The Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar - Door Number 1

It's the first day of December and that can only mean one thing: time to start opening the doors on The Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar!

Without any further ado, let's get cracking...

Behind door number 1 is a 1999 Tomintoul 15 Years Old from AD Rattray. It's at 61% and the label states that it is from a sherry butt.

On the nose there's an immediate bouquet of fruits in syrup, caramel and musty spices. Very enticing! Also in there is a distinct woody note and baked apples. Interestingly there's not a lot of alcohol prickle given the strength.

On the palate the baked apple is there but it's less sweet than the nose would suggest. There is a lot of wood character here with some green grassiness and a hint of ash at the end. Going to add a drop or two of water shortly and give it another go.

On the finish there's loads of dark, dark chocolate, but not too bitter. A lovely balance between the bitter chocolate and a caramel sweetness too. A delicious, long finish.

With water, using a Whisky Water Dropper of course, some floral notes appear on the nose and the palate is less aggressive with a gentle sweetness coming through the wood flavours. The finish becomes softer and more like a mocha than the dark chocolate from before.

Well, what a delicious start to December. Only 24 whiskies more to go!

If you want to join us we have just a couple of the calendars left at the special price of £265. You can order yours here.