Top ten whisky recommendations for Christmas

Looking for a whisky for a gift? Or perhaps just a festive dram to enjoy, well let us help you. Picture: TSPL

Perhaps we can help. We asked the girls of Glasgow’s Potstill’s women’s whisky club to pick their top ten whiskies, perfect for gifting or for drinking.

Geraldine Murphy, manager of the Potstill and creator of the women’s club, chose:

1. Tomatin Legacy

Geraldine Murphy picked her top five malts. Picture: Contributed

Geraldine says: “I chose this because the lovely fresh banana like flavours gives a lovely light sweetness to this soft whisky, perfect for an everyday dram.”

For fans of: Glenfiddich 12, Glenlivet 12

Price: Approx. £26

2. Scapa 16yr

The girls at the Glasgow whiksy festival. Picture: Contributed

Geraldine says: “Scapa is a great all rounder it got lots of flavour a little sweetness and a bit of spice but not too much of either to overpower this delicious dram.”

For fans of: Bunnahabhain 12, Oban 14

Price: £50

3. Potstill birthday bottling: Invergordon 26yr

Geraldine says: “Having already enjoyed a couple of drams of this already this festival season, I highly recommend this delicious wee dram. Being a single grain whisky not a malt, it needs a little longer to mature and let all those lovely vanilla flavours to develop. It was hugely popular at the Glasgow whisky festival.”

For fans of:Single grains

Price:£65

4. Kilchoman Loch Gorm

Geraldine says: “This one I recommend for peat-lovers. It’s definitely one for sitting by a warm fire and sipping at for an hour or so.

The sherry cask influence brings just enough fruitiness through to balance that big bold liquid charcoalness.”

For fans of: Lagavulin 16, Laphroig 10

Price: Approx. £60

5. Glengoyne Teapot dram ‘batch 3’

Geraldine says: “My final pick is the ultimate Christmas dram, a big punchy sherry cask matured whisky. At cask strength this really is a sherry monster, one of our favourites in the pub.”

For fans of: Aberlour A’bunah, Mortlach 16

Price:Approx. £60

Erin O’connor, bar worker in the Potstill and women’s club member, chose:

6. Tomatin Cú Bócan

Erin says: “Great value for money, this interesting little dram has a smokey nose that doesn’t mask the citrussy notes in the whisky, but instead compliments them.”

For fans of:Caol Ila 12

Price: Approx. £40

7. Springbank ‘Green’

Erin says: “Creamy and sweet, with a hint of coastal salt, this latest offering from Springbank is a cracker.”

For fans of: Benromach, Old Pulteney

Price: Approx. £60

8. Glendronach 15 year old ‘Revival’

Erin says: “Epitomises Christmas, my idea of liquid Christmas pudding, sweet rich - like treacle in your mouth.”

For fans of: Mortlach 16, Auchentoshan Three Wood

Price: £50

9. Arran Amarone Cask

Erin says: “Robust and rich with a dry rather than sweet chararcter. It has a heathery & chestnutty flavour which really encapsulates that feeling of Christmas.”

For fans of: Interesting wine casked whiskies

Price: £40

10. Tullibardine Sovereign

Erin says: “Light and sweet with a creamy body. Like sweet caramel porridge on a cold winters day.”

For fans of: Linkwood, Glenfiddich

Price:£35

All whiskies are available from www.masterofmalt.com/, www.thegoodspiritsco.com except for the Potstill birthday malt which can only be purchased from the Potstill.

• The Potstill whisky girls club was started by Geraldine Murphy after the Murphy family took over the Potstill bar on Glasgow’s Hope Street three years ago. Aimed at making whisky accessible to women in a friendly atmosphere, the group holds regular tastings with leading female figures from the whisky industry and makes regular trips distilleries and festivals. Find their Facebook page here