Whisky Focus - £10,000 'Very Old & Rare' Whisky Advent Calendar 2025

If you’re looking to indulge yourself — or treat the whisky connoisseur in your life — Drinks by the Dram, a division of Atom Brands and sister company to the specialist online retailer Master of Malt, has unveiled the ultimate luxury advent calendar: The Very Old & Rare Whisky Collection 2025. Priced at £9,995, this extraordinary release features 24 exceptionally rare whiskies, many of which are now virtually unobtainable, even at auction.

Created for collectors and true enthusiasts, the calendar includes drams from some of the world’s most celebrated distilleries such as Karuizawa, Port Ellen, The Macallan, Highland Park, and Yamazaki. Each 30ml sample is individually hand–wax-sealed for an artisanal finish.

The whiskies are housed in a bespoke cabinet crafted from black oak and walnut by British master craftsman Simon Jewell. Inspired by antique apothecary chests, the design features suede linings, a drawer with detailed tasting notes, a personal letter from Dr Sam Simmons, Head of Whisky at Master of Malt, and two Riedel glasses.

"We have gathered whiskies so rare the warehouse cat has never seen them," says Dr Sam Simmons. "We had a lot of fun curating this cabinet which is in itself a time capsule and a tribute to whisky’s story. Highlights include a 40-year-old Balvenie, liquid gems from lost distilleries including Port Ellen and Karuizawa, and ancient examples of Macallan, Glenglassaugh, Bowmore, Auchentoshan and Glenrothes. It is a once-in-a-lifetime tasting journey that will make this Christmas one to remember."

Among the 24 drams are standouts such as the Balvenie 40 Year Old, Glenfarclas 1958 Cask 2061 (of which only 130 bottles were ever released), Karuizawa Five Decades, Glenfarclas 60 Year Old, and the iconic Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2012 — an assembly that even seasoned collectors would struggle to replicate.

The cabinet the Very Old & Rare drams are presented in is finished with black oak inlaid with a tree-ring motif, walnut shelving, engraved stainless-steel accents, a leather carry handle, and a protective moleskin dust cover.

The complete list of 24 whiskies in Very Old & Rare Whisky Collection Advent Calendar 2025 are:

• Auchentoshan 44 Year Old
   
• Balvenie 40 Year Old (Batch 5)
   
• Bowmore 43 Year Old
   
• Bunnahabhain 40 Year Old
   
• Glenfarclas 1958 (cask 2061)
   
• Glenfarclas 60 Year Old (cask 1672)
   
• Glenfiddich 40 Year Old (Release Number 15)
   
• Glenglassaugh 41 Year Old (cask 1227-1)
   
• Glengoyne 35 Year Old
   
• Highland Park 40 Year Old
   
• Karuizawa 32 Year Old (cask 6719)
   
• Karuizawa Five Decades
   
• Ladyburn 40 Year Old (cask 74)
   
• Macallan 30 Year Old (That Boutique-y Whisky Company)
   
• Nikka Taketsuru 25 Year Old
   
• Port Askaig 45 Year Old
   
• Port Ellen 32 Year Old (15th Release)
   
• Port Ellen 37 Year Old (17th Release)
   
• Probably Speyside’s Finest Distillery 50 Year Old (cask 12418) (Douglas Laing)
   
• Talisker Bodega Series 40 Year Old
   
• The Glenrothes 1968 (cask 13504)
   
• The Half-Century Blend (Batch 3)
   
• The Macallan No.6
   
• Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2012

The Very Old & Rare Whisky Collection 2025 is available exclusively from Master of Malt, priced at £9,995. But if that's beyond your Whisky Advent Calendar budget, don’t worry — Master of Malt offers a range of equally exciting Drinks by the Dram Whisky Advent Calendars to suit every price point.

The 2025 line-up includes the Old & Rare Advent Calendar (£799.95), featuring drams from distilleries such as Caperdonich, Dalmore, and Clynelish, as well as the Premium Whisky Advent Calendar (£199.95), which showcases top-shelf whiskies from world-renowned producers.

For those looking to explore beyond whisky, the wider Drinks by the Dram collection also includes calendars dedicated to spiced rum, gin, and world whiskies, with prices starting from £49.95.

You will find them all now at Master of Malt
 

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