The Best Gifts for Whiskey Lovers

We'll be the first to admit that whiskey drinkers can easily become siloed in their preferred spirit (and spelling). If you've always been a bourbon fan but are curious about the Scottish rite, then this five-bottle pack is for you. You'll taste your way through more and more expensive blends in 50-milliliter sizes, including Johnnie's Black, Double Black, Gold Reserve, 18-Year-Old, and Blue Labels, emerging both more knowledgable and likely a little drunk.

Accessible, approachable and classic, The Macallan 12-Year is a sumptuous whisky at a reasonable price. With notes of oak, fruit, and spice, it's delicious enough to enjoy on occasions common and special alike.

Not only is Glenmorangie Signet one of our go-to special occasion whiskies, but it’s also simply one of our perennial favorites. This deep amber whisky is beautifully complex thanks in part to the roasted chocolate barley used in the distilling process. After a lengthy time maturing in virgin American oak, the result is flawless — and like all great whisky there is something new to discover in every bottle.

Even Joe Rogan is a fan of Bulleit, a family-owned Kentucky distillery that has been making whiskey since before the Civil War. Of a quality to enjoy neat or with a globe of ice, it's not too expensive to mix and elevate your favorite holiday drinks. Every home should have a bottle.

If you're looking for a step above well-grade whiskey, we love this premium product from Woodford Reserve. Personal Selection bottles are hand-mixed by its master distillers and are limited to 180 bottles, ensuring that any pour is one-of-a-kind.

Granted, the only thing that will make your eyes water more than a sip of this without water is the price itself. But Elijah Craig is a holy grail for many bourbon aficionados, and for good reason: Each bottle's contents have been aged a minimum of 18 years, making it the oldest commercially available product on the market. It's a special bottle for special occasions shared among special men.

Finding a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle, of any age, is like capturing a unicorn or a leprechaun. Few bottles are released every year, and they're snapped up by collectors and resellers. Regardless of whether they're flipped or savored, they're always cherished. You'll pay for this, granted. And are there other whiskeys out there that are more affordable for a reduced price? Certainly. But like Rolex, Ferrari, and Harley-Davidson, Pappy Van Winkle is a name that echos.

Shopping for that whiskey lover who has everything? Odds are he or she doesn't have that often-overlooked variety called Tennessee whiskey. While both it and bourbon are made from a minimum 51 percent corn mash and are aged in charred new oak barrels, expressions like Dickel's are then charcoal-filtered prior to the barrel. Select is a top-shelf option that's perfect for sipping neat or over a thick block of ice for subtle, complex flavor including nectarine and honeyed cornbread.

Often overlooked when compared to its corn-fed bourbon brethren, rye whiskey lacks the trademark punch of the latter, making it an easy-drinking contrast in any man's liquor cabinet. Sweet on the front and finishing with a mild peppery kick, Sagamore's is complex and yet affordable for the everyman.

A blend of Kentucky rye and Canadian rye, plus a touch of black strap Caribbean rum, Basil Hayden Caribbean Reserve Rye is one of our favorite new whiskies of 2019, perfect for sipping or creating slightly new twists on old fashioned cocktails. That small portion of rum goes a long way, giving the juice strong notes of burnt sugar and rum spice, that plays nicely with the rye’s vanilla and oak.

Whiskey on the rocks, anyone? This set of four handblown glasses feature an oh-so-clever nod to some of our country’s most famous peaks. The bottom of each is raised in a topographical homage to Half Dome, Denali, Mount Rainer, and Mount Whitney. It’s a subtle yet striking design element that takes these glasses from meh to majestic.