Twenty-four doors, twenty-four worlds. Behind one waits peat and sea spray from Islay, behind the next, apples from the Loire Valley, and behind a third, warm Goan air over Indian pot stills. The Mac Y Whisky Advent Calendar is a journey through whisky's landscapes, one dram at a time, all December long.
Expert's Description
Mac Y Whisky Advent Calendar 2026 is a tasting calendar with 24 different whiskies from Scotland, Ireland, England, France and India, bottled in 2 cl miniatures at an average strength of 46.9%.
The concept is a virtual advent calendar: behind each of the 24 doors sits a bottle, and a QR code on the bottom of the box opens a new door in Mac Y's online calendar every day in December, revealing the story behind that day's whisky. The line-up spans the breadth of Scotch whisky – from Islay-adjacent names like Caol Ila and Ledaig, through Speyside-leaning Speybridge, to Highland stalwarts such as Deanston and Tomatin – and sets them against newer voices in the whisky world: The Irishman from Ireland, Cotswolds from England, Armorik from Brittany and Paul John from Goa, India.
Several bottles were made specifically for the occasion. Beathan 2013 comes from a first-fill sherry butt as a private cask, while Caol Ila 2013-23 is drawn from a virgin oak cask selected exclusively for this calendar. Add two expressions each from Lindores Abbey and Bunnahabhain, a Torabhaig duo and Tomatin's experimental Cù Bòcan, and the calendar becomes as much an exercise in comparing styles as a countdown to Christmas.
Behind the calendar is Mac Y, a Danish spirits house based in Karup, Central Jutland, which has imported and distributed specialty spirits to Danish retailers, bars and restaurants since 1996 – and which imports several of the names in the calendar itself, including Bunnahabhain, Deanston, Tomatin and Torabhaig.
Tasting Notes
Nose
There's no single aroma to expect here – that's the point. Some bottles bring smoke and sea salt from the Islay side, others honey and ripe apple from sherry- and port-influenced casks, and a few – Paul John in particular – sit somewhere between tropical fruit and spiced warmth.
Palate
In the glass, the calendar ranges from soft and light through heavily peated to the dense, wine-cask-driven expressions from Armorik and Cotswolds, where red wine and whisky meet in the same mouthful.
Finish
Short and fresh on the younger, unpeated entries, longer and more wood-driven where the sherry and port casks have had their say – none of the 24 days tastes quite like the one before it.
Specifications
Name: Mac Y Whisky Advent Calendar 2026
Bottler: Mac Y
Region/Country: Scotland, Ireland, England, France and India
Type: Whisky Advent Calendar
ABV: 46.9% (average)
Size: 48 CL (24 x 2 CL)
EAN No.: 5714772002531
Flavour Profile
Versatile · Peated · Sherry-matured · Fruity · Spiced
Did You Know?
Mac Y is also behind Cú Dhub – the world's only black Scotch whisky, created in Scotland in 1996 and since exported to whisky lovers around the globe.
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