Last checked: 5 October 2026.
We make whisky advent calendars in two sizes, and we are often asked which one to choose. The answer has less to do with the whisky than with when the calendar will be opened, and by whom. This guide sets out the difference, including a way of using a 12 day calendar that many people have not thought of.
12 day and 25 day calendars side by side
| 12 day calendar | 25 day calendar | |
|---|---|---|
| Doors | 12 | 25 |
| Whisky | 12 x 3cl (36cl) | 25 x 3cl (75cl) |
| Price | £59.99 | £134.99 |
| Price per dram | £5.00 | £5.40 |
| When it is opened | The countdown to Christmas, or the twelve days of Christmas from 25 December | Every day from 1 December to Christmas Day |
| Christmas Day | No bauble, but some great whisky! | A special whisky in a glass bauble |
| Tasting video and notes | For every dram | For every dram |
| Choices | Scotch, American, or Scotch with Irish and American | Scotch, or whisky from around the world |
Two ways to open a 12 day calendar
1. As a countdown to Christmas
Open the first door on 1 December and enjoy a dram a day for the first twelve days of the month. Or save it for the home straight: start on 13 December and the last door opens on Christmas Eve.
2. As the twelve days of Christmas
This is the one people forget. The twelve days of Christmas begin on Christmas Day and run to 5 January. Give a 12 day calendar as a present on 25 December and it is opened one dram a day, right through the quiet week after Christmas and into the new year.
That makes a 12 day calendar a present you can wrap and put under the tree. It does not need to arrive before December, and it does not need to be opened early to make sense.
What a 25 day calendar gives you
A 25 day calendar is the full advent: a different whisky every day from 1 December to Christmas Day. You get more than twice as many whiskies, so the range is wider. Our 25 Day Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar covers single malts, single grains, blends and peated whiskies, with whiskies aged 15, 16, 18 and 20 years. Our 25 Day Whiskey Advent Calendar travels through nine countries, including Japan, the USA, Ireland and India.
The 25 day calendars also have the Christmas Day finale. Door 25 holds a special whisky in a glass bauble, which can hang on the tree until the day. We will not spoil which whisky it is.
Which one for which occasion?
- A present to open on Christmas Day: a 12 day calendar. It becomes the twelve days of Christmas.
- A gift for someone who loves the whole of advent: a 25 day calendar, given in November so it is ready for 1 December.
- When you are not sure what they drink: the 12 Day Whiskey Advent Calendar. Scotch, Irish and American whiskey in twelve drams suits anyone who simply enjoys a good whisky, and is a gentle way for someone new to find out what they like.
- For the Scotch lover: the 12 Day Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar, which includes a 15 year old, two 16 year olds and an 18 year old, or the 25 Day Scotch for the full month.
- For the bourbon fan: the 12 Day American Whiskey Advent Calendar.
- For a couple who both enjoy whisky: two different 12 day calendars, one each, so you can compare notes.
- A gift to send far away: either size. We deliver straight to the person you are buying for.
What about the price per dram?
There is very little in it. A dram works out at £5.00 in a 12 day calendar and £5.40 in a 25 day calendar, and the 25 day price includes the glass bauble. Every dram in both sizes is 3cl, and every one comes with its own tasting video and notes. If you are looking for a whisky advent calendar under £100, all three of our 12 day calendars are £59.99.
You can see all five calendars in our whisky advent calendar collection.
Questions people ask
What is a 12 day whisky advent calendar?
A calendar with twelve doors and a different 3cl whisky behind each one. Ours come in three versions: Scotch, American whiskey, and a mix of Scotch, Irish and American. Every dram has its own tasting video.
When should you start a 12 day advent calendar?
There are three good answers. Start on 1 December, start on 13 December so the last door opens on Christmas Eve, or start on Christmas Day and open it through the twelve days of Christmas.
When should you give a 12 day advent calendar?
If it is a countdown, give it before December. If it is for the twelve days of Christmas, give it on Christmas Day itself.
What are the twelve days of Christmas?
The twelve days that begin on Christmas Day, 25 December, and end on 5 January.
Does the 12 day calendar have the glass bauble?
No. The glass bauble is the Christmas Day door of our 25 day calendars. The 12 day calendars have twelve drams of great whisky instead.
Do both sizes have tasting videos?
Yes. Every bottle in every calendar has a QR code that opens an expert led tasting video and written notes for that dram.
Is a 12 day or a 25 day calendar better?
Neither is better. A 25 day calendar gives you the full advent and the widest range of whisky. A 12 day calendar is more flexible, because it can be opened before Christmas or after it.
