Father’s Day gifts are impossible to choose so play it saFe and buy dad a bottle of whiskey. You don’t have to break the bank to get him something special; you just need to know where to look. Plus, you can probably convince dad you’d love to sit and have a glass of whiskey with him, which is really just asking for part of your present back.
Balcones Brimstone, Texas
Balcones is a great place to start because dad definitely doesn’t have it on the shelf. The aroma is reminiscent of an extinguished campfire, making it a perfect choice for someone who spent summer weekends on a father/son camping trips. The fact that you hated those trips is all the more reason to drink them away.
50% ABV, $50
Teeling Whiskey Small Batch Rum Cask Finished, Ireland
Father’s Day is a celebration of family or lack there of if you’re lucky. Nothing says family like the Teeling Brothers, who abandoned their dad’s Cooley Distillery when it was bought by Beam. They took the best stocks and opened their own distillery in Dublin.
46% ABV, $38
Laphroaig 10 Year Cask Strength, Scotland
Did your dad read “Choose your own adventure” books to you as a kid? Repay the favor with this smokeshow of an Islay scotch. It’s cask strength, which means he gets to add as much or little water as he likes to create the perfect whisky. That or he can just get hammered.
57.2% ABV, $60
Lot No. 40, Canada
You don’t think of Canadian whisky as something for collectors, but Lot No. 40 is quickly becoming one to have. If your dad typically downs a glass or three of Crown Royal before bed, give him something special for those nights when you give him awful news, like you’re moving back in.
43% ABV, $60
Cutty Sark – Probition Edition, Scotland
You dad is probably the only person who still says, “The Real McCoy,” so get him this blended Scotch whiskey that’s a tribute to the man’s legacy. Captain William McCoy was famous for smuggling Cutty Sark during prohibition, and his product was never adulterated, hence the moniker.
50% ABV, $30
Jim Beam Single Barrel, Kentucky
Some dads hate special occasions, making them even tougher when it comes to Father’s Day. If he’s a simple Beam guy and wants nothing more, get him Jim Beam Single Barrel. It’s the same essence, only kicked up a notch or twelve. Remember, this holiday is about you feeling better about all the crap you pulled as a kid.
47.5% ABV, $35
Templeton Rye, Iowa
Manhattans were an old man drink before they became trendy, so get your old man whiskey to make a Manhattan. You need look no further than Templeton Rye to provide everything you need. Plus, the distillery’s spent grain is being fed to pigs, so you might be able follow it up with whiskey bacon next Father’s Day.
40% ABV, $35
Journeyman Distillery Silver Cross Fore Golf, Michigan
Golf was a great bonding exercise for many fathers and sons. Pay it forward by getting your dad this amazing four grain whiskey from Journeyman Distillery. One percent of all sales go to golf organizations so the next generations can learn how to swear at a small white ball.
45% ABV, $50