There is less than one month to go till Christmas, which means right now is the time to figure out what to buy for friends and family alike. I’ll be keeping an eye on Black Friday sales, just to see if I come across a deal that grabs my attention.

 

I am also closely watching rum Advent calendars, because I enjoy drinking rum and love tasting new rums to add to my favourites’ list. Last year, I worked my way through a beautiful Master of Malt calendar and wound up taking notes, which was educational and also very exciting. 

 

There is nothing worse than drinking something, falling in love with it, then forgetting what it was called or where you had it. One of my new favourite rums is Clairin Communal rum – Clairin means clear in Creole.

 

This is a white rum blend, made with rum by four producers from small communities in Haiti. I found it to be a great sipping rum with tropical fruit notes including papaya with a hint of citrussy lemon.

 

Another hot favourite which I discovered whilst exploring the Master of Malt Advent calendar, was Hattiers Reserve rum. I loved this rum’s toffee notes which really came through on the swallow.

 

I most probably would never have drank these rums if I had not tasted them in an Advent calendar first, because these rums are not readily available in UK bars or restaurants. And this is one of the main reasons I love Advent calendars, because you can sample a whole swathe of tipples without splashing the cash for a full bottle, which you may not even like. 

 

This year, for work I was tasked with compiling a list of top Advent calendars. When I first started the list, I had around 10, which I thought was perfectly reasonable. The list quickly ballooned up to circa 50, but then I realised this would make the article too long. 

 

In the end I settled for a nice and even 20-strong list. Here is the list that could also double-up as a gift-guide, if you’re stuck on what to buy loved ones. 

 

I will be ordering a rum one, I’m just not sure which one yet, but I’d better get a move on because time is ticking by. What are your plans for Christmas or the festive season? 

 

Whatever you plan on doing, be it having a quiet one, or spending time with a giant family, I hope you are smiling and happy.