The Whisky Wire's 12 Drams of Christmas 2018

For the last eight years we’ve brought you our ’12 Drams of Christmas’ as chosen by you! So we thought it would only be rude not to do the same again this year, and use it as the perfect excuse to start getting into the festive spirit!

Since November 16th, you’ve been nominating your top three favourite festive favourites in abundance, and after trawling through all the entries and tallying up all the nominations, here are our '12 Drams of Christmas' 2018, in ranking order, as chosen by you!

Just in case you're thinking of gifting any of this year’s dramspanking festive dozen to yourself or others, we've done all the hard work and have also included the most current and competitive retail details. Hootendrammy!
 

12 Drams of Christmas 2018

 

1. Glenfarclas 15 Year Old

Available from Master of Malt for £49.55
 

2. Lagavulin 16 Year Old
Available from Tesco for £49.00

 

3. GlenDronach 15 Year Old Revival

Available from Master of Malt for £61.95

 

4. Jameson Irish Whiskey

Available from Morrisons for £17.00

 

5. Aberlour A’Bunadh

Available from Amazon for £60.00

 

6. Balvenie 12 Year Old Doublewood

Available from Master of Malt for £33.95

 

7. Glenlivet 18 Year Old

Available from Amazon for £62.99

 

8. Johnnie Walker Black Label

Available from Tesco for £23.00

 

9. Redbreast 12 Year Old

Available from Ocado for £35.00

 

10. Laphroaig 10 Year Old

Available from Tesco for £26.00

 

11. Glengoyne 18 Year Old

Available from The Whisky Exchange for £75.55

 

12. Benromach 10 Year Old

Available from The Wee Dram for £31.95

  

*Prices correct as of December 13th 2018

 

 

A huge thanks to all those who took part and entered, the response was absolutely phenomenal. In return for your nominations we added the names of everyone who entered into our virtual Santa hat for a chance to win a bottle of GlenDronach 12 Year Old.

 

We’re delighted to announce that Louise Mayers from Hornchurch had her name drawn from the hat and is our winner. Congratulations, your bottle will be winging its way to you in time for Christmas!

 

#12DramsOfChristmas

Glen Moray Fired Oak Competition

To help celebrate the launch of their dramspankingly new Fired Oak expression, we’ve teamed up with our very good friends at Glen Moray, to give away two bottles to our followers.

Glen Moray Fired Oak, is a single malt Scotch whisky, which has been matured for 10 years in ex-bourbon casks, and finished in heavily charred American oak casks.

Master Distiller Graham Coull, worked closely with the distillery’s cooperage to source the finest new American oak barrels for finishing. He then selected the precise firing regime to achieve exactly the right level of char to impart intense flavour and colour to the whisky.

Graham, was inspired to created Glen Moray Fired Oak, by the increase in popularity of American bourbon and the success of the sweeter flavour within the drinks market.

To be in with a chance of winning a bottle of Glen Moray Fired Oak click here to email us your contact details along with the phrase that dramming pays:

“I’d love to be warmed up this winter

with something fine, feisty and Fired

from Glen Moray”

 

*Remember to mark the subject line of your email with: Glen Moray Comp

 

If you’re on Twitter, you can also follow us via @TheWhiskyWire and RT one of our related competition tweets for another chance to win!

 

Glen Moray Fired Oak is now available from The Whisky Exchange for £37.95.

 

#GlenMorayFiredOakComp

@TheWhiskyWire

@GlenMorayDist

 

Competition closes at 23:59 on Dec 19th 2018. You have to be aged 21 years or over to enter!

 

Good Luck!

The Whisky Wire's 12 Drams of Christmas 2018

‘It’s beginning to look a lot like…’ For the last eight years, we’ve been bringing you our ’12 Drams of Christmas’ as chosen by you! So, we thought it would only be rude not to do the same again this year, and use it as the perfect excuse to start quite literally getting into the festive spirit!

Between now and Monday December 10th, we’d love to hear your nominations for your favourite festive drops of dramspankage. Then on Thursday December 13th, we’ll publish the list of the Top 12 drams as chosen by you in ranking order. We’ll also include retail details, so they can be enjoyed by all over the festive period and beyond.

To take part click here and email us your top three favourite festive whiskies, that we’ll then use to help compile this year’s list. Please remember to mark the subject line of your email '12 Drams of Christmas’.

Everyone who enters will automatically have their name added into our virtual Santa hat, for a chance of winning a bottle of the fantastically festive GlenDronach 12 Year Old.

Which 12 drams will make the list?

You decide!

t&c’s You must be over 21 years of age enter in the UK and over the legal drinking age of your respective country if entering from outside the UK. Competition closes on December 7th 2018.

#12DramsOfChristmas

Rum Insiders Interview - Shaun Caleb

Company:
Demerara Distillers / El Dorado Rum

Job:
Master Distiller

Website:
theeldoradorum.com




How long have you been working in the rum industry?
I have been working directly in the rum industry for over 11 years.

What has been your biggest career highlight to date?
Installing and commissioning Demerara Distillers five column, multi-pressure rectification still and coffey-type still, to replicate many of the light and medium-bodied rums produced on the older heritage stills. This came early in my career when I was a Project Manager/ Chemical Engineer.

Can you remember your first rum, and indeed what it was?
El Dorado 15, on the first opportunity I had, to quench my curiosity as to why the rum was so famous, having won the Rum Trophy as World’s Best Rum on so many consecutive occasions (at the time from 1998 to 2000). I definitely started from the top! It is, in fact, the reason I was attracted to the industry, and am today the Master Distiller.

What does rum mean to you?
Rum is a source of pride, and (with sugar) a connection to the history and identity of the Guyanese, who were all brought to these shores to toil and to till the land. To be assigned the privileged role of preserving the heritage Stills and carrying on the legacy of distilling, I see myself as more than a mere distiller – even Master Distiller – but instead as a purveyor of my people and my country’s heritage, history, and cultural roots, steeped over centuries on the sugar plantations and rum distilleries.

Where would you like to see yourself in five years' time?
Having worked to build a young, dynamic team to guarantee the succession from the older hands, my goal in the next five years is to modernize the operations of our Distillery to enable us to innovate for new and interesting product offerings. In a sense, I see a bridge between maintaining our philosophical fidelity to traditional methods, and executing in a modern environment, even while retaining the older heritage stills, as they properly serve a place in preserving our history. The El Dorado of tomorrow must both retain the core of El Dorado of yesterday while innovating to remain relevant to the needs of the El Dorado consumers of tomorrow.

What was your last rum?
El Dorado 12, chased on ice with a splash of lemon-flavored carbonated water.

Do you have a favourite rum and food pairing combination?
El Dorado 12 with steak, medium-rare or with pork chops. To finish a meal, I enjoy a double El Dorado 15 in a highball.

What’s your favourite rum based cocktail?
Rum Old Fashioned with El Dorado 12, or a Manhattan with El Dorado 15. If I’m at a bar and would like to see the quality of their mixology program, I prefer the former – it’s sort of a standard reference point. If I’m sipping over conversation, just for the conversation’s sake – no judgments attached - I often go for the latter. But if I’m out relaxing with friends, a Daiquiri with the El Dorado 3 or 5 sometimes is just enough.

What do you think is going to be the next big thing on the rum horizon?
Special ageing with other types of wood, whether primary or secondary finish, especially released at higher proofs or cask strength, is growing in appeal. I believe it’s already the next big thing. It’s the connoisseur’s day in the sun!

What’s the one rum you couldn’t live without?
In my earlier days, I would’ve said the El Dorado 15, but there are so many good offerings these days, I find it difficult to say.

Many thanks to Shaun Caleb. Who will be our next Rum Insider? Click back soon to find out!