Gin Christmas Calendar Mac Y 24 bottles of gin x 2 cl

24 doors, one gin a day, and no two mornings taste the same. One day the visitor is an old London gin family, the next a farm in Northamptonshire or a small distillery in Icelandic Garðabær. December never gets boring with this one.

Expert's Description

Gin Advent Calendar - 24 x 2cl is a Gin Advent Calendar with 24 different gins from six brands, bottled in 2cl miniatures and blended at 41.61%.

Behind the calendar stands the Jutland spirits wholesaler Mac Y, and what sets this particular edition apart is that all six brands already sit in the company's own portfolio – nothing here has been borrowed in from outside. The journey starts in London with Hayman's, where the Hayman family has been distilling gin since 1863 and the business is now run by the fifth generation, siblings James and Miranda Hayman, with father Christopher still at the helm as gin's elder statesman. From London Dry and Old Tom to the punchy Royal Dock Gin Navy Strength and a couple of sweeter fruit and berry expressions, the whole Hayman's range is here – six bottles in total. Warner's draws its gin from Falls Farm in Northamptonshire, where Tom and Tina Warner started out in 2012 and have made a principle of using home-grown botanicals ever since – their rhubarb gin was the world's first of its kind, and it appears here alongside apple and pear, elderflower, raspberry, blackberry and sloe. Cotswolds Distillery in Warwickshire, founded in 2014 by the American ex-banker Daniel Szor, contributes its Dry Gin, while Icelandic Cubical from Eimverk Distillery in Garðabær brings two very different expressions in Mango and Ultra Premium. From Jutland comes Syv Sind from Sall Whisky Destilleri in four editions, and Tranquebar rounds off the calendar with three gins named after Denmark's former colony on India's east coast. Included with the box is access to a virtual calendar, where a new video and product description unlocks each day of December.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Juniper runs through the whole box as the common thread, but beyond that the scents are all over the place. Some bottles bring sharp citrus and a hint of rose, others warm Christmas spice, and a couple of the berry gins send sweetness and freshly picked fruit up out of the glass, while the Navy Strength expression carries a much boozier, more peppery nose.

Palate

On the palate it ranges from the dry, juniper-driven classic style through sweet, juicy fruit and berry expressions to a genuinely spiced Christmas edition with cinnamon and clove. The strongest bottles bite back clearly with heat and power, while the mildest are light and easygoing.

Finish

Short and fresh on most of the fruit and berry expressions, longer and warmer on the Navy Strength bottle and the more spiced Christmas gins.

Specifications

Name: Gin Advent Calendar - 24 x 2cl
Bottler: Mac Y
Region/Country: Denmark
Type: Gin Advent Calendar
ABV: 41.61%
Size: 48 CL (24 x 2cl)
Serving suggestion: Best tasted one at a time in a small glass at room temperature – the strongest, like Hayman's Royal Dock Gin Navy Strength, benefit from a splash of tonic or an ice cube alongside.

Flavour Profile

Versatile · Citrus · Spiced · Fruity · Floral

Did You Know?

Tranquebar, which lends its name to three of the gins in the calendar, was actually a Danish colony. From 1620 to 1845, Denmark ran a trading post called Tranquebar on India's south-eastern coast, and that's the history the gin series is named after.

See our full range of Gin Advent Calendars

Frequently Asked Questions About Gin Advent Calendar

What's included in Gin Advent Calendar?

The calendar holds 24 miniature 2cl gin bottles from six brands – Cotswolds, Cubical, Hayman's, Syv Sind, Tranquebar and Warner's – plus access to a virtual calendar with a video and background story for each day.

How strong is the gin in Gin Advent Calendar?

Blended at 41.61%, but the individual bottles range wider – from lighter fruit and berry expressions up to Hayman's Royal Dock Gin Navy Strength, noticeably stronger than the rest of the calendar.

Is Gin Advent Calendar a good starting point for a gin beginner?

Yes, precisely because it mixes classic London Dry with sweet berry gins, a spiced Christmas gin and a single navy strength expression – a wide sample of what the category can do without committing to one bottle.

Should the gin be drunk with tonic, or can it go into cocktails?

Most of the bottles are built for gin and tonic, but there's enough in each miniature to shake a couple of the drier ones into a martini or negroni instead, if that's more your thing.

Can the bottles be saved for later?

Yes, gin keeps perfectly well stored cool and dark once the calendar is opened – there's no expiry date to race against, and several of the bottles taste just as good in January as in December.

Is Gin Advent Calendar a good gift?

It's built for exactly that. The 24-day format and the virtual calendar, where a new story unlocks each morning, turn it into a gift that unfolds through December rather than being unwrapped all at once.

Which countries does the gin come from in Gin Advent Calendar?

The calendar gathers brands from England (Cotswolds, Hayman's, Warner's), Denmark (Syv Sind, Tranquebar) and Iceland (Cubical), so you travel through three different gin traditions without leaving the sofa.

Who is behind Mac Y, and how is the calendar put together?

Mac Y is a Danish spirits wholesaler based in Karup in Jutland, supplying specialty spirits to shops, bars and restaurants. All six brands in the calendar already sit in the company's own range, so it's really a cross-section of their own portfolio rather than a random mix.