The eighth annual Australian Whisky Advent Calendar is once again designed to take whisky lovers on a month-long roller coaster ride of handmade Australian drams. With more than two dozen whiskies simmering in its belly, the only thing that's left is to grab a tasting glass and a comfortable seat. You're going to want a nice stable seat because some of the drams inside this edition are going to blow your socks off.

A total of 25 small batch whiskies from 25 different Australian distilleries are hiding behind the slots of this calendar, each of them handmade in small batches from TAS, NSW, VIC, SA and WA. The majority of this year's drams are single malts, many of which have been aged in truly magnificent casks. You'll find whiskies from acclaimed distilleries like Cape Byron and Fleurieu intermingled with incredible drams from boutique producers like Furneaux and Backwoods.

This year each calendar will also have three double-blinded mystery slots. This means we've thrown in three random whiskies into each calendar so that no calendar will be exactly the same as another. Perfect for friends comparing notes and arguing over the finer things in life.

The calendar also comes with access to a set of exclusive tasting notes. Jump on the website using the code on the back of the calendar to reveal interesting facts about the featured distillery and whisky you're about to taste each day.

'Railway Hotel'

The artwork that adorns this year's calendar depicts The Railway Hotel, a storied, three‑storey, heritage‑listed pub in Brunswick, built nearly 140 years ago. Over its long lifespan it’s served as everything from a morgue to a bustling live music venue, with a stint as a hostel in between. This digital artwork has been created by Parul Sen, a Melbourne‑based digital artist originally from the vibrant city of Jaipur, India, who runs the creative practice Pink Wattle.

Surprises are safe with us.

Spoiler Alert.

We won’t totally spoil the surprises for you, but here’s a sneak peek into just some of the releases lurking within this calendar:

"Equinox" by Amber Lane Distillery
"Sidetrack Stone Whisky" by Husk Distillery
"Maverick Port Side" by Ironhouse Distillery
"Ginger Beer Cask" by Manly Spirits Co
"Parawa Peat" by Tin Shed Distilling
"Sawyers Bay Unpeated" by Furneaux Distillery
"Tapestry" by Fleurieu Distillery
And many, many more ;)

Alcohol content: 40-60% ABV / 25x30mL