Gifting Memorable Spirits for Father's Day
Gregg James Kelly, UK-Based Spirits Writer
With Father’s Day fast approaching, now’s a great time to start thinking about the perfect gift for your dad. Rather than relying on the new slippers and pajama gift set, it could be worth buying him something memorable. A bottle of classic spirits will always be celebrated, and with an array of luxury and sippable spirits, we have a gift to suit every set of taste buds.
THE DAD WITH A PASSION FOR LUXURY SPIRITS: VILLA ONE REPOSADO
Far from your average bottle of tequila, Villa One Reposado sources 100% blue weber agave from both the Highland and Lowland regions of Jalisco, Mexico.
Founded by entrepreneurial pop/film star Nick Jonas and renowned fashion designer John Varvatos, this handcrafted tequila is aged in an American Oak Barrel for six months, creating mouthwatering caramel and candy notes. The palate then moves towards butterscotch and smokey chocolate with a light finish of coffee. It’s rightfully considered one of the top premium spirits in the tequila industry.
THE DAD WHO LOVES RUM AND CIGARS: E. LEON JIMENES RUM
First bottled in 2013 to celebrate the 110th Anniversary of La Aurora Cigars and the company’s legendary history, this rum captures the pleasure of tasting centuries of exquisite history. The unique aging process involves hosting the rum in Virgin American white oak barrels for 8 years and topping off with a final two years in a French Oak sherry tun. There’s no other rum with the same incredible flavour anywhere.
With hints of toffee, honey, roasted almonds, coffee, caramel, and spicy, smoky sherry sweetness, every sip is more enlightening than the last.
THE ONE OF A KIND DAD: EL TEQUILEÑO – THE SASSENACH SELECT DOUBLE WOOD REPOSADO
The Sassenach Select is the first collaboration between Scottish actor, Outlander star Sam Heughan and Antonio ‘Tony’ Salles, who combined forces after several spirit bonding trips in Mexico. Although their native countries are oceans apart, both countries share similar cultural beliefs, artisanal crafts, and rich histories. These common threads became the inspirational process for the tequila.
Handcrafted with the finest agave and mineral-rich water from El Volcan de Tequila, the duo were loyal to the copper pot still distillery process. It is then aged for two years in American Oak barrels and finished off in French oak barrels, creating a taste of tequila defiance inspired by centuries of cultural history and a shared kinship between both owners.
Still incredibly rare, the bottles feel like a one-of-a-kind find and contain a tequila taste that’s hard to compare against.
El Tequileño The Sassenach Select Double Wood Reposado
Starting at $110.99
THE DAD WHO LOVES TOASTING SPECIAL OCCASIONS: GRAND MARNIER GRANDE CUVÉE RÉVÉLATION
Designed for true prestige Cognac connoisseurs, Grand Marnier has been the pinnacle of the spirit industry since its creation in 1880. The Grande Cuvée Révélation line elevates the exquisite taste to even grander levels, perfectly marrying cognac with Bigaradia orange essence.
This incredibly rare cognac uses XXO Cognac and an elegant dash of Bigaradia essence to create a taste that is as much to be admired as it is to be desired.
THE DAD WHO SIPS TEQUILA NEAT: CINCORO TEQUILA
There’s nothing quite like Cincoro Tequila, co-owned by the single-handedly greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan. Its unique process takes weber blue agave from both the Highland and Lowland Mexican regions, then distills and cooks each group of agave separately to create two unique distillates. This helps the flavours to fully develop before artfully blending the agave in sync to create a single exceptional, super-premium tequila.
We recommend the Extra Añejo, a signature expression of Cincoro that is extra-aged to create a long, smooth finish that deepens into creamy chocolate notes as it settles on your palate. Your dad will thank you for this exquisite introduction into one of the most highly-awarded agave distillates in the world.
THE WHISKEY DAD WHO WANTS TO TRY SOMETHING NEW: BISQUIT & DUBOUCHÉ
Created by marrying grapes from four separate regions of France, the flavour character of this exuberant Cognac includes clove, cinnamon, essence of orange, aromas of apricot, misty tastes of mango, and hints of honeysuckle.
The fruity, spicy delightful spirit blends grapes from Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Fin Bois, and Bons Bois. Offering an ocean of flavours, it’s a delight for the palate. This Cognac is perfect for sipping neat but is strong enough to stand out in a classic cocktail like a Sidecar, making it an unforgettable gift for the Bourbon-hunting dad who wants to try new spirits.
THE DAD WHO APPRECIATES NATURE’S GIFTS: TEQUILA GRAN SOCIEDAD JOVEN
Tequila Gran Sociedad Joven uses only agave from the fields of Los Altos de Jalisco, considered the greatest field of any used worldwide in the production of Tequila. The maturity of the agave takes between 6 and 8 years in order to fully develop the true taste of vanilla, cocoa, coffee, caramel, and notes of smoky honey.
The entire process of creating this Joven is done manually, embracing techniques used since the very beginning of distilling. With stone ovens and an alembic copper still, the final touches of this incomparable tequila are an expression of nature.
Every harvest is unique, every taste exciting, and every batch is numbered. Quite literally, this tequila is offered as a gift from nature.
Want more recommendations? Find our curated list of dad-worthy selections, including Calirosa Extra Anejo, Telmont Reserve Brut, and Luigi Bosca, in our 2023 Father’s Day Gift Guide.
