Photo: Blade and Bow.
You could go the usual route and give your dad a tie, but that tie is going to be added to the giant, ever-growing pile of ties that you gave him for Father’s Day in years past. Does your dad really need another tie? There are only five days in a work week. How many ties could he possibly need? Instead of buying him a gift he’ll tuck away in his closest and never think of again, get your dad something he really wants. You can’t go wrong with the gift of booze. And by booze, we mean, some of the best whiskies in the world. Up your Father’s Day game with the gift of a finely aged bottle of whiskey this year. Here’s our favorites:
Photos provided by their respective brands.
Best Whiskies for Father's Day
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Rhetoric Orphan Barrel 23-Year-Old
For the dad who appreciates rare whiskey.
Spend a little cash on your dad this year. You know he deserves it. For only $120 you can grab a bottle of 23 year-old Rhetoric from Orphan Barrel. If you’ve never heard of Orphan Barrel, this is its tenth whiskey (and fourth in the Rhetoric series). The brand finds rare and sometimes forgotten whiskies hidden in the back of rickhouses and distilleries. They bottle them, sometimes age them longer and unleash them onto the world. The rarity of these whiskies means that many of them will only be released once. ($120)
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Basil Hayden's Rye Whiskey
For the dad who likes sipping by a fire.
The first Rye Whiskey from Basil Hayden's is equal parts smooth and spice, and is perfect for warming up while looking at the stars on a breezy summer night. ($63)
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George Dickel No. 12
For the dad who loves a classic.
You might not see it in the price point, but sipping on some George Dickel is a special experience. Distilled and bottled in a tiny distillery in Tullahoma, Tennessee, George Dickel packs a punch at 90 proof yet manages to remain incredibly smooth because of the charcoal mellowing process that it (and fellow Tennessee whiskey Jack Daniel’s) undergoes. It’s perfect for sipping on the back porch or mixing into your favorite whiskey-centric cocktails. ($24.99)
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Coopers' Craft Kentucky Staright Bourbon Whiskey
For the dad who appreciates craftsmanship.
Crafting their own whiskey barrels since 1945, Coopers' Craft Kentucky Bourbon brings big taste and deep tradition to the fore, at a reasonable price. ($30)
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The Hilhaven Lodge
For the movie-loving dad.
Brett Ratner, director of Money Talks, Rush Hour, Red Dragon, X-Men: The Last Stand, and Hercules, released his own whiskey in 2016. This might seem like a gimmick but Hillhaven Lodge, named after the iconic Hollywood home Ratner lives in, is actually really good and even won a Double Gold Medal at the 2016 San Francisco Spirits Competition. ($49.99)
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Blade and Bow 22-Year-Old
For the historian dad.
This limited release offering from Blade and Bow is for a father who really appreciates the aging process. After three years, this bourbon could have been bottled. Just imagine the patience it takes to leave whiskey in a barrel for three years. Yet, the distillers let this whiskey age for 22 years. This whiskey is so old that it could legally drink itself! It’s a blend of Heaven Hill and Buffalo Trace whiskies. In 1996, more than $8 million worth of bourbon was destroyed in a fire at Heaven Hill and the bourbon in this is from before that fire. ($200)
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Tullamore D.E.W. 14-Year-Old
For the Irish whiskey-drinking dad.
Your father would probably be just as happy with a bottle of Jameson or Redbreast, but if you really want to wow dad, buy him a bottle of Tullamore D.E.W. 14-Year-Old. The second largest-selling Irish whiskey in the world (behind the aforementioned Jameson), Tullamore D.E.W. has launched a myriad of special releases in past years. One of the best is the 14-Year-Old with its flavors of vanilla, oak, apples, and toffee and its rich, sweet finish. ($69.99)
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Glenfiddich India Pale Ale Cask Finish
For the dad who drinks both scotch and beer.
The first in Glenfiddich’s Experimental Series, its India Pale Ale Cask Finish is malt master Brian Kinsman’s way of pushing the boundaries. It’s hard to push the boundaries more than aging a whisky in IPA casks. We’ve seen sherry casks and bourbon casks, but this is the first time a major distillery has used barrels that formerly held beer. Maturation gives the single malt whisky flavors of green apples, pears, hops, herbs as well as the usual sweetness, vanilla, and oaky caramel Glenfiddich fans have come to expect from the famed brand. ($70)
