Best whiskey advent calendar in the UK for 2020

From our top 5 whiskey advent calendar, to our best of the best

In our recent blog article we looked at our top 5 best whiskey advent calendars for Christmas 2020. There are some great calendars out there, all of which are a lot of fun. But, sadly, you can probably only have one. I know, shame, right?!

In this article we’re going to narrow the list to what we believe is the best whiskey advent calendar available in the UK for Christmas 2020.

But before we reveal the winning whisky calendar, what’s worth considering when choosing which advent calendar to buy?

How to choose a whiskey advent calendar

There’s no right or wrong answer to which whiskey advent calendar you want to buy. There’s a great range out there, some of which we looked at in our last article. But if you’d like a few tips, here are some of the factors I considered.

The whiskey

At the end of the day, it all comes down to one main feature - the whisky itself. There are a few different themes you could go for. Single malt Scotch whisky, American bourbons, Irish whiskey, Japanese whisky - even World whiskies. But beyond the general theme there are a few key principles to consider. Are the whisky brands common, or unique? Are the whiskies general release, or small batch? How many have an age statement, and how old are they? The theme itself doesn’t matter, but these principles are a guide to the quality of the calendar.

The number of whiskies you get

An advent calendar traditionally has 24 windows, stopping on Christmas eve.  So, most whisky advent calendars tend to have 24 drams. There are a few out there that have a bonus dram for Christmas day (yay!).  And there are a few smaller sets that have 12 drinks by the drams. Clearly these smaller sets will be cheaper, but it's worth looking at whether the larger calendars give you 24 drams, or 25.

The size of the drams

Perhaps a more subtle, but nonetheless important, detail is the size of the drams you’re getting. There are a few measure sizes out there, the majority falling within the range of 25 to 35ml range; a fairly typical dram size. There is one big exception to this (literally), but we’ll leave that to the end rather than spoil the grand reveal.

Calendar presentation

For me it is all about the whisky. But, nice presentation does add to the overall experience. It makes it extra special. So whatever your personal tastes, it's worth taking a look at the presentation box itself - particularly as some of these calendars are large. The advent calendar will be a feature in your home, so you want it to look good.

The price

I know. This bit is less fun. Whisky advent calendars are a treat. A well deserved treat in any year, but particularly so in 2020 I feel! Price should reflect the previous four factors. It's not just about the ‘absolute’ cost, it's about the value - how much whisky, and of what quality, are you getting for your hard-earned money.

Best whiskey advent calendar in the UK for 2020

So, time for the grand reveal. Who have we picked as our best whiskey advent calendar for 2020? We’ve chosen Secret Spirits Scotch Whisky Advent Calendars. And here’s why:

• A great range of unique scotch whiskies from independent whisky brands. A strong range of age statements, and ABVs. Lots of small batch, even single cask, releases.
• 25 drams. The normal 24 drams, plus an extra special 30 year old scotch whisky for Christmas day itself; a mega treat.
• A very generous 50ml sample size. Enough for a double measure, for two people to share, or for a dram today and a second dram saved for another day.
• Beautifully presented in a large feature box, which comes with a whisky glass and other accessories. The presentation has had a lot of work put into it, and the calendar has a great boutique-y feel.
• We believe their calendars are good value. We have 20% off the Secret Spirit Scotch Whisky Advent Calendars we feature here on TopWhiskies.com, that makes them £239.00. It is a treat. But you deserve a treat.

You can find out more about Secret Spirits here, and you can find their calendars here. We ship within the UK and worldwide. Drop me a line if I can help.

If you enjoyed this article, and need further ideas for Christmas 2020, you might like our top 10 best gift ideas for whisky lovers; you can find our full range of gifts here.

We’d love to hear what you’ll be enjoying this December, advent calendar or otherwise, so do leave us a comment below. And, if you have whisky-loving friends, we’d be delighted if you could share this article with them.

Written by Ed Leigh

Ed is one of the two chaps behind TopWhiskies. TopWhiskies helps you find the best whiskies from independent brands. You've likely heard about us because you happen to be on our website right now.