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A Beginners Guide to Whiskey Gifts
You yourself may not be a big fan of whiskey. While it’s one of the most popular alcohols in the world, like any alcohol, it’s not for everyone. So how do you, who can count the number of sips of whiskey you’ve had on one hand, find the perfect whiskey gift for those closest to you? This short beginners guide to whiskey should help, whether you’re shopping in a brick-and-mortar store or looking to buy whiskey online.
Undoubtedly, every whiskey guide you read will offer different suggestions for appropriate whiskey gift ideas. So instead of focusing on particular whiskies, we’ll have a look at particular occasions and people instead. Because of its popularity, whiskey is an excellent choice of gift across a wide range of relationships. Whether you’re looking for something to celebrate an amazing milestone, like a 25th or 50th Wedding Anniversary, or bringing a gift to the birthday of a friend of a friend, the range and versatility of whiskey make it a fantastic choice.
Anniversary Gifts
As one whiskey reviewer puts it, whiskey and marriages have a lot in common: “A lot of love, skill and painstaking effort is poured into making them both work.” Whiskey makes a perfect gift for a spouse who is a lover of the liquor, or for couple friends who are celebrating an anniversary. Many whiskies are aged in order to bring out the best flavors, so finding a bottle that coincides with an anniversary is not a problem.
Although “not many whisky brands release 5 year old” bottles, there are still some good choices for this early anniversary. Some younger whiskies don’t include age statements, such as the Chivas Regal Extra, so these are good choices for the 5-year mark. For those couples who have made it to the commendable 25-year mark, the choice of premium whiskies becomes much larger, though also much more expensive. The Glenlivet, a Scotch whiskey, is among the top choices in this range.
And if it’s an anniversary that’s beyond 25 years? If you’re still set on whiskey, get ready to spend A LOT of money. For a 50th anniversary, something like the Dallas Dhu 1969, bottled in 2019, costs upward of $7000 USD. And while that may seem like an exorbitant amount of money, 50 years with one person, through all those ups and downs, is something worth celebrating with extravagance.
Family Gifts
For some reason, Father’s Day and bottles of whiskey are a common occurrence in whiskey guides. But whiskey is a suitable and appreciated gift for a family member any time of the year, regardless of gender. For your parent, sibling, or extended family who love a dram of whiskey in the evening, there are plenty of fantastic gift options.
A gift celebrating a family occasion, be it Mother’s Day or a birthday, doesn’t have to be a completely over-the-top, incredibly expensive bottle. Avoid the cheap, cheap stuff, but a nice mid-range bottle will make the whiskey-lover in your family very happy.
Jefferson’s Kentucky bourbon offers a very interesting flavor and story for a reasonable price. Their whiskey is aged “in barrels aboard their ship out at sea.” A whiskey with a unique flavor profile and a cool story is always going to be a hit with the fan in your family. Of course, if you’re looking for something slightly more traditional you can’t go wrong with The Macallan, a distiller and a whisky that rightly has a reputation for remarkable nose and palate profiles.
Gifts for Friends
Our relationships with our friends are often the relationships we take a little more for granted than we ought to. A good friend can get you through hard times that, honestly, most often are a result of the relationships we’ve talked about above!
In this case, a nice bottle of whiskey for a friend can be a great way to show just how much you care about that person. If you’re looking for something on a budget, there are plenty of options - just because a whiskey is cheap doesn’t mean it’s bad, or won’t be appreciated. High West Double Rye whiskey is a “spice-forward rye” with a wide range of tasting notes, sure to be appreciated by your whiskey-loving mate.
If you’re looking to commemorate a long-running or particularly meaningful friendship, maybe a slightly (or more-than-slightly) expensive bottle is on your radar. In that case, for the truly special friend, try something like the Glenmorangie Signet, described by one whiskey guide as “simply one of the best whiskies you’re apt to find at any price.” While it’s definitely on the expensive side of things, some people are just worth it.
The Boss, The Neighbor, and Other People You Don’t Know Very Well
We all have those people in our lives to whom we feel we ought to give gifts, but who aren’t personally very close to us. A boss or neighbor might have a significant birthday, or someone you know may have graduated from college or university. Whiskey makes a fantastic gift, as it’s one of the most widely-appreciated liquors on the planet. Here are some suggestions for nice, frugal bottles to gift to the people you don’t know very well.
For such acquaintances, you’re not likely to want to spend a fortune, but you also don’t want to completely cheap out. For a good mid-range whiskey that is sure to be appreciated by even the most casual of whiskey drinkers, is Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Johnnie Walker is a well-respected distiller of whiskies, and this vanilla and honey-infused blend is a “crowd-pleaser” that is also nice “to display on the shelf.”
Non-Alcohol Gift Ideas
Not every gift that has to do with whiskey has to be the actual liquor itself. Whiskey aficionados around the world have created wonderful glasses and decanters, all with the view of enhancing the experience of whiskey for appreciative drinkers.
Wide-based glasses and decanters allow your whiskey to mellow somewhat as it sits and warms. The small mouth of the glass, as compared to the base, funnels all of the warming scents through the small opening, ensuring a noseful of amazing aromas. Peugeot offers a whiskey-tasting set with a chilling base if you enjoy your whiskey with a cube of ice but don’t want to dilute the flavors you’re anticipating.
If the person you’re looking to celebrate enjoys their whiskey with a bit of mixer, Uncommon Goods offer “Minute Cocktail Sugar Cubes.” Once you’ve poured your favorite mixing whiskey, “stick one of these cubes in a glass…, wait a minute, and then sip on a premade Manhattan or Old Fashioned.” These remarkable cubes remove all of the fuss and muss of mixing up a cocktail and instead put one in your hand in about a minute. A lovely treat for the whiskey cocktail lover in your life.
As we said at the start of this beginners guide to whiskey gifts, this revered and popular alcohol makes an excellent choice when you’re helping someone celebrate a milestone. Whether a work acquaintance, an old friend, or a parent hitting a significant birthday, whiskey and whiskey accessories are a time-honored and always-appreciated gift. Hopefully, this whiskey gift ideas article has made your gift-buying, whether you buy whiskey online or in a store, a little easier.