Wally tackles what he believes to be the most appealing and interesting inaugural release since Daftmill. But there’s a problem, and you already know what it is. Shame, ‘cause this reads like a cracker.

Dougie encounters a home intruder, only to discover at his new home on the Isle of Skye, it’s ‘the done thing’. And anyway, this intruder brings a surprise mystery bottle of Foursquare finished Blended Malt Whisky from Mossburn.

Saving a special bottle for a quiet moment, Ramsay swims in a dusty and now discontinued Glencadam 21yo while wondering if it’s worth reviewing hard-to-find bottles. We must Tav! We must!

A wiser-than-her-years daughter encourages Ogie to grab some whisky swag before heading to his new, state-controlled liquor, home. It proves fruitful as he bags himself a lesser-seen Kilchoman dusty.

Dougie battles from the Highlands to the Lowlands with nervy drives, fallen trees and slippery hills. Upon arrival he’s rewarded with a decent value Tawny Port Glencadam. Was it just rewards?

Our resident Canadians, Aengus and Broddy, get together and get excited over a bottle split of rye whisky. Let’s just say they went Dutch.

How can Wally admit to loving a bottle and yet score it 3/10? It’s complex, but in this case he thinks Diageo have made it a big, confusing, opaque and cynical mess - for retailers and punters.

Broddy heads back to grab a second bottle of an absolute banger, only to discover they’re all sold. Worse, some naughty whisky mules have been smuggling ‘em out of his native home to punt on Scottish auction sites. Cue a Broddy huff.

On the hunt in a neighbouring state for some Springbank goodness, Ogilvie decides not to buy and switches to something completely different. I wonder if you can guess why?

While reviewing those two Aqvavitae Ardnamurchan bottles, somehow, in so many incidental ways, Dougie highlights all of the things to be grateful for exploring whisky. Those high-energy, emotional, glowing, amber-inspired moments we all love to live for.

Not just a review from Broddy, but a confession. A reflection on what he’s buying: how many, how much is open, what producers and - how much he’s actually spent. Sobering indeed.

Dramface takes on a six bottle outturn from Watt Whisky, it’s a team effort. Two single malts, a blended malt, a blend, a single grain and a curious Bas Armagnac. No wonder the images are blurry.

Finding independent bottlers slightly intimidating at first, Hamish get’s hooked on Linkwood during a whisky trip and discovers indy Linkwoods online, at auction and everywhere.

As we swing into boxing day, Doog finds an appropriate dram to utterly switch off with. The fact that he can pick it up for the equivalent of mere buttons, in whiskey terms, sweetens the already sweet deal.

A team review is required around a new take on Elixir’s Port Askaig series and their first Cask Strength Small Batch. Wally leads with a deep dive into why we’re not drinking enough. Apparently.

In something of a follow up to Earie’s Shelter Point piece, we hear about Broddy’s visit to what may be his desert island distillery -The Netherland’s Zuidam, makers of Millstone. Dougie chimes in too.

A sudden gust of luck brings a random Instagram win for Earie. In enjoying a Christmas selection set of Douglas Laing’s Rock Island malts, he finds a way to share his splash of good fortune with us all.

Worlds collide as an in-real-life cross border meet up and distillery visit has otherwise unobtanium whisky change hands and call for for a three-way Dramface review, this time Batch 3 of Shelter Point’s 10 year old Canadian malt.

Drummond dives into another solid Benromach, this time in the Contrasts Series range with their Double Matured Bordeaux. With it, he reaffirms that age isn't everything and even though it is not quite a hole-in-one, its still a worthy addition to the Benromach shelf.

Amazing gestures of generosity place Doog in the possession of two much celebrated special releases from Loch Lomond; the XL Fermentation DE3 goes up against Aqvavitae’s 2022 release.