Listen, we know the drill. You don’t plan ahead for Father’s Day, and then you run down to the liquor store and pick up a bottle of good ol’ reliable to give the old man. Doesn’t he deserve something new and exciting though? Make an impression this year and pick up one of these new delicious dad-pleasing drams.
SCOTCH WHISKY
Bruichladdich Black Art 5.1
Black Art is all about the dark arts of top secret recipes and blending techniques, and this edition is the first from head distiller Adam Hannett. The youngest whisky dates to 1992, and a plethora of unknown cask types were incorporated. Delightfully—no, devilishly—complex and delicious. Bottled at 48.4%. (SRP $399)
Glenfiddich Project XX
Glenfiddich XX—that’s “twenty,” not “X-X”— is an experimental release from Glenfiddich. They invited 20 of their whisky experts from around the world to each pick a single cask from their warehouses. The result is certainly a one of a kind release incorporating a range of flavor profiles. Bottled at 47%, find the apples and pears of Glenfiddich interlaced with vanilla, oak, and spice. (SRP $75)
Glenmorangie Grand Vintage 1990
The first in the Bond House No 1. Vintage Collection is the Glenmorangie Grand Vintage 1990. It matured for 25 years primarily in bourbon casks, with a small component of the single malt utilized sherry casks. Silky, fruity, floral, and distinctively Glenmorangie, this is when you really have to make the right impression. (SRP $630)
Compass Box Double Single
While many blended Scotch releases include dozens of components, John Glaser is never one to idly sit by tradition. Here, his Double Single incorporates just two whiskies, a single malt from Glen Elgin which comprises 72% of the blend, and a single grain from Girvan accounting for the rest. The result is another tantalizing Compass Box home run. Bottled at 46%. (SRP $175)
RYE WHISKEY
Basil Hayden’s Rye Whiskey
It’s possible that your good ol’ reliable is Basil Hayden’s Bourbon, in which case you can both try something new while staying tried and true with their latest release, Basil Hayden’s Rye. Bottled at 40%, it’s meant to be a lighter and easier rye than many on the market today. Toss in a hunk of ice and drink up. (SRP $44.99)
Hochstadter’s Family Reserve
Show dad you’re not messing around anymore by getting him this big boy of a rye whiskey, Hochstadter’s Family Reserve. It’s 16 years and 100% rye, coming in at a robust 61.9% cask strength. Oh, this one will fight you at the start, but it’ll make it all the more worthwhile. (SRP $199.99)
High West Yippee Ki-Yay
The annual limited edition release of High West’s Yippee Ki-Yay is cause for celebration indeed. A blend of straight ryes, including two different mash bills and whiskeys between the ages of two and 16, it finishes its aging in barrels which held Syrah and vermouth. Dark fruits mesh with bold spice for a powerful yet sweet sipper offered at 46%. (SRP $65)
BOURBON WHISKEY
Orphan Barrel Rhetoric 23 Year
Is dad getting a bit up there in years? Maybe you should playfully remind of that by getting him one of the oldest bourbons on the market, Orphan Barrel Rhetoric 23. This one shows its age with plenty of dry oak and spice, but just like your really-old-man, he’ll open up if you let him breathe for a bit, delivering richer notes of brown sugar and molasses. Bottled at 45.3%. (SRP $120)
Whiskey Barons
This is a two for one special, as the Whiskey Barons Collection has been released in tandem. Both are modeled after historic brands and made at the Wild Turkey distillery in Lawrenceburg, Ky. The first, Old Ripy, is a blend of eight year-old Kentucky bourbon, alongside whiskeys 12 years and under, bottled at 52%.
The next is Bond & Lillard, a seven year-old bourbon bottled at 50%, made via the process most whiskey drinkers today associate with Tennessee—charcoal filtering. Both come packaged in 375ml sized bottles.(SRP $49.99)
Wyoming Whiskey Double Cask
Double Cask is the latest release from Wyoming Whiskey. Bottled at 50%, it takes their five year-old bourbon and finishes it in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks, adding a basket of fruits to the wheated bourbon base. An experimental twist to an already favorite non-Kentucky bourbon. (SRP $59.99)
THE ROYALS — KING CAR AND CROWN ROYAL
Kavalan Solist Series
Produced at the King Car Distillery in Taiwan, Kavalan’s latest portfolio releases are all aged in a fortified wine cask. All are single cask releases in their Solist lineup, and all are sensational. Whether you opt for the Amontillado Cask, Manzanilla Cask, Moscatel Cask, Pedro Ximenez Cask, or Port Cask, you can’t go wrong. A surprising personal favorite was the lusciously rich PX, interweaving honey and vanilla with a hefty dose of sherry and nuttiness. (SRP $699 for all but the Port Cask has a SRP of $299.)
Crown Royal Wine-Barrel Finished
The second release in Crown Royal’s Noble Collection, Wine Barrel Finished is finished in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels from Paso Robles. The resulting flavor is a mix of a wine, grape and berry influence, with the vanilla and toffee sweetness you expect from Crown. Bottled at 40.5%. (SRP $59.99)
Ready to start shopping for your Father’s Day Whiskey Gifts?
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