Wolfburn 12 Year Old Christmas Edition Review: 'A Christmas Whisky For Everyone'

Wolfburn is turning Christmas 2025 into a true celebration for whisky lovers. The distillery is releasing a very special limited single malt that comes not in one, but in two bottles. How that works and more importantly, how it tastes you’ll discover in this Wolfburn 12 Year Old Christmas Edition Review.

Christmas is just around the corner, which means it’s time to indulge in delicious treats and unwrap some gifts. So why not spoil yourself (or another whisky lover) with something delectable, like a special whisky?

That must have been Wolfburn’s thinking, because this year’s special Christmas edition doesn’t come as a single bottle, but as a pair. It’s a special release of the 12 Year Old inspired by a line from the song 12 Days of Christmas.

The two labels each feature a different bird along with part of the lyric: “Two Turtle Doves” and “And a Partridge in a Pear Tree.” One bottle holds 70 centilitres of whisky, the other 35.

The liquid in both bottles is exactly the same: a 12-year-old single malt matured in first-fill ex-bourbon casks, second-fill Oloroso sherry casks, and Caribbean rum casks. It’s then bottled at 46 percent.

If you’re planning to gift someone a whisky this Christmas, you’ll probably want to make a splash. These bottles are perfect for that: the distillery has dressed them in stunning labels.

The smaller bottle features the “Two Turtle Doves” scene: two turtledoves perched in a fruit tree, with the Wolfburn logo shining above. The second, larger bottle follows the same elegant style.

This label revolves around the line “And a Partridge in a Pear Tree.” True to form, it shows a partridge sitting in a pear tree. It doesn’t get more literal than that, but the result is a pair of labels you can’t help but admire.

When poured, the Wolfburn whisky leaves lovely legs on the glass, a sign of a creamy, slightly oily whisky with pleasing viscosity. The aroma rising from the glass is lightly sweet, with notes of ripe fruit.

It calls to mind a fruit bowl of ripe tangerines, green banana, and peaches, with a touch of spice in the background. The sherry influence is barely noticeable here, as is the peat smoke.

The first sip is like a bite of cake. Wolfburn delivers notes of honey, ripe-fruit sweetness, and a malty core. Then come flashes of yellow fruit, caramelized sugar, and a hint of milk chocolate.

The smoke is more apparent here, yet still very subtle. The spices start off gentle too, growing slightly bolder with each sip. It gives the whisky a warming character, while staying friendly enough for those who don’t usually care for smoke.

The spice builds toward the finish before easing off, as the sweetness slowly lingers and fades.

The Wolfburn 12 Year Old Christmas Edition 2025 is a genuine celebration of flavor, warmth, and delicate smokiness. It’s a crowd-pleaser with enough depth for aficionados, sweetness for those with a sweet tooth, and a subtle smoky note for peat fans.

In that sense, it’s a good thing there are two different bottles. It gives you that little extra to share with loved ones over the holidays or to gift to a fellow enthusiast.

+ Labels to fall in love with

+ A crowd-pleasing flavor profile

+ Plenty of depth while staying approachable

- It’s a limited edition so it will run out eventually