How to give the best whisky gifts? It’s the thought (process) that counts
If you’ve arrived here, it’s probably because you’re looking for a great whisky gift suggestion for someone you know.
We can help — but the thing is, there isn’t an easy answer to the question of what’s the best whisky to gift. There isn’t “one weird trick” to giving whisky.
Whisky gifting, like whisky itself, is complex. Multifaceted. And like great whisky making, great whisky giving takes time. (But thankfully not 12 years or anything like that — we’re only talking a few minutes here.)
With whisky giving, the thought really does count — which is to say, the thinking you do as the giver. The way you think about the gift from all angles. We can distill the thought process down to three main facets: the taste of the recipient, their personality, and the occasion.
To help you choose whisky gifts that are meaningful, and will be appreciated (and, if you’re lucky, may even be reciprocated), we present The Drop Collective’s guide to whisky gifting. Keep reading for practical advice, and look throughout at the examples of our approach in action. But remember they’re just examples. Figuring out the perfect gift is something only you can do. That’s what makes it special.
Whisky gift consideration 1: The receiver’s personal taste
First things first: You obviously want the receiver to actually enjoy the whisky you’re getting them. Leverage whatever knowledge you’ve got about their tastes — for example, if you know they enjoy bourbon, get them a bourbon. Figuring out the best whisky gift can really be that simple.
And from there, you can master the art of giving whisky gifts as you develop more whisky knowledge Whisky.The more you know about whisky, the easier it’ll be to think of whiskies to get someone. For example, let’s say your recipient is a big fan of Redbreast. You could surprise them with another single pot still Irish whiskey, like the Spot Whiskeys or Jameson Single Pot Still.
You can also match a person’s overall food adventurousness to their whisky adventurousness. A picky eater might not enjoy a peaty whisky, but someone who will eat anything is a good candidate for enjoying the funky smoke aromas. For the particular eater, conversely, stick with something mellow and sweetish — say, a blended whisky, especially one that’s Canadian (e.g. Wiser’s Deluxe) or Irish (Jameson Original).
The way someone enjoys their whisky is important, too. If they like sipping whiskies, single malt Scotch and single pot still Irish whiskey both work splendidly. Arend they into cocktails and mixing? How about a bold Canadian whisky (they don’t get bolder than Lot 40). Both? Then make it bourbon, which works equally well for sipping and mixing (this is true of any of Rabbit Hole’s bourbons, for example).
There’s also nothing wrong with getting someone the exact thing you know they like. If you know a fan of Aberlour A’bunadh (which is definitely a thing for lots of people) and you get them a second or third bottle of Aberlour A’bunadh, we promise they will not mind.
And finally, if you know nothing about the recipient’s taste in whisky — all you know is that they enjoy some kind of whisky — don’t fret: There’s always balanced, classic Scotch whiskeys, which are reliable choices because they’re universally admired by whisky fans.
(Good old The Glenlivet 12 comes in handy. It really is hard to imagine a whisky lover who wouldn’t be happy to receive it.)
