A great whiskey gift set makes an incredible Father’s Day gift. Not just for true aficionados but for any dad eager to dive deeper into the whiskey world. And let’s be honest, booze gifts are typically a hit with almost any drinker, any time of year.
For this list, I’m calling out cool gift sets and boxes that stretch from a few core bottles from a single brand in a nice box to great bottles paired with awesome whiskey-related gifts to one of the best whiskey sampling boxes on the shelf today. It’s a good representation of what’s out there from very affordable to very expensive.
As for the ranking, it’s very straightforward. The bottom is basically just good bottles that come with a little something extra. The top five or so are special whiskey bottles and cool whiskey gifts. Sound good? Let’s get into it!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
- The 50 Best Bourbon Whiskeys Of 2021, Ranked
- Every Winning Bourbon From Our 2021 Taste Tests, Blind Tasted And Re-Ranked
- The 100 Best Whiskeys Our Head Drinks Writer Tasted In 2021
- We Blind Tasted A Whole Bunch Of $30-60 Bourbons To See If Any Could Beat Weller
- The Best Ten-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskeys, Tasted Blind And Ranked
10. Heaven’s Door Trilogy Collection
Price: $62
The Set:
Bob Dylan’s signature whiskey brand is always a great gift. Each expression has its own bottle artwork created by Dylan in his workshop (emulating rod-iron gates). With this set, you’re getting three 200ml bottles (a full bottle is 750ml) of the core line. That’s a Straight Bourbon, Double Barrel Whiskey, and Straight Rye.
You can read our review of each bottle here.
Bottom Line:
This is a great entry point to Dylan’s brand. Heaven’s Door is putting out some amazing limited editions every year. This three-bottle gift set is the way in.
9. The Glenlivet 18 with Glencairn Whisky Glass in Presentation Box
Price: $199
The Set:
This set comes with a bottle of The Glenlivet 18 — here’s our review — with a nice Glencairn glass. Basically, you’re getting someone a killer bottle of Scotch whisky with the only glass it should be tasted from (by that we mean nosed and sipped to find all those deep flavor notes). A Glencairn is basically the ultimate and perfect crystal whisky glass that maximizes the tasting experience due to its shape.
Bottom Line:
These two items are a perfect match as great whiskey deserves a good glass. But let’s put the glass aside, this is a really good whisky that will make any whisky-loving person in your life happy when they receive it.
8. Talisker 10 with Dry Bag
Price: $78
The Set:
Talisker 10 is one of the greatest gateways to peated whisky there is. You can read our review here, but, trust us, this is a briny and fruity whisky that only has whispers of peat. The “Dry Bag” that comes with it feels like the ultimate Father’s Day gift. It’s simple and useful. Sure, it’ll keep any contents dry as you’re boating or marching through a forest in the rain. But it’s really just a cool bottle bag for your whisky.
Sometimes it doesn’t have to be more than that.
Bottom Line:
This is a cool set but the real star of the show is the whisky. Talisker 10 is an iconic whisky for a reason. It’s subtle and deep and one of the best “affordable” gift Scotch whiskies out there.
7. The Ardbeg BBQ Smoker Gift Set
Price: $73
The Set:
Smoky whisky and a smoking device all in one package? Yes! This bottle of Ardbeg An Oa, our review here, comes in a metal box that doubles as an actual smoker for your backyard BBQ. Looking at it you’d never guess that the silver box actually has a function, but it does. The whole kit comes with a set of instructions and a QR code for recipes that best suit the mini smoker.
Bottom Line:
Again, this is really about the bottle. Ardbeg An Oa is a great Islay whisky. It’s bold, sure, but it’s also nuanced and inviting. And truly, what’s better for pairing with some smoked meat than a nice smoky whisky?
6. The Dewar’s Lemon Wedge
Price: $75
The Set:
This box set is all about cocktails on the go, especially on the golf course. The set includes a full bottle of Dewar’s 12 (our review) with Santa Cruz Lemonade, Q Mixer Soda Water, two lemons, golf balls, golf tees to use as garnish picks, and three Dewar’s gold markers. You’ll just need to provide some ice and glasses to create a refreshing Dewar’s Lemon Wedge cocktail, which was the official cocktail of this year’s US Open golf tournament.
Bottom Line:
This is a good gift for any golf lover. It’s also a nice set if you want to mix up some drinks on the go at a block party or backyard cookout.
5. Brough Brothers Bourbon with Sugarfina Bourbon Collection Gift Set
Price: $71
The Set:
Brough Brothers is one of the coolest upstart bourbon brands in Louisville right now. The Black-owned operation is all about uplifting their West Louisville community while making great bourbon. This set pairs a bottle of their first bourbon (which was one of our favorites of 2021) with a Sugarfina Bourbon Collection Gift Set, which includes a snazzy copper flask and Maple Bourbon Caramels and boozy Bourbon Bears candies.
Bottom Line:
Bourbon and candy almost always pair well. That alone makes this a no-brainer as a gift. Add in the great, young bourbon company and a cool flask and you’re set gift-wise.
4. Basil Hayden Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey with ReserveBar Smoking Kit
Price: $120
The Set:
Basil Hayden Bourbon is a little old school but has some serious fans. You can check out our review here. But this gift is really about what comes with that bottle. This one comes with a cocktail smoking kit. That includes a culinary-grade torch with a pouch, three aromatic smoking blocks (cedar, cherry, and maple), and a QR code with recipes and a soundtrack for mixing and then smoking cocktails.
Bottom Line:
Smoking a cocktail might seem very gimmicky (and it can be), but it does add a whole new dimension to a drink. Basil Hayden is a good entry-point bourbon to experiment with smoking cocktails as it’s very classic. Overall, this gift is all about the cool points for the burgeoning home bartender.
3. Lagavulin 16 with ReserveBar Ice Ball Press
Price: $672
The Set:
Lagavulin 16 is one of the most iconic Islay peated malts on the shelf. You can read our review of the whole line here. This whisky comes, which again is great, comes with probably the coolest bartop devices in the game right now, an ice ball press. The stainless steel press turns big cubes of ice into perfect two-inch spheres in less than a minute. You don’t have to do anything (besides making ice cubes). You simply place the cube on the base and place the press on top. Gravity does the rest.
Bottom Line:
We fully admit that this is a very luxe bar cart item to have. But it’s also one of the coolest. It makes spherical ice without plugging anything in. Plus, those round ice balls look great in a glass with a little Laga 16 poured over them.
2. Remus Repeal Reserve Bourbon Gift Box
Price: $690
The Set:
Okay, no more gifts with a side of great whiskey. This is just about great whiskey. This box has four half-bottles (375ml) of Remus Reserve from the past four releases. You can check out a review of Remus Reserve here. Each of these bottles is no longer on the open market, making this collection super unique.
The whole thing comes in a nice box meant to emulate a bourbon library, which is a nice touch.
Bottom Line:
This is a gift for a true bourbon lover. It’s rare and, yes, the whiskeys on the box are also delicious.
1. American Single Malt Tasting Experience by Whisky Live
Price: $250
The Set:
With the return of Whisky Live (a huge industry trade show) coming this summer, now’s the time to get into what the iconic whisky show has to offer. This box takes a deep dive into the massively growing American single malt whiskey scene. The box includes ten tasters from Westland, Virginia Distilling Co., Colkegan, Balcones, Westward Whiskey, and Boulder Spirits.
The bespoke box also comes with literature on the style and a link to Bevridge.co/asm for video content from each distillery along with expert-led tastings.
Bottom Line:
American single malt is the space in the whiskey scene with the most space to grow, and it’s growing very fast. Moreover, each of the whiskeys in this set represents some of the most innovative people working in that space today with truly unique and varied whiskeys. That makes this box a trend-setter and a must-have for any American whiskey fan.
Source: https://uproxx.com/life/best-whiskey-gift-sets-for-fathers-day-2022/