another Glenfarclas, but this one is very special – its Christmas credentials are huge, and it’s bursting with dried fruits and spices. More than one reviewer has termed it “Christmas in a glass” and they’re not wrong. It’s an Australian exclusive from a single cask (European oak) and – yes, as you may have picked, it carries Whisky & Wisdom’s label. No ordinary dram, Australian revellers can secure their very own bottle here. But be quick! When we uploaded this post at the beginning of December, there were just 10 bottles left!
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- Aberlour a’Bunadh has been one of the mainstays and benchmarks of heavily sherried whiskies since it was first launched in the late 1990’s. With an ABV typically around 59-60%, it’s a high-octane affair that works for many palates, but may not appeal to all – well, at least not without a splash of water. This whisky is released in batches, but fear not…there’s not an awful lot of variance between sequential batches, and while it’s true that one batch may differ slightly from its predecessor, the overall general style remains the same. The official Aberlour website is here.
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- Depending on which market you’re in, the expressions and range available from Macallan will vary. For a period there, the age statement expressions were replaced in some markets with the 1824 Series, but even that range is now discontinued. For the purposes of a Christmas whisky, we need a sherry-matured expression, so give the Triple Cask Matured range a miss. If your local market doesn’t stock the Sherry Oak range, then go for the Double Cask 12yo. The Double Cask features both European and American oak casks, but it’s all 100% ex-sherry. (This is the same “recipe” for the Sienna expression in the discontinued 1824 Series). The official Macallan website is here. And if you’re particularly interested in The Macallan and its recent history (and public perception) you can read Whisky and Wisdom’s feature article on Macallan here.
So, when it comes time for your Christmas pudding this year, consider whether you’d like it served hot on a plate, or whether you’d prefer to take it in liquid, spiritual form.
Slainte, and merry Christmas.
AD
