Notes

Strong but delicious. Opened up nicely with a cube of ice.

Heat and meh...

The ice wind stings my face. ‘Onward! Faster!’ What speed I have experienced this far on this mad journey seems to be but a snails pace compared to the rush I now feel. The sled feels like it bends in time, hurtling us forward as we tear through the snowy forest. ‘Slow down, we’re no good to the village pummeled against the trees!’ The old man grins through his beard, not making eye contact with me as he whips the reins again. Somehow we pick up even more speed, I swear we even lift off the ground for a moment. I realize my protestations are useless, I resign myself to my fate as the the passenger of a mad man hell-bent on delivering our cargo, no matter the cost. Another hour passes. The dogs begin to slow. ‘The hounds need a break’ I plead (they are not the only ones). ‘NO! We must press on!’ I hear through the beard. ‘Press on all you like, but you cannot do it without beasts of burden, and these dogs cannot bear much more!’ He sighs. ‘I see the wisdom. Fear not, an outpost is near’. We hobble to a small ramshackle building, a place meant to switch out sled dogs and rest for the drivers. A wee lady walks out to meet us, favoring her left leg. ‘No, no, no, you’ve come too late, there are no dogs to spare! You cannot make this journey, rest for the night and carry on in the morning.’ The old man stands, seemingly a head taller than I’ve ever seen him. ‘Our cargo must reach its destination this night. What can you do in your power to make this happen? What beasts could you offer to aid our quest?!’ The crippled woman looks around in dismay. ‘Here? Now? There are no dogs….only the game in this northern land. Caribou are the beasts around you.’ The old man smiles. He turns to me with a wink. He purses his lips in a circle ‘hooooooooooo, hooooooooo, hooooooooooooooo’ echos through the snowy woods. A soft padding, barley louder than a silent step. From the edges of the woods come these horned deer, all willing and strong. ‘Maybe he is magic after all’ I whisper to myself. We’re off again as soon as these caribou are fastened to the sled. More time passes, these Beasts are strong. But the weather turns on us. The snow turns to sleet, the clouds to fog. We cannot see anything in front of us. I begin to despair, my pointed ears freezing. The old man stops the sled, surely he’s come to his senses and we can rest for the night. He walks to the lead caribou of the pack. Gently, he rubs the beasts snoot and pops the lid off a hidden flask. He coaxes the animal to drink. The caribou snorts, shakes his head, snow falling off his antlers. The old man returns to the sled. Before I can say a word, he raises a finger to his lips and Bids me to watch instead of speak. Gradually, but surely, the lead caribou’s nose begins to emit a dull red glow. I blink, a trick of the eyes? No, it is in fact glowing, brighter than any lamp or lighter. We can see! Through the sleet, The fog and the despair. Onward we push, the forest trees easily dodged, the path easily navigated. With one last wink and chuckle, the old man opens the flask again and hands it to me. my own nose turns red with a sip. And I am the more cheerful for it.

Hope you all enjoy this dram nearly as much as you enjoyed the calendar!

I want the Mystic back...

This has to be Grand-Dad..the old-fashioned "go-to"

Absolutely nothing wrong with this. An amazing end to the calendar.

Little bit of heat, but finishes out smooth and mellow. Wish the finish lasted a little longer. But overall another great calendar!

Sheesh. Ending on a fiery bang, I guess. Earthy, punchy, hard to get anything past the high proof. I bet this would make a fantastic cocktail where you really wanted the spirit to come through. On its own, though, it’s a bit high-octane for my palette.

Bit of an odd one today. Coconut on the nose? Bit funky on the initial taste, and strangely sweet at the end. Not a fan, honestly.

no danks

Big fan. Hits hard but with a fruity flair...like Mike Tyson. Also, here's a pic of the Ekklesia whiskey Advent crew.

Got some eggnog on it, nutmeg. Clove. Something bright like a citrus. Oooohhh haaaa goodness! Velvet, heat. Lingers sweet. Vanilla maybe and wasn't expecting it. Like that linger. Spice, peppercorn. Love the long finish. I think my taste is burned from 25 whiskeys in a row! Almost certain we're a rye here but another of those spice/heat distinctions i have trouble making. Thanks for a great advent!

Pretty ok.

Pretty good closer. Not my favorite from this year but it'll do.

And to all a good night!

No clue what this is. It’s funky and odd finish. I bet it’s super expensive.

This has a nice nose once calmed down some. Nice oak toffee caramel and vanilla on the nose. Honey cinnamon oak on palette with a nice lingering finish. Great ending dram. Now if I can be serious for a min I’d like to bring attention to the real reason for the season. Which of course is the whiskey advent and presents for sure. A big thanks to Cory for another great advent and Kim for the gift. Always look forward to it. Great job!

This is some spicy and delicious Christmas Eve juice. Getting lots of cherry and apple on nose, followed by some oak and baking spice.

Very nice. Hot, but still flavorful. Water was helpful. Merry Christmas, everyone!

*Guest Review* First impressions of this finishing bottle has a high octane nose and a bold straight forward start zing on the tongue. A decent amount of spice in the middle starts to level it out and finishes with a deep dark black cherry note. Second taste, with a few drops of water, unlocks the vanilla hiding behind the high proof to make this tasting more palatable to a slightly above average bottle from a slow start.

'Twas the afternoon of the twenty-fourth tasting, as I prepare for the big day. I feel that there are a few things I simply must say. First, to our host JK, thank you for all that you've done. All of us have found a friend that truly is #1. To all of my fellow tasters, I want to thank you too. For I would not get to enjoy this each year without you. To the the whisky this year, you really were great. There were even a few scotches that I didn't totally hate. Now for today's whiskey, let me just say "Oh My". This tastes like a spectacularly delicious rye. Or perhaps I am wrong, I do fear. Anyway here's Sam signing off and wishing everyone a fantastic New Year.

Had a blast this year. This advent calendar never disappoints!