I’m delighted to report that this Christmas we are truly spoiled for choice.
Below we present to you a selection of drinks that are as united in quality and intrigue as they are disparate in flavour — and price. Enjoy the arrival of new sake from the East, cultured peat from the North, and Añejo agave from Asia; remarkable options to savour or gift this Christmas.
Nicolas Feuillatte Limited Edition Réserve Exclusive Brut x Mika
It takes some doing to be France’s No. 1 Champagne (and third largest worldwide), but that’s exactly what Nicolas Feuillatte has achieved. Such is the status of their jus that they have captured the attention of designer and musician Mika, launching a collaborative bottle. The House’s flagship Réserve Exclusive Brut is reimagined in a world of florals and fantastical creatures; Champagne as art.
£40, available exclusively FROM John Lewis
Sake ONO Junmai Daiginjo
From Japan comes a contemporary sake, one rooted in traditional Japanese craftsmanship but embracing Western aesthetics. Brewed in Niigata, Sake ONO Junmai Daiginjo uses pristine snowmelt water and the highest quality rice polished to 50% to deliver a refined floral profile with delicate citrus aromas.
£55, Available From Selfridges & Hedonism Wines
Renais Gin Harvest Edition
This season sees Renais Gin update its livery — and no, it’s not Christmas themed. In line with their viticultural heritage the grape gin’s new limited edition packaging is inspired by the Harvest Moon and comes with an original Frankie Penwill A4 print (worth £60).
£65, From Renais.co.uk
Leith Export Co. Table Whisky
Sometimes restraint shows true thought in design, and so it is with the elegantly simple silhouette of Leith Export Co.’s Table Whisky. Distilled in Edinburgh this single grain whisky is matured in virgin oak and sherry casks making it great addition to any whisky lover’s collection — with great aesthetic value.
£34.95, From Royal Mile Whiskies
Torabhaig Sound of Sleat Batch Strength
The namesake of the narrow stretch of sea separating Skye from mainland Scotland, Sound of Sleat Batch Strength is a potent release by Torabhaig Distillery. Known for their Island-style single-malt, on the palate expect zesty spices mixed with sweet vanilla, and a touch of oriental smoke. A fiery, peaty, coastal dram.
rrp £79, From the Whisky Exchange
Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal
In a year that Del Maguey celebrates 30 years of liquid art, it is an apt time to gift someone a sample of that legacy. Distilled in the village of San Balthazar Chichicapa using Espadín agave, this special single-village mezcal delivers vibrant citrus, roasted agave, mint chocolate and sea salt, followed by a lingering, smoky finish. Distinctive and anniversary-worthy, it’s a mezcal that fans of peaty whiskies would most certainly appreciate.
£78,95, From THE WHISKY EXCHANGE
The Planteray Prestige Cask Expression
An exclusive collection of one-off releases, the Prestige Cellar showcases double-aged rums of exceptional character. Limited to just 258 bottles, this 24-year-old expression spent a lengthy 18 years in the tropics, resulting in a rum of remarkable depth and complexity. The journey begins in bourbon barrels under tropical heat before travelling to southwest France for a second maturation in Ferrand French oak — Planteray’s signature technique.
£199, Available from Berry Bros from mid-December
Altamura Distilleries Vodka
Boasting an unusual heritage, Altamura Vodka is distilled from 100% Italian durum wheat, wheat sourced exclusively from the Altamura region of Puglia linked to ancient bread making traditions. This provenance gives the premium vodka a creamy mouthfeel etched with nutty sweetness, and building to a clean lingering finish.
£49.95, AVAILABLE FROM Master of Malt, The Whisky Exchange
Fettercairn The Journey
The sum of many sees Fettercairn Distillery launch its first customer exclusive — a single malt whisky created solely for The Whisky Shop members. Aptly entitled The Journey, W Club members were invited to blind taste five samples before settling on two ex-bourbon barrels filled in 2018 and finished in stout casks. Only 528 bottles of The Journey will ever be released.
£99, exclusively from The Whisky Shop
Dream Sake DAIGINJO NO.1
Crafted in Hyōgo, the birthplace of premium sake, this expression is made using finely polished Yamada Nishiki rice and Miyamizu water sourced from Mt. Rokkō. Entirely free from sulfites and preservatives this sake is exceptionally smooth on the palate, with delicate notes of honeydew melon, naturally elevated umami, and an impressively low acidity.
£28.99, From Selfridges
Local Heros Big Smoke
Inspired by Scotland’s whisky heritage and after nearly four decades of silence, the historic Speyside distillery Coleburn returns with the Local Heros collection. With co-owner links to the 1983 film Local Hero, the range celebrates collaboration and place. Our choice is Big Smoke; the boldest of the trio and a sprightly dram with cherry, vanilla, lemon and coastal notes.
£55, From LocalHeros.com
Maya Pistola Agavepura ANEJO
India’s first 100% agave spirit, Maya Pistola Agavepura is crafted from wild Agave Americana harvested at full maturity on the Deccan Plateau. An intriguing alternative for tequila lovers, the liquid is distilled twice for purity and aged in Goa without additives. The Añejo spends over 14 months in Virgin American White Oak, achieving notes of vanilla, cacao, fig, walnut and toasted oak. It may share lineage with tequila, but Maya Pistola Agavepura is a distinctively Indian agave spirit.
£39.95, FroM THE WHISKY EXCHANGE
JURA 12 YEAR OLD
Having undergone a facelift this year, there is no better time to reintroduce Jura 12 into your whisky collection. This new, elegant profile reflects the reassuringly familiar liquid within, still crafted in Jura’s unusually tall stills and matured in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels. Rich and well-rounded, it layers notes of peach, bright citrus and lightly toasted walnut, showcasing the island’s signature fruity and balanced style.
£42, From Waitrose
Olmeca Altos Repodaso
Made in Mexico’s Los Altos region from 100% blue Weber agave, Olmeca Altos Reposado is aged 5–8 months in ex-bourbon barrels for an exceptionally smooth character. Balanced and flavourful, it gifts notes of sweet orange, roasted nuts and cooked agave to present a refined example of a classic Reposado character.
£42, FROM Amazon, The Whisky Exchange & Various
Wolfie’s Blended Scotch Whisky
A great gifting option hailing from the banks of Loch Lomond, Wolfie’s is a playful new blended Scotch whisky by Sir Rod Stewart. In keeping with true Scotch whisky tradition, the single malt is double-distilled in copper stills, while the grain spirit runs through continuous column stills before both being matured exclusively in freshly charred bourbon casks. The result is a star-quality whisky layered with creamy vanilla, sweet peat, zesty fruit and buttery oak.
£34.50, FROM MAster of Malt
FEATURE
12 Luxury tech gifts to give this Christmas
Special Releases
Havana Club x Martine Rose
Marked by a special night at The Scotch of St James in London, Martine Rose and Havana Club recently celebrated the launch of their limited-edition Havana Club Añejo 7 Años bottle. This collaboration brings together Rose’s Jamaican-British heritage and Havana Club’s Cuban identity, reflected in a bottle adorned with watercolour tiles and handwritten design notes. On the night, a raffle featuring a one-of-a-kind Havana Club x Martine Rose bag raised vital funds for those affected by Hurricane Melissa, underscoring a message of unity, resilience and the brands’ shared cultural pride. If you wish to support hurricane relief efforts across the Caribbean, you can still do so here.
From £32, VISIT HAVANA-CLUB.com
Caribbean Heritage
The Dalmore — Distillery Select Series 2025
The connoisseurs of the sherry cask have blessed us once again, this time with their 2025 Distillery Select Series. A trio of exceptionally rare single malts showcasing new facets of the Highland distillery’s hallmark notes of chocolate, orange and subtle spice, The Dalmore has curated ultra-limited releases destined to become prized additions for collectors and enthusiasts alike. The Dalmore Distillery Select Series 2025 collection comprises a 13-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon finish, a 17-year-old Loire Valley wine finish and a 28-year-old Colheita Tawny Port finish, finished in 1997 Graham’s Colheita Port pipes.
£350-£5,500, From TheDalmore.com
Exceptional & Rare
The Hearach x Sunspel Single Cask Whisky
The beginning of a deeper partnership between the two brands, Isle of Harris Distillery has joined with a James Bond favourite, Sunspel, to launch The Hearach x Sunspel Single Cask Whisky. Limited to just 243 bottles, this 7-year-old single malt was hand-selected by Sunspel’s Nicholas Brooke and Isle of Harris Blender Shona Macleod, then matured in a first-fill ex-Buffalo Trace bourbon cask for a fruity, spiced and vanilla-led flavour profile. A reflection of their mutual respect for material provenance and place, the whisky unites the produce of Harris’ rugged landscape with Sunspel’s enduring approach to British design.
£95, From Sunspel’s UK stores
Crafted Ideals
Laphroaig’s 18-Year-Old Christmas Gift Set
For those that love the chilled embrace of the mid-winter outdoors, Laphroaig has created the perfect Christmas set. Bringing a taste of Islay’s wild spirit to the festive season, Laphroaig has paired its revered 18-Year-Old single malt with a complimentary dry bag, keeping essentials safe and dry whether scaling rugged coastlines or braving a Boxing Day walk. The whisky itself? A hallmark of Laphroaig’s character: expect bold, peaty and earthy flavours, with herbal, sweet and spicy notes shaped by the island’s coastal influence.
RRP £160, from The Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt
Coastal Adventure
Aberlour 50-year-old single malt
There have been rare releases from historic whisky houses before, but a mere 20 bottle outturn from one of the greats makes Aberlour’s latest unveiling a release for the ages. Their first-ever 50-year-old single malt, the bottle represents five decades of patient maturation under Master Distiller Graeme Cruickshank. Each decanter is housed in a bespoke oak cabinet by designer John Galvin, crafted from distillery staves and set upon a granite plinth sourced from Aberlour’s historic warehouse; a remarkable way to encapsulate a defining moment in the distillery’s history.
£31,000, From The Whisky Exchange
A Historic Release
