Here Comes Sláinte Claus
It's the holiday gift-giving/receiving season again. So here are some gift ideas for the whisk(e)y-minded individuals in your lives. This might include yourselves if you not-so-subtlely share these with those seeking ideas for you this year.
Gear
As with any fun activity, ya gotta have gear. A fine and very useful gift would be a set of glencairn tasting glasses. They can be insanely pricey -- $10-$20/each in some stores. But you can find other online sources such as eBay where a six-glass set will run +/- $42 or about $7/glass and sometimes less. So shop around. You could also order a set and divvy them up among several drinking friends if you're trying to stretch dollars.
For the budget-conscious, even a set of plastic pipettes and a gallon of distilled water will impress a whisk(e)y drinker with your thoughtfulness. The combo will let them properly water their dram with a precision that OCDers and OCD-wannabes will really admire. You'll be amazed how much a few drops of water can change a whisk(e)y's nose and taste. It's a simple and fun way to add variety to their whisk(e)y drinking.
Books
Two immediately come to mind. The first is Ian Buxton's "101 Whiskies To Try Before You Die." It's $15-20 on most online bookstores. It really is a whisk(e)y drinker's book vs. a shopping list for hardcore aficionados (though it can be that too). Ian's approach is great in that he believes that whisk(e)y is first and foremost for drinking and sharing, not collecting. He picked the whisk(e)ys based on decades of experience in the whisky business. He intends the book as a kind of syllabus for guiding your whisk(e)y education. It's well-written, has a clean layout, is accessible and fun. It's guaranteed to start conversations -- and arguments -- among whisk(e)y drinkers.
The second is Jim Murray's 2011 Whisky Bible. You can get it online for about $15-$25, though if you order it from Jim's website you can have a personalized note from the author added for no extra charge. It's a must-have reviews and ratings guide for the world's whisk(e)ys.
Another possibility is any whisk(e)y book by the late, great Michael Jackson (no, not the deceased pop star). Hard to go wrong with one of his works.
Liquids
Oh, where to start? Some my default gifts are Redbreast 12 and Jameson 12. Hard to go wrong there. For around $20-30/bottle the standard Jameson and Bushmills are nice, Tullamore Dew is an accessible dram, as are Cooley and Kilbeggan malts and blends such as their own Tyrconnell and some private labels like Michael Collins and John L. Sullivan. There are so many others such as the Knappogue Castle bottlings (the 12-year-old most recently), and The Irishman blend and single malts, among many. Lots of people like Paddy too.
North of $50 to $100+/bottle it's Jameson Gold, Bushmills 16 and Bushmills 21, and Midleton VR. I'd steer you to the Tyrconnell finishes too but they aren't generally available in the States.
I say don't worry about getting a "good" one or "the best" and be adventurous (the Connemara bottlings come to mind). The nature of whiskey is complexity and variety, so feel free to add some to your whiskey drinker's holidays.
What's on your whiskey wish/giving list this year or what have you received in the past that you'd recommend?
Merry Happy, and Sláinte!
Gear
As with any fun activity, ya gotta have gear. A fine and very useful gift would be a set of glencairn tasting glasses. They can be insanely pricey -- $10-$20/each in some stores. But you can find other online sources such as eBay where a six-glass set will run +/- $42 or about $7/glass and sometimes less. So shop around. You could also order a set and divvy them up among several drinking friends if you're trying to stretch dollars.
For the budget-conscious, even a set of plastic pipettes and a gallon of distilled water will impress a whisk(e)y drinker with your thoughtfulness. The combo will let them properly water their dram with a precision that OCDers and OCD-wannabes will really admire. You'll be amazed how much a few drops of water can change a whisk(e)y's nose and taste. It's a simple and fun way to add variety to their whisk(e)y drinking.
Books
Two immediately come to mind. The first is Ian Buxton's "101 Whiskies To Try Before You Die." It's $15-20 on most online bookstores. It really is a whisk(e)y drinker's book vs. a shopping list for hardcore aficionados (though it can be that too). Ian's approach is great in that he believes that whisk(e)y is first and foremost for drinking and sharing, not collecting. He picked the whisk(e)ys based on decades of experience in the whisky business. He intends the book as a kind of syllabus for guiding your whisk(e)y education. It's well-written, has a clean layout, is accessible and fun. It's guaranteed to start conversations -- and arguments -- among whisk(e)y drinkers.
The second is Jim Murray's 2011 Whisky Bible. You can get it online for about $15-$25, though if you order it from Jim's website you can have a personalized note from the author added for no extra charge. It's a must-have reviews and ratings guide for the world's whisk(e)ys.
Another possibility is any whisk(e)y book by the late, great Michael Jackson (no, not the deceased pop star). Hard to go wrong with one of his works.
Liquids
Oh, where to start? Some my default gifts are Redbreast 12 and Jameson 12. Hard to go wrong there. For around $20-30/bottle the standard Jameson and Bushmills are nice, Tullamore Dew is an accessible dram, as are Cooley and Kilbeggan malts and blends such as their own Tyrconnell and some private labels like Michael Collins and John L. Sullivan. There are so many others such as the Knappogue Castle bottlings (the 12-year-old most recently), and The Irishman blend and single malts, among many. Lots of people like Paddy too.
North of $50 to $100+/bottle it's Jameson Gold, Bushmills 16 and Bushmills 21, and Midleton VR. I'd steer you to the Tyrconnell finishes too but they aren't generally available in the States.
I say don't worry about getting a "good" one or "the best" and be adventurous (the Connemara bottlings come to mind). The nature of whiskey is complexity and variety, so feel free to add some to your whiskey drinker's holidays.
What's on your whiskey wish/giving list this year or what have you received in the past that you'd recommend?
Merry Happy, and Sláinte!
I bought three bottles of the Tyrconnell Madiera in West Roxbury. I think I bought them out. went too quickly. really delicious. May have to try the Sherry finish.
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