For the Whiskey Newbie - Eagle Rare

If someone is new to whiskey, first of all—welcome, we hope this is a lifetime membership. But when it comes to a holiday gift, you don’t want to overwhelm them with a high-proof bottle that is inundated with intense flavors. Instead, give them something that is a bit more accessible and approachable—and that doesn’t have to mean some weak sauce, 80-proof, basic bourbon. Eagle Rare fits the bill here, a Buffalo Trace release that is about as classic as you can get in terms of flavor, with rich notes of vanilla, butterscotch, maple, and brown sugar leading the palate. It’s bottled at 90 proof, which means more flavor (less dilution), but is nowhere near barrel-proof. Buffalo Trace also recently released a 12-year-old version of Eagle Rare, but that one is perhaps better left to collectors and more seasoned whiskey fans.

For the Seasoned Collector - King of Kentucky

Whiskey collectors are well acquainted with all of the usual allocated suspects, from BTAC to Birthday Bourbon. One that is sometimes overlooked, but definitely deserves a spotlight, is King of Kentucky. Once a subpar blended whiskey, Brown-Forman revived this brand in 2018 after a few decades of dormancy, and what a return it was. King of Kentucky is now an annual release, made from the same mashbill as Old Forester 1924 and bottled as a barrel-proof, single barrel expression. The latest was a batch of 63 barrels selected by master distiller emeritus Chris Morris that were aged for 17 years and bottled between 124 and 135 proof. Each bottle will vary depending on which barrel it comes from, but overall this is a bourbon that will make any serious collector very happy.

For the Home Mixologist - Penelope Bourbon

When Penelope was founded in 2018, it was another new whiskey brand that sourced from MGP. But it proved to be such a success that a few years ago it was actually acquired by that Indiana distillery. This is a great option for home bartenders, with a solid and affordable core lineup that can be used in any number of cocktails. The flagship expression is the Four Grain, made from a mashbill of corn, rye, wheat, and barley, and bottled at the minimum 80 proof. That and the higher-proof Wheated bourbon play well with other ingredients in a drink, but some of the cask finishes and limited releases are fun to play around with as well—try the Toasted Rye in a Manhattan, or give the 105-proof Tokaji Cask Finish a spin in an Old Fashioned. And, of course, encourage any aspiring mixologist to sip these whiskeys neat as well.

For the Adventurous - Bardstown Bourbon Company

It’s easy to get into a familiar pattern as a whiskey drinker, always turning to comfortable old standbys to whet your thirst. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, but it’s also fun to try something new and unusual, because you might just stumble upon something exciting that really wakes up your palate. Bardstown Bourbon Company is the perfect distillery to consider for gifts for the adventurous drinker, those who are open to interesting cask finishes and blends. The Discovery Series consists of purposeful blends of well-aged bourbon sourced from different distilleries that are compiled with exacting precision. The Collaborative Series, on the other hand, gives these sourced blends unique cask finishes, like a rye whiskey finished in Indian single malt barrels, a blend of bourbon and rye finished in Amaro Nonino casks, as well as some of the best wine finishes in the industry. 

Best Holiday Gift - High West A Midwinter Night’s Dram

Utah’s High West sources whiskey from MGP and other distilleries, and it also produces its own whiskey in its distillery just outside of Park City. High West is known for a few special annual releases, including one that is perfect for the holiday season—A Midwinter Night’s Dram. The latest edition is Act 13, and it’s a fantastic new release that is built for sipping, as the name suggests, on a cold winter night. It’s a blend of 95/5 rye from MGP and 80 percent rye/20 percent malted rye made at High West that is finished in ruby and tawny port barrels. That secondary maturation balances spicy rye notes with dried fruit and juicy tannic flavors, making this a great bottle to share by the fire. 

Under $100 - Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel

If you haven’t been paying attention, Jack Daniel’s has been releasing some truly excellent whiskey over the past few years. We’re talking whiskey that goes well beyond Old No. 7, including new age statements, American single malt, innovative cask finishes, and some of the best and most affordable single barrel expressions you can find. For less than $100 per bottle, Jack Daniel's Single Barrel makes a great gift, offering a chance to explore how unique each barrel aging in the distillery’s warehouses is, and just how good this Tennessee whiskey can be when bottled at a higher proof. There are several different  Single Barrel iterations to choose from, including barrel-proof, rye whiskey, and the Heritage Barrel release that is aged in heavily toasted and flash-charred barrels.

Best Splurge - Willett

Willett just launched a very affordable new whiskey, the new Family Estate Small Batch Bourbon. But this beloved distillery and producer has a range of releases that are really designed for whiskey fans who are willing to splurge on a bottle (or two), with prices often ranging into the thousands of dollars. So is it worth it? That depends on your devotion to the whiskey and how deep your pockets are. But if you’re looking for a splurge-worthy gift for that special whiskey lover this year, check out the distillery’s single barrel expressions aged up to 18 years, and the many different private barrel picks that are available on the secondary market or at auction.

Best Bourbon - Wild Turkey

It’s hard to argue against Wild Turkey being one of the very best bourbons on the market. The distillery has a wide range of products, from the classic 101, to the smaller batch Russell’s Reserve lineup, to the highly collectible Master’s Keep series. The final entry in that series was a true standout—Beacon is a blend of two bourbons selected by Bruce and Eddie Russell, a 10-year-old and a 16-year-old, bottled at 118 proof and packed with flavor. If you’re not looking to spend quite that much on a gift, consider the Russell’s Reserve lineup which includes single barrel and age statement bourbons that are some of the best value in American whiskey today.

Best Rye - Sazerac Full Proof

Buffalo Trace gave its flagship Sazerac Rye a few significant upgrades over the past few months, a development that many did not see coming. First, the classic 90-proof whiskey was released as a 100-proof version, and while it was not bottled-in-bond this change put it in direct competition with brands like Old Overholt and Rittenhouse, which offer rye whiskey at that strength for a similar price. Then most recently Sazerac Full Proof arrived, a 125-proof whiskey that’s bottled at the strength it goes into the barrel (not at cask-strength, it should be noted). This is a bold and brash new whiskey, and one that would make a great gift for fans of Buffalo Trace who are also partial to rye whiskey.

Best Japanese - Hibiki

The Japanese whisky craze may have calmed down a bit compared to the heights it reached a few years ago. But this category is still in demand, particularly when it comes to age statement expressions from major distilleries like Suntory. Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Hibiki are the best known names in Japanese whisky, and while the former two single malts are, of course, fantastic, Hibiki should not be ignored. If you are willing to drop a few hundred bucks, the 21-year-old version of this spectacular blended whisky, which combines malt and grain from Suntory’s three distilleries, would make a great gift. But no pressure—if your budget isn’t quite that high, the non-age statement Hibiki Harmony would do quite nicely as well.

Best Barrel-Proof - WhistlePig The Boss Hog

WhistlePig’s annual Boss Hog release has become a highly collectible American whiskey, with each bottle varying in significant ways. The core identity of this release is as follows: it's rye whiskey that is usually cask finished in some pretty unusual types of barrels, and bottled as a single barrel release at cask strength (thankfully never entering into hazmat territory). The most recent Boss Hog release, Feather & Flame, received a Mexican-inspired secondary maturation in barrels seasoned with chocolate and spice-flavored pulque. Consider this edition, or any of the previous 11, for your friends and family who enjoy their whiskey at barrel proof—and are open to trying something a bit unusual.

Best Whiskey Collection - BTAC

Every fall, the annual, allocated whiskey releases start to roll in—we’re talking Pappy, Birthday Bourbon, and the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, among a few others. That last set has become one of the most popular and difficult to get over the years, but don’t let that stop you—after all, the hunt is part of the fun, right? The 2025 edition included the five core expressions—George T. Stagg, William Larue Weller, Thomas H. Handy, Eagle Rare 17, and Sazerac Rye 18. All of these change from year to year as far as exact age and proof, but generally speaking are either older or much stronger versions of what the distillery usually bottles. This year, a new member was added to the BTAC lineup—E.H. Taylor, Jr. Bottled in Bond, a 15-year-old BIB bourbon made from the same mashbill as regular Taylor. That makes this year’s BTAC a great gift idea, whether you want to get one bottle or shoot for the whole set.

Best Single Malt Scotch - Bowmore 15 Year Old Sherry Oak Cask

If you’re looking for a gift for someone who loves sherry bomb single malts and isn't afraid of a little smoke, look no further than the new Bowmore 15 Year Old Sherry Oak Cask. The Islay distillery launched this new range just a few weeks ago, with age statements ranging between 12 and 21 years as a new version of Bowmore that is more intensely sherried (12 and 15 are available now, the 18 and 21 come out in early 2026). That means that this 15-year-old whisky, which is finished in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez barrels, has a higher sherry cask component than the core range. That doesn’t obscure Bowmore’s signature light peatiness, however, it complements and highlights it, making this a great option for the scotch whisky drinker on your list.