What’s your budget?
Before you get too carried away with buying one brand or another as the perfect Father’s Day gift, it’s important to think about how much you wish to spend. Blended whiskies can start from as little as £10 for a supermarket own label. Single malts are a little pricier and kick off around the £25 mark.
Whiskies tend to be marketed in certain price points with the majority being under £50. This extends upwards into the hundreds or thousands of pounds for premium bottles, so you can spend as little or as much as you want. If your budget is small, then you can always consider miniatures or smaller bottles.
However, you may wish to mark the occasion, spoil a loved one and ‘splash out’ this Father’s Day. Every traditional brand will have something on offer for heavier budgets but it’s also worth looking at independent bottlers – those who work with well-known distilleries as well as those who are able to source hidden gems.
There is a growing appetite for limited bottlings or rarer single cask expressions amongst Scotch enthusiasts. With single cask bottling, no two casks are ever the same. Each is a snapshot in time of the distillery, its surroundings and production processes, plus the type of cask and wood type that the spirit has matured in, creating an exclusive one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Edition One of Whisky 1901’s The Collection is one example – only 263 numbered bottles are available of this multi-award winning Glenburgie 1988 single cask expression from the Speyside distillery.
Where to buy?
There are several options for purchasing your whisky gift and each has their pros and cons.
One of the best ways is the internet. There are many online whisky and spirit specialists these days, which offer a superb selection of products, and you can order from wherever you are. Many will have some way of helping you make an informed choice. It’s also a way to find rarer bottles from independent bottlers i.e. those ‘hidden gems’.
To help you decide, look out for those that have won three medals of excellence from leading whisky industry experts, such as the Global Scotch Whisky Masters, International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) and World Whiskies Awards. You should also check out reviews and ratings such as best whiskies tasted by Whisky Magazine in 2024.
A specialist whisky retailer will offer a good range and have knowledgeable staff to assist you, but they can be daunting places and more expensive than elsewhere.
Supermarkets have expanded their whisky selections in recent years and large ones offer variety. However, many supermarkets have ditched their specialist wine and spirits staff due to cost-cutting measures.
Your local wine shop, liquor store or off-licence can be another good outlet. Like with supermarkets, the staff may not be as clued up as those in a specialist retailer. But you can pick up some real gems or bargains, especially if you have done a little research and know what you are looking at.
What to choose?
Once you’ve navigated your way through what type of whisky to buy, your budget and where to get it from, the final choice is which exact whisky or whiskies to choose.
There are thousands of whiskies on the market, so the right one for your father is out there.
