2022 Whiskey Gift Guide 

November 14, 2022

If you’re looking for a last-minute gift, funny holiday cards and the best affordable whiskey you can find are a combination more classic than Ralphie and Randy, more iconic than the Wet Bandits, more fundamental to the very fabric of the North Pole and its complex socio-political hierarchy of — OK, I’m drifting off into hyperbole here.

For real, though: If you want to be ready to make like a thoughtful party guest at a moment’s notice this holiday season, that’s all you need to keep on hand: a tidy stack of funny Christmas cards and a thoughtful stash of some of the best whiskey in the world according to some random illustrator on the internet.

What Whiskey Is the Best To Give as a Gift?

All six of the whiskeys profiled here make excellent gifts for whiskey lovers. Yes, I’ve purchased and consumed all of them. Some may even have resulted in some of our funny Christmas card ideas. And some of our terrible Christmas card ideas.

Five of the six are elegant whisk(e)ys from around the world. The other one smells like pancakes and tastes like breakfast meats, but it's also so charming and different that even your snobbiest whiskey drinkin’ pal will be into it.

Thirsty yet? Great. Get-together season is here. Check out these six whiskeys to give as gifts this holiday season. 

1. The Best Irish Whiskey You’ve Never Heard Of: Glendalough Double Barrel

When you’re ready to move beyond Jameson, scoot your palate over to Glendalough — literally and figuratively, if you can. This copper-colored Irish whiskey is named after a tiny town in the eastern part of Ireland. In Irish, Glendalough means “valley of the two lakes,” and when my husband and I wandered through there several years ago on our honeymoon, said lakes didn’t disappoint.

Yes, we've been classy from the very beginning.

It’s a creamy whiskey distilled from Irish corn and malted barley that has thundering notes of caramel and chocolate tinged with vanilla and a hint of fruit. I may be biased given the honeymoon connection — and my husband doesn’t even drink — but this quickly became my go-to Irish whiskey after I discovered it.

2. The Best Bourbon I’ve Ever Had in My Life: Michter’s US-1 Small Batch Bourbon

Story has it that the master distiller over at Michter’s has earned the nickname “Dr. No” for his refusal to let a single cask be released before he deems it ready to go. The result? Michter’s Louisville-born bourbons are usually aged for longer than the competition (typically eight years, and in 24 barrels, max, per batch).

It's worth it. With notes of vanilla, caramel and dried fruit, this amber Kentucky bourbon is nothing short of magical and packs a subtle punch with its peppery, cinnamon-dusted finish.

3. Best Japanese Whisky for Fancy People: Fukano 10 Year-Old

This award-winning rice whisky is what I think would happen if you could pour a Shintaro Sakamoto song into a rocks glass. It’s smooth. It’s spicy. It somehow makes marmalade, marzipan, and plums work as a trio more potent than Magic, Worthy and Kareem.

It’s also fookin’ expensive. If you didn’t recently win a reality show, save this one for special occasions... like gift giving!

Don’t let the fact that it’s a rice whisky throw you, either. This isn’t sake. (Trust me; not a sake fan here.) It’s a wholly unique whisky experience. The Fukano distillery was founded in 1823 and has been in the Fukano fam ever since.

See? It even comes with a heartwarming origin story.

4. Best Japanese Whisky for the Rest of Us: Mars Iwai 45

This Iwai (pronounced ee-why) is another awesome Japanese whisky from a long-running family distillery, only at a more palatable price point for most. This time, we’re talking about the Hombo family and their Nagano distillery nestled high in the Japanese Alps.

More than 15% of the Mars staff is yeti. OK, fine. Not really.

With sweet notes of caramel, toffee, milk chocolate and pear, Mars Iwai 45 is a higher proof bourbon designed with cocktail making in mind. (That 45 stands for 45% ABV.) Don’t let that stop you from sipping it on the rocks, though.

Never stopped me, and I turned out fine.

OK, arguably. I, arguably, have turned out fine.

5. Best Australian Whisky to Pair With All The Good Bands Right Now, Which Are Also All From Australia: Starward Two-Fold Double Grain Whisky

It's true. All the good recording artists right now are from Australia: Tame Impala, Courtney Barnett, Babe Rainbow, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Camp Cope, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Ocean Alley, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets... need I go on? Lots of good rock 'n' roll for drinking whiskey coming from Down Under. Maybe there’s something in the water.

Maybe there’s something in the whisky.

Starward’s distillery launched in 2007 and it gets all its barley locally, which is cool. It sources all its barrels from the continent’s best wineries. Also cool.

Add Melbourne’s notoriously volatile weather into the mix, and the end result is a unique manufacturing process that results in a singularly delectable blended whisky that features warm notes of berries, roast pineapple, toffee, apples and the woods.

Mmm. Woods.

6. Best Mediocre Flavored Whiskey That Totally Makes Up for Its Mediocrity With Its Bad-Ass Packaging: Rattlesnake Rosie’s Maple Bacon Whiskey

This sweet and salty booze from Iron Smoke is the bacon-centric version of the distillery's signature bourbon. Iron Smoke calls Fairport, NY, home, and RRMBW is flavored with natural bacon and real, Mendon Maple Farms syrup. The result is a fun whiskey that I think is a little too salty. And, from me, that’s saying something.

I’d get a salt lick if my husband would let me.

That packaging, though. Maybe it’s because my middle name is Rose, but I think this bottle’s design is super-fun. So fun that I kept it and use it as décor in my office like I’m 19 and lining the top of the cabinet with empties with my roommates in our shitty first apartment.

Look at that leafy pig.

Iron Smoke is a solid B- whiskey for me, flavorwise. Its playful branding evocative of a Deadwood whorehouse makes it an A. And ultimately, it's like my grandmother used to say to me and my little sisters: "Meat-flavored booze is always a welcome gift at the holidays. Now get out of the way. Guiding Light is back from commercial."

Let This Whiskey Gift Guide Do the Work for You

If you know anything about the recipient’s tastes in food and drink, let that be your whiskey sensei as you try to pick a bottle. If, on the other hand, you just need a surefire winner that you can grab from the pantry when your boyfriend suddenly remembers he RSVPed “Yes" for both of you for a Friendsgiving game night that you’re already 20 minutes late for, any of these six delicious, conversation-starting whiskeys can save the day. Or night. Or really rowdy brunch.

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