The 10 ultimate Christmas whiskies for Mrs Claus
While Santa enjoys his Christmas eve whisky and mince pies, what should Mrs Claus be enjoying back at the North Pole? We enlisted some friends to recommend some ultimate Christmas drams for her.
Come 24 December, households all over the world prepare for Santa’s visit. To keep his mission well fuelled, families leave him (and Rudolph – who was actually female, by the way) some festive treats: mince pies, a carrot and usually a tot of something boozy.
While Santa’s getting merry though, poor Mrs Claus is rather forgotten. Despite the wrapping, packing and keeping the elves on their toes, there’s no thank you waiting for her to enjoy.
So, the OurWhisky Foundation team and some of our friends have suggested a few drams for her (and all you mums out there who are the real MVPs of Christmas) to enjoy while recovering from months of planning. After all, why should Santa have all the fun?
Becky Paskin, Founder, OurWhisky Foundation: Royal Brackla 21 Year Old
If I’d been leading hundreds of elves in the world’s biggest annual covert operation, all in freezing wintry conditions and with little recognition, I’d damn well want to put my feet up with a healthy slug of something rewarding and soul-warming. Mrs Claus (who doesn’t have an official first name as her identity is so intertwined with her husband’s), might find solace in a tumbler filled with Royal Brackla 21 Year Old, a rich, decadent wonder matured in oloroso, Palo Cortado and Pedro Ximinez casks for luscious notes of toffee, raisins, figs and cinnamon. Something special for a very special lady.
Millie Milliken, Head of Content, OurWhisky Foundation: Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Single Cask Strength
I don’t reckon much surprises Mrs Claus anymore (those Christmas present lists must throw up some interesting requests), so I would like her to be suitably surprised by my chosen dram. This release from Taiwan’s Kavalan is an intriguing one, bringing both familiar, Christmassy notes as well as unexpected, exotic flavours together in a beautifully bold and memorable whisky.
It’s been aged in used American oak wine barrels which have been toasted and recharred to give off a vanilla note that wraps around the palate of this whisky. Where there are baking spices and dried fruits, there is also the surprise of mango and melon, all finished off with a warming pepperiness.
Ann Miller, Whisky Educator: Tamdhu 18 Year Old
Mother Christmas will definitely be ready for a dram by the time she has selected, wrapped, addressed, and packed the presents for all the children in the world – as well as feeding and harnessing the reindeer before waving off Father Christmas.
A rich, rewarding, lingering dram may be the only acknowledgement she will get, so she certainly deserves a whisky she can sip slowly before Father Christmas returns. An indulgent and complex, sherry-matured single malt like Tamdhu 18 Year Old would be perfect, as it offers seasonal treats like luscious dark fruit, citrus notes, chocolate and festive spices.
Maria Scala, Prestige Consultant, Ian Macleod: Rosebank 31 Year Old
It would have to be Rosebank 31 Year Old. When I smell it, it takes me back to my childhood in a very vivid way. If I close my eyes I see little Maria opening the drinks cabinet, exhilarated by that scent: strong but also sweet and aromatic like the most delicious cake a child could dream of.
Rosebank 31 is a mystical dram, classic and old, but yet unique and contemporary with notes of dried wildflowers, sweet porridge, winter fruit salads, vanilla pods, sponge cake, cigar leaf, toasty bread and a creamy and oily mouthfeel. Christmas magic is silent. You don’t hear it, but you can drink it!
BETHANY Brown, EDITOR, WHISKY MAGAZINE: WOODFORD RESERVE STRAIGHT BOURBON
I’d recommend that Mrs Claus look across the Atlantic to Kentucky and bag herself a Bourbon. Woodford Reserve is my Bourbon of choice this Christmas. The distillery also makes malt, rye and wheat whiskeys, but for me, it’s the Bourbon that really steals the show: it has splashes of citrus peel, nuttiness, creamy vanilla, dark chocolate and a delightful sizzle of spice.
Mrs Claus could enjoy this one neat – at just under 90 proof (45% abv), it’s very sippable – but it also mixes well, and Woodford’s straight Bourbon works brilliantly in a Boulevardier or an Old Fashioned (both with an expressed orange peel to garnish, to up the citrus ante.
Sonia Stia, Assistant Manager, Amathus: London Rye Whisky
Mrs Claus, I heard you are a real whisky lover like me and I thought I would recommend a unique whisky that I really enjoyed during 2023. Maybe you didn’t have the chance to try an English whisky yet? This whisky is made by East London Liquor Company and it is a London Rye whisky.
This isn’t your typical rye: it is made with 55% malted rye and 45% malted barley. The warmth of the rye with that typical fruity spice meets the cooling smoothness of the malt.
Toffee apples, chilli peppers, orange peel and chocolate, this dram is a treat and I think you deserve it while keeping your elves in check – you must be really busy!
Moa Nilsson, Whisky Communicator: Glen Moray Private Collection Single Cask Madeira Finish
My recommendation for the lovely Mrs C would be a Private Collection Single Cask Madeira Finish from Glen Moray. She deserves a treat and the Madeira finish really brings out some lovely baking spices, sweet fruits and a rich oak character that is perfect as a festive dram over the holidays. At just above 55% abv it’s sure to be slightly warming – even up at the North Pole.
Heather Storgaad, whisky communicator: Glendronach Port Wood
I love the Glendronach Port Wood – a rich whisky with a palate of sultanas, rich spices like ginger and candied peel and cherries. It is a rich, decadent dram that will warm you through. I would recommend Mrs Claus to share a bottle of this with the elves and enjoy the best Christmas treats alongside it – Christmas cake, mince pies and stollen. That should help her relax after the hectic run up to the big day, and sleep until Christmas Day morning.
Johanna Derry Hall, Whisky Journalist: Ardnamurchan AD Sherry Cask
Earlier this year I found myself ordering whisky at a bar with lots of nuns (long story...). Nothing light or floral for these religious titans. Peated and rich all the way. If Mother Christmas is anything like Mother Superior – hearty, postmenopausal, and feisty – a generous dram of Ardnamurchan AD Sherry Cask release would be the one I'd pour.
Kristiane Sherry, Whisky Journalist: Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky
I'd leave out a dram of Bain's Cape Mountain Whisky for Mrs C this Christmas. A single grain from South Africa, it's a gorgeous, easy-sipping delight that's full of flavour. It's such a sunny dram, it would transport her to far warmer climes than the North Pole and help her forget about the season when Santa's work all gets too much.
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