Such a shame to see Glencadam go so generic on their new branding. Loved the character and charm of the old one. Hopefully the liquid remains just as good.

The Cairn - the official story is that the 3 year old release was made because they tasted it at 3 y.o and felt it was worth a sneak peak of 1,000 bottles. However their first official release of core range will still be at 12 years old.

This is a lovely lime citrus and tropical IPA #BSkyBeer

I said maaayyybeee…I might have another after this 😃 #BSkyBeer

Sometimes you just have to spoil yourself on a Wednesday evening

The Cairn distillery, owned by Gordon & MacPhail, have put out a first release at 3 years old called First Peak. At 57% abv and an asking price of £50 it seems very fair. I had read they were waiting until it was 12 years old before they released anything 🤷🏼‍♂️ www.thecairndistillery.com/whisky/singl...

Opening a fresh bottle of late 90’s Ardmore when they still used direct fired stills 🔥 It may be only 43%, but these 90’s vintages are very good.

Very enjoyable IPA for a couple of quid a can from Aldi #BSkyBeer

One of my favourites becomes the first bottle kill of 2026

First beer of the new year 😃 #BSkyBeer

Seeing as its New Year’s Eve I’ve gone and cracked open one of my all time favourites and the last bottle on my shelf of this 2007 Glen Elgin. Really miss these old 46% Signatory bottles. A side by side pour of the 1995 might be in order…

Once more, some of the team gather to put forward their stand-out whiskies of 2025. Remember there’s no other stipulation here other than to have some fun with it. And, if it’s serious, make it serious fun. www.dramface.com/features/202... #whisky #Dramface #whiskyoftheyear #whiskyreview

My review of my 2025 Whisky Year and my Top 10 drams that I tried for the first time this year. malt-musings.blogspot.com/2025/12/revi...

Tasty sweet peat to finish the calendar. It’s not exceptional, but does the job. I was hoping they would put something a bit special for the final day

Post-dinner dram thanks to Santa 🎅🏻

Christmas dinner prep with another Polly’s. This time a bit different with a cherry sour. Merry Christmas! #BSkyBeer

A healthy pour of something good ready for the best hour of Christmas TV this year #GoneFishing

This feels very much like new make, but it’s fruity and very drinkable.

Everything is done. Takeaway ordered for tonight. Time to relax. Hope everyone has a great Christmas! #BSkyBeer

I’m familiar with this one and it’s a very good fruity Loch Lomond. Only reason I haven’t bought another is that I prefer the 12yo Inchmurrin.

Trying a beer from local brewery, Treboom. I’m no expert when it comes to beer, but it drinks more like a lager rather than the flavourful pale ale I hoped for, but for the price it’s good #BSkyBeer

It’s not great, but I didn’t expect much from a Chivas Regal of any age at 40%. It must be a real skill to make a well aged scotch so dull and flavourless.

Tucking into some local barley Arran. First impression is it’s like a sweetie shop on both nose and palate. Foam bananas, dolly mixtures and pear drops.

A decent malt from the calendar this evening

First pour and already I think this is belting. I usually prefer unpeated Loch Lomond releases, but this is giving me so much. It’s very meaty and slightly medicinal with charcoal smoke and lots of caramel and vanilla running through it. The typical LL orchard fruits are still there too. Love it!

A fairly straightforward dram, but not bad at all despite the lower abv. Orange and vanilla the main notes on both nose and palate.

Polly’s Around The World. As bright and fruity as the label suggests with lots of citrus #BSkyBeer

I’m really hoping they are teeing me up for some belters in the last few days as it’s becoming a little disappointing this calendar after early promise. This is an ok easy sipper, but pretty forgettable.

Loving the geekery on the back of the new Loch Lomond distillery edition. That’s quite a lot of left over phenols in the final spirit compared to the barley spec. Ardbeg I believe is peated to around 50ppm also, and retains around 10ppm in their 10 year old. Perhaps this is the new make figures?

I don’t quite get the notes on the label. I find it much darker and more Black Forest gateau and espresso coffee. A decent enough dram that’s now deid!

This isn’t too bad at all. If they did it at 46% and non-chill filtered I reckon it would be very popular with enthusiasts. Unfortunately, we’re not their market.

Much better! Gearing up for the arrival of the new Loch Lomond distillery edition with a bottle kill of the excellent Inchmurrin 12.

Oh wow this is new levels of abysmal. What an awful whisky. Extremely watery in both texture and taste, very bitter with an artificial sweetener after taste.

I tried to resist for about 3 seconds 😂 Impossible when it’s only £50.

Very sweet, very spicy. Not really my thing but it’s perfectly drinkable

Took me a while to get through the last bottle I had on the shelf, which was surprising because I know lots of people love it. This sample is actually a good deal better. I may have had a poor batch 🤷🏼‍♂️

And here’s me trying not to buy any whisky this month 🤦🏼‍♂️😃

A familiar dram that I enjoy a lot, although I’ve not had a bottle on the shelf for a few years.

Christmas Episode Alert: The Quiz That Got The Cream, feat: Rob Patchett, Billy Abbott & Matt Hastings! We try some premium whisky cream liquers: Cotswolds, Nc'Nean, Five Farms & Aber Falls. Will England, Ireland, Wales or Scotland will come out on top? www.youtube.com/watch?v=wju8...

The advent calendar has delivered the goods today. I’m a big fan of the 10 year old and have wanted to try the 16 for a while but it’s a little pricey. A nice fruity dram, but a bit woody for me. Much prefer the freshness of the 10 year old.

Older Laphroaig 10 was my first whisky love and although that’s a shadow of its former self, this cask strength version at £42 this was an absolute steal

Today’s advent dram isn’t too bad. Better than I expected to be honest.

Another day another JW from the advent calendar. It’s better than the gold label to be fair.

Pretty insipid stuff. After a strong start this calendar has taken a bit of a turn for the worse. Hoping for better in the days to come. Redbreast 12 CS feels a long time ago now 😂

Another lunchtime trip to Polly’s for a pint and great food

Fair to say this is a classic bottle you see all over the place, but I’ve never been tempted before. I don’t think I will be buying a bottle after trying it either. A little harsh and rather sweet.

Another familiar core range dram behind door 8, but I’ve not had one for a good while. Despite the lower abv it’s delicious and easy drinking.

This was good, but I’ve had better batches of Ledaig 10

First bottle I have managed to get since 2020. Hoping this batch is as good as I remember

There’s been some really nice surprises so far in this calendar, but I do think a few of them are Master of Malt trying to shift some harder to sell stock 😆 This isn’t great, but it’s drinkable.