SO, Father’s Day is upon us once again. One thing you can be sure of is that he doesn’t want socks. Or a tie.
Whisky is undoubtedly the answer, but with a dizzying array on the shelves of your local wine and spirit emporium, what should you choose? Do you play it safe and go for a big, familiar brand like Glenfiddich or Macallan, or a blend like the Famous Grouse or Johnnie Walker Black Label?
Or do you go left-field, and try a Nikka from Japan or a Kavalan from Taiwan? And you don’t have to stop there, we now have a great range of world whiskies readily available from India, Wales, Canada and even New Zealand.
Here are a few suggestions for a last-minute Father’s Day gift.
Kavalan Single Malt Whisky 40 per cent ABV (Master of Malt, £59.33). Despite the fact that the King Car distillery was only established in 2005, they’re already producing world-class malts. The reason is at least partly due to the fact that Taiwan is a wee bit hotter and more humid than the west coast of Scotland and the spirit therefore undergoes a hyper-maturation making it ready for release sooner. This is just delicious.
The Whisky Exchange stock a number of Nikka whiskies ranging from £35.95 to £2000 per bottle. You should try their Coffey Malt Whisky 45 per cent ABV (The Whisky Exchange, £55.95). It’s made in a Coffey (or Continuous) still, more usually associated with the production of grain whiskies. The result is a delightfully approachable and slightly spicy malt best enjoyed in your favourite glass with a drop of water, or an ice cube.
Whistlepig Straight Rye 50 per cent ABV (Royal Mile Whiskies, £76.95). This is undoubtedly the best thing to come out of Canada since Steppenwolf, and it’s one of my favourite rye whiskies. It’s smooth and very more-ish, and the ideal tipple to accompany a classic rock playlist on iTunes.
If you’d prefer to stay in Scotland, try a bottle of the Balvenie 14-year-old Caribbean Cask (Inverarity One to One, £51.99). This spirit has been finished in rum casks adding a beautifully sweet note to the malt. This bottle makes a regular appearance in my drinks cabinet at home and is certainly one of my current favourite drams. Cheers to all the dads out there.
Pete Stewart is Glasgow director of Inverarity One to One, 185a Bath Street, Glasgow (0141 221 5121) www.inverarity121.com
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