We’ve previously seen The Whisky Exchange bottle a Highland Park, Linkwood and Glenfarclas as their annual Christmas offering. This year’s A Good Old-Fashioned Christmas Whisky is going down a different road.

Priced at £85, I’m a bit surprised A Good Old-Fashioned Christmas Whisky already sold out. After all, it is a blended whisky without an age statement. That might just be a bit short-sighted of me, but maybe also a sign of the changing market.

No word on the vintages that were used, but here’s the entire cask breakdown. The liquid proportions should line up fairly well with the original cask sizes:

Glen Elgin: one refill hogshead
Linkwood: two new oak hogsheads
Blair Athol: two Oloroso butts
Strathclyde: two barrels
Cameronbridge: two butts

A Good Old-Fashioned Christmas Whisky closeup

A Good Old-Fashioned Christmas Whisky (50.5%, The Whisky Exchange, 2022)

Nose: Very rich. Sticky fudge and dark caramel accompanied by warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and star anise. Black treacle and furniture polish too, as well as rum-soaked raisins, Maraschino cherries and orange liqueur, followed by some red berries and dates.
Taste: Thick mouthfeel quickly followed by fizzy cassis, mocha, coffee liqueur and gentle spices. Hints of stewed apples, raisins and dates. Then golden syrup, stroopsoldaatjes (an old-fashioned Dutch candy) and charred oak.
Finish: A lingering spicy, charred bitterness with chocolate and prunes.

Conclusion

The palate might rely a little too much on charred, bitter notes to be entirely to my liking. The nose is rather gorgeous and I appreciate how the grain whisky's influence seems to have been kept in check. (Although it is definitely noticeable). Overall not fully my style, but I can appreciate what they're trying to accomplish.

8.3

Sample provided by The Whisky Exchange