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Tis the season for whisky. Yes, we love a mulled wine this kind of year (or a Snowball at a push), but there is nothing like a warming glass of brown to make you feel fuzzy and Christmassy. Whether you’re a bourbon and mixer fan or a scotch on the rocks fiend, amateur or connoisseur or just looking for something to gift the father-in-law, we’ve got you covered with the best whisky to get your hands on this festive season. Cheers!

1. For a Bourbon Whiskey: Angels Envy 

The Lowdown: Angel’s Envy is a radiant bourbon that tastes and looks the part when it comes to festive gifting. Finished in ruby port wine barrels, this exceptional bourbon boasts refined flavours that enhance, rather than overpower every sip. The vanilla-y richness with the sweet, sticky Port notes is a match made in heaven. An apt saying, considering the name.

Where: Buy online, £58

2. For a Scotch Whisky: Dewar’s

The Lowdown: Give the gift of Dewar’s 12-year-old – a vibrant expression of festive cheer. Its fresh, fruit-laden palate dances with notes of honey, vanilla, and warming spice, touched by a whisper of smoke, making it the perfect dram for fireside gatherings or a sophisticated addition to your Christmas cocktails.

Where: Buy online, £47.95

3. For a Limited Edition Release: ABERFELDY

The Lowdown: Introducing ABERFELDY’s latest addition to its prestigious Exceptional Cask Series: the ABERFELDY 22-Year-Old White Port Cask Finish. This well-aged Aberfeldy brightens the rich, honeyed fruit character of the distillery with white port casks. The result is a single cask that bursts with flavours, you can expect notes of peach compote, dried apricots, honeycomb, and soft white florals.

Where: Buy online, £295

4. For an Indian Whisky: Rampur

The Lowdown: Produced in India’s oldest distillery, located in the foothills of the Himalayas, Rampur’s premium whisky is distilled in traditional copper pot stills. Rampur Double Cask Indian Single Malt Whisky has delicate balsamic vanilla notes from the American white oak, which compliment the full-bodied aroma, whilst rich caramel, dried dark fruits and spiced tonality from the European oak add to the depth of flavour.

Where: Buy online, £62.50

5. For an English Whisky: Cotswolds

The Lowdown: Launched in October 2017, the award-winning Cotswolds Signature Single Malt Whisky is the first whisky ever distilled in the Cotswolds. Crafted using the finest, locally grown Cotswold barley and matured in a combination of highly active STR (Shaved, Toasted and Re-charred) ex-red wine casks and premium first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels, this single malt is rich, fruity and sippable with notes of honey, Seville orange marmalade and dark red fruits.

Where: Buy online, £49.95

6. For a Small-Batched Bourbon: Elijah Craig

The Lowdown: Elijah Craig Small Batch is the signature Bourbon bearing the name of Reverend Elijah Craig, who founded his distillery in 1789 along Elkhorn Creek in present-day Georgetown, Kentucky. He is credited with being the first distiller to age his whiskey in charred oak barrels, earning his place in history as the Father of Bourbon. The Master Distillers at Elijah Craig use malted barley, rye and local corn to produce this burnished copper-coloured Bourbon, with a delightfully complex aroma, notes of vanilla bean, sweet fruit and fresh mint. The taste is smooth and warm, woody with accents of smoke and nutmeg and a long, sweet and slightly toasty finish.

Where: Buy online, £44.50

7. For a Scottish Whisky: Bruichladdich

The Lowdown: Bruichladdich whisky is the flagship single malt range from Bruichladdich distillery. Based in Islay, Scotland, Bruichladdich whisky explores the infinite possibilities of what whisky can and should be. Matured exclusively on Islay, primarily in ex-Bourbon casks and a small number of wine casks, The Bruichladdich Eighteen is the epitome of Bruichladdich’s signature unpeated house style. Full-bodied and beautifully fragrant, notes of honey, butterscotch, and citrus orange open on the nose, with a medley of tropical fruits and toasted mellow oak lingering on the palate.

Where: Buy online, £147

8. For a Christmas Bottle: Woodford Reserve

The Lowdown: Woodford Reserve returns with its limited edition Holiday bottle, adorned with golden bows. Its festive edition carries the perfectly balanced taste of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, composed of more than 200 detectable flavour notes, from bold grain and wood, to sweet aromatics, spice, and fruit & floral notes.

Where: Buy online, £37

9. For a Danish Whisky: Stauning

The Lowdown: HØST by award-winning Danish distillery Stauning features a unique rye and single malt blend. Stauning HØST is a flavoursome, fruit-forward whisky with floral undertones, a result of its aging process. Delicate, smooth and balanced, it is aged in bourbon and heavily charred new American white oak casks before being finished in port barrique casks, HØST delivers notes of vanilla, beeswax and citrus on the nose. When sipped, meadow honey, toffee, apple and red berries shine through, with a syrupy cinnamon, oak and subtle spice finish.

Where: Buy online, £43.50

10. For an Irish Whiskey: Redbreast

The Lowdown: The iconic Redbreast 12 is a bottle that boasts flavour complexity and distinctive qualities of Pot Still whiskey. Matured in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks, the distinctive Redbreast sherry style boasts notes of dried peels, ginger, linseed, cut fruits including a touch of melon, and is considered the definitive expression of the traditional Irish spirit.

Where: Buy online, £57.90