Many who are looking for the perfect Father's Day present give at least token consideration to single-malt Scotch. (Or so I'm told—and God bless them!) But fancy, pricey liquor can be a tricky gift, especially if the point is to get Dad that extra-special something he doesn't routinely pick up for himself already. And that intimidation factor is often enough to steer us away from the good stuff and back toward another tie.
Well, I figured that if I could direct even one gift-giver back to the single malt, I'd be doing some lucky father a service. With that in mind, I and a couple of stalwart friends took on the onerous task of trying out some very nice drams indeed (the result of an informal poll of all our Scotch-drinking friends and a couple of outside experts). Our purpose—our official purpose, that is—was to find some splurge-worthy choices for various kinds of Scotch-drinking fathers—from those who've just started dipping into single malt to veterans who already have their favorite brand or two on hand at home.
Just about every glass we tried at this level of combined price and recommendation was marvelous, but we did find three that we felt were most extraordinary, and would be most appreciated by each kind of dad.
Without further ado, then—I won't waste your time with boring details on what precisely makes a given whiskey a single malt, or the finer points of Speyside malts versus Islay malts—here's what we discovered.
FOR THE NEWCOMER
Bruichladdich 18-Year-Old Islay Single Malt
This one's aged in a mix of bourbon, sherry, port, madeira, and rum casks. Whatever—but it's also smooth and rich, with a warm, lingering aftertaste that's exactly what you always imagined your mouth should be experiencing after a sip of single malt. It has a great, well-rounded flavor with a little less punch than the other two entries above, and our tasters agreed it was the best choice among our splurges for the new arrival to single-malt, the dad who's usually stocks Johnnie Walker Black, say, but has always wanted to add a really good single-malt to his liquor cabinet. It's approachable without giving the least bit of ground in terms of quality—an experienced malt drinker might get slightly more out of the Balvenie or the Bowmore, but he or she would consume a bottle of this happily, and quickly, as well.
$140, ForScotchLovers.com.
FOR THE AFICIONADO
Balvenie 21-Year-Old Portwood
Speyside Single Malt
A Scotch for all seasons and all tastes: Pretty much anyone who likes single-malt is going to enjoy this an awful lot. As the name suggests, it's transferred into casks that have held port wine. I have no idea what, precisely, that does, but the result is phenomenal; this stuff contains some element of just about every fine single-malt I've ever tasted, all balanced out beautifully. It's complex but mellow, flavorful but not overpowering, and frankly the best single malt I've had. I'm lobbying for this as my own Father's Day gift. (We'll see if I've been good enough this year.)
$190, ForScotchLovers.com
FOR THE ADVENTURER
Bowmore 18-Year-Old Islay Single Malt
This is the Willy Wonka's gum of single-malt. I'm sure purists—possibly including the British friend who recommended we try it—would be horrified to hear me describe it that way, but let me explain: I've had several malts before that change flavor in your mouth—but not like this. It starts off with a taste reminiscent of coffee or cocoa, but then suddenly shifts to a strong (but never unpleasant) salty-caramel flavor, which then gives way to a pleasant honey that lingers in your mouth. I've honestly never had anything like it. And it's not just "interesting"—every stage of the journey is heavenly. So while this idiosyncratic choice may not be for the dad who's just starting to get into single malts, if the Scotch drinker in your life is looking for something a little exciting, a little racy, Bowmore 18 is your bottle.
$100, ForScotchLovers.com
