Posted: 4/10/2024 8:03:48 PM EDT
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Great friend and coworker just left for greener pastures, and I'd like to get him a $150ish bottle of bourbon as a going away present. I know that rare and unique bourbon is a pain to find due to demand, prices are insane, etc. If you happen to be able to give me some guidance to order something online, or what to be on the lookout for in local stores, I'd be very grateful. He's an old fashioned guy, occasionally smoked or other fancy crap. He also enjoys a drink neat every now and then. His standard go to when he's in a hotel bar with limited selection is bulleit. I never paid much attention to what he would order when he was feeling a bit more frisky though. I'm a gin and beer guy, so I'm really lost on this one. |
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You are going to have every brand/rendition recommended to you in this thread, so good luck deciding. Depending on what you think the recipient will like, you can go “normal” proof, bottled in bond (100 proof) and cask/barrel strength (something like 125 proof). In the whiskey world, expensive doesn’t necessarily = good (taste). Based on your Bulleit observation, you could get him one of their “hotter”/older expressions: Bulleit 10 year and/or Bulleit Barrel Strength ($60 each). Maybe a Bulleit “trifecta”: 10 year, Barrel Strength and their new Single Malt (total about $180) although I have not seen the single malt locally. If that doesn’t sound good, I would look at Michter’s. Good, inexpensive, highly rated, they have a barrel strength rye and a somewhat unique “whiskey”: it’s bourbon rebarreled into used bourbon barrels (hence it is now whiskey) and definitely has a different flavor profile than regular bourbon. Another couple of good (IMO) choices which are far off the beaten Eagle Rare, 4 Roses, Angel Envy, Basil Hayden, et al path is Bibb & Tucker, especially their Double Char and Peerless, especially their Double Oak. Hopefully this will get you started! |
If the truth makes you uncomfortable, don't blame the truth. Blame the lie that made you comfortable. -James Ng Uni
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Originally Posted By 2xsl_1998: Solid advice from KILLERB6. What part of the country are you guys in? That might help with a recommendation, i.e.- potentially something that would be a reminder of that area. OP, once you get past the standard names and variants, whiskey distribution becomes highly regionalized and seasonal. Not everything is available everywhere and they can go in/out of stock quickly. |
If the truth makes you uncomfortable, don't blame the truth. Blame the lie that made you comfortable. -James Ng Uni
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I also would get a feel for what he likes or doesn’t. Bourbon can be like wine, it depends on personal taste. Maybe find if there is a bourbon that he wants, just hasn’t tried. Other option is to find a bourbon bar/Restaurant and have a good steak and a flight of bourbons. |
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Everyone's taste is different. Several liquors seem to be liked by all - such as the Jack Daniels 10 and 12-year. You also can't go wrong with a good Larceny or Elijah Craig Barrel Proof IMHO or Stagg (jr). I like the steak dinner suggestion at a place with a good selection of whisky best. |
| Wild Turkey Rare Breed is an excellent choice. Anything 4 Roses is a very safe choice also. |
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NY? These are “different”: https://www.hudsonwhiskey.com/distillery/ Not necessarily great, somewhat expensive, but different; definitely different flavor profiles from “normal” bourbons. The idea behind a gift is to a) get something (safe) you know they like, b) something (expensive) they wouldn’t necessarily buy themselves and/or c) something (different) they’ve never heard/thought of. Hudson falls into my different category. |
If the truth makes you uncomfortable, don't blame the truth. Blame the lie that made you comfortable. -James Ng Uni
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Originally Posted By DD1801: Get him a nice bottle of scotch. Open his eyes (and wallet) to scotch. Macallan 18. Concur…but that adds a different can of worms to the can of worms the OP is currently facing….Highlands, Islay, Lowlands… |
If the truth makes you uncomfortable, don't blame the truth. Blame the lie that made you comfortable. -James Ng Uni
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Originally Posted By KILLERB6: Now you’ve done it. Concur…but that adds a different can of worms to the can of worms the OP is currently facing….Highlands, Islay, Lowlands… Originally Posted By KILLERB6: Originally Posted By DD1801: Get him a nice bottle of scotch. Open his eyes (and wallet) to scotch. Macallan 18. Concur…but that adds a different can of worms to the can of worms the OP is currently facing….Highlands, Islay, Lowlands… Macallan is swill and for Taiwanese business executives. If you go scotch for a newbie, go Glenmorangie. If you’re going bourbon, a few notes. First, basically the same 6-10 distilleries make most whisky in the US. Many times you’re buying a label and cool marketing. Second, I’d keep the limit to around 100. After that, your dollars are decreasingly going towards quality and more after image. Based on what you’ve said, maybe try a bulleit single barrel. These are mostly store cask selections and retail for 50-60. Russell’s reserve single barrel. If you want to impress a fairly new bourbon drinker , try a blantons or weller antique (both are not easy to find but on secondary for ~100$.) there is one bottle that impressed me recently, it’s the James E Pepper barrel proof, and retails for around 70$. Great bottle. |