Kristiane Sherry
The Milroy's Christmas Drinks Guide 2024
It’s that time of year again! Whether you’re looking for presents for loved ones or something to pour on the big day, our Milroy’s Christmas Whisky Guide is here to help you deliciously navigate the festive season.
When it comes to Christmas, a few things are true. One, it can be tricky to find the perfect whisky gift. There are so many great releases out there, where to start?! Secondly, finding the ideal bottle to crack open for the festivities is similarly a challenge. How to please everyone around the table?
We’re here to help. From our vast stocks online, we’ve chosen the best whiskies and wines to get you through the season. From budget-friendly bottles to showstopping pours, consider this a capsule drinks collection to delight a wide range of tastes.
Some crucial last shipping dates to know: if you’re sending bottles overseas, make sure you order with us by 13 December. If your treats are UK-bound, your cut-off is 20 December. But don’t leave it until the last-minute – pick up one of these recommendations now and you’ll be sorted way ahead of the day itself.
Top Bottles For Christmas 2024
Best Under £50: Lochlea Our Barley
Lochlea is a charming farm distillery in rural Ayrshire – and Our Barley is its first permanent expression. We love it for its balance of first-fill Bourbon barrels, Oloroso Sherry casks and STR barriques and resulting fruity, cereal-like palate. It’s also a relatively undiscovered gem, so you’ll impress even the most committed whisky collector
Best Under £100: Balvenie Stories Week of Peat 14 Year Old
Speyside distillery Balvenie is most known for its signature orchard fruit flavour profile. But this bottling turns that on its head with the addition of peat in production! The addition of an earthy smoke adds a new depth of character to this much-known maker. Peat is used for just one week a year at the distillery, hence the name.
Best Over £100: Craigellachie 23 Year Old
A luxuriously sumptuous single malt from Speyside distillery Craigellachie. Its fascinating oily texture shines bright in this release, which has been aged in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. We love that the characteristic meatiness is so well integrated with the honey and icing sugar elements – a complex dram that’s a real treat.
Best Stocking Filler: Glenfiddich IPA Sample
Did you know that we sell whisky by the measure?! Our 30ml drams make the perfect stocking fillers, Secret Santa gifts, or festive table favours. Our pick? This Glenfiddich release brings all of the lushness from the Speyside maker, with a deep, rich, IPA cask finish. Ideal for a quick pressie.
Christmas Lunch: Tamdhu Batch Strength
When it comes to festive imbibing, nothing seems to hit the mark quite like a deliciously sherried single malt. Our pick this year? Tamdhu Batch Strength. There’s rich honeycomb, dried fruits, creamy vanilla and a gorgeous nuttiness – the perfect after-dinner dram. It’s versatile too. Pour over ice and top with soda for a refreshing festive Highball.
Delicious: Milroy's Heavily Peated
Fun, funky and fantastically flavourful, this vibrant single malt packs a punch – and is topping our collective Christmas list. We’ve taken the earthiness of Jura and finished it in casks from Jamaica’s Monymusk distillery. The resulting flavour profile is profoundly enjoyable, both neat and lengthened into a Highball.
The life, love and flavour lessons from a whisky and sweets pairing
From sparks-flying compatibility to meh-blandness, whisky- and food-pairing can be a lot like dating. This...
Aug 14, 2025
Must-taste Islay whiskies for 2025
As Fèis Ìle, the annual celebration of Islay malt and music, approaches, we explore the...
May 20, 2025
Five of our favourite wine cask-influenced whiskies
Wine cask maturation can pack a full-flavour punch. Here’s why these casks can be so...
May 13, 2025
The time is rye: why rich, spicy ryes should be at the forefront of your drinks cabinet
Long associated with pre-Prohibition sipping and classic cocktails, rye whisky and whiskey has modernised in...
May 06, 2025
