What to buy for the person who has everything? For many people, there’s only one answer: good whisky. More than 60 per cent of single malts are purchased as presents, and over the festive period sales soar.
But what if you don’t know your Glenlivet from your Glenfarclas? How to get something they will love?
“If they are new to the drink, think about what their palate is like,” says the whisky journalist Alwynne Gwilt, who writes under the moniker Miss Whisky. “If they would choose a pudding instead of a starter, look for a whisky that has been matured in a sherry cask, as the sweet notes will come through.
“But if they like rich, earthy, meaty, smoky foods, try the big beasts like Highland Park, Talisker and Caol Ila.”
[amazon asin=B003QX2JMA&template=*lrc ad (left)]If you are buying for a whisky drinker, the matter is easier: find out what their favourite tipple is, and buy them something similar.
Take me, for instance. There are times when I’ll reach for a smoky dram, but by far my best everyday whiskies are: Auchentoshan Three Wood (£27, Waitrose), though the new Virgin Oak is superb; anything in The Balvenie range; and anything by Bushmills. Not that I’m hinting or anything.
“You like fairly rich but refined whiskies,” says Gwilt. “The Glenmorangie 10 (£36, Majestic) is a classic and would suit your taste. A little bit more special would be Green Spot, an Irish whisky that is rich in caramel, toffee, and apple notes. Or you could try Japanese whiskies…”[amazon asin=B004DAWFII&template=*lrc ad (right)]
I’m going to pause there for a moment. Maybe buying single malt as a present isn’t such an easy option after all.
Enter the flavour map (below). This is a large graph on two axes. The vertical is “delicate to smoky”, and the horizontal is “light to rich”. The most popular whiskies are plotted on the graph according to their “flavour profile”.
“The philosophy is, if you like whisky A, you can look on the map and find whisky B which is similar,” says Dr Nick Morgan of Diageo Scotch Whiskies, who created the map. “If you find an anchor point and move a few steps away, you can give somebody a whisky that they’ll find really interesting.” Right. So back to Japanese drams.
Whisky has been produced in that country since the Twenties, but it has only become available in Britain fairly recently, so can make for a striking present. It tends to have less of a “burn” than Scotch, so can be the ideal [amazon asin=B00B7QJJJ4&template=*lrc ad (left)]choice for many. I have sampled a few, and can confirm that they are beautifully quaffable. Again, not that I’m hinting.
The best include the mellow Yamazaki 12 (£51.99, Shop 4 Whisky), the Hakushu 12 (£51.95, The Whisky Exchange), and Nikka (available in smaller bottles). As a bonus, they all come in attractive packaging.
Another consideration is the drinking context. “For afternoon drinking, I would recommend something medium bodied,” says Charles MacLean, a whisky expert. “I’d go for a Glenlivet, Bunnahabhain or an Oban.”
As a postprandial digestif, however, MacLean suggests something richer. “You want something that will really cut through and titillate the taste buds at midnight, after a hard night’s drinking,” he says. “Something matured or finished in European oak sherry casks.”
This includes the wonderfully heavy, creamy Aberlour a’Bunadh (£39.46,Scotch Whisky Express), and the Christmassy Macallan Ruby (£116,LFW). If you are partial to smoke and peat, try Lagavulin, Bowmore, or the potent Laphroaig.
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