Father’s Day Gift Solutions

June 7, 2918 – Mark you calendar.  Sunday, June 17 is Father’s Day and if you feeling challenged in the gift-giving department, here are some helpful suggestions.  We’ve listed suggestions in price points ranging from an affordable $24.99 up to $170.00 and we picked out interesting bottles of domestic whiskey and Scotch whisky (1-5), rums (6-9), and Cognac (10).  We’ve included a little background and tasting notes to help you find just the right one.

WHISKEY & WHISKY

1. George Dickel Tabasco Brand Barrel Finish  SRP $24.99

If dad’s a fan of spicy flavors, George Dickel Tabasco Brand Barrel Finish will do the trick. This one-of-a-kind spirit embodies the essence of its Louisiana and Tennessee roots with authentic spice and flavors. The whiskey is finished in barrels used to age Tabasco peppers for three years.  The package also honors Tabasco livery.  George Dickel Tabasco Brand Barrel Finish took home a Gold Medal in this year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

 2. Bulleit Barrel Strength  SRP $59.99

Awarded a Double Gold Medal and named the Best Straight Bourbon in the 2018 San Francisco Spirits Awards, Bulleit Barrel Strength is a whiskey, un-cut and un-filtered. Bulleit Bourbon is distilled and aged in Bulleit family tradition, after founder Tom Bulleit was inspired by an old family bourbon recipe passed down through generations. Once sold by hand, today Bulleit Bourbon is one of the fastest-growing whiskeys in America.

3. Rhetoric 24-Year-Old  SRP $130

For those looking for a unique and rare gift for their dad, Orphan Barrel Whiskey Distilling Co. of Tallahoma, Tennessee recently released a new, extremely limited and highly collectible variant within its Rhetoric family. With a unique lineage steeped in whiskey aging experimentation, this year’s Rhetoric 24-Year-Old gives way to the fifth iteration of the whiskey, which has been aged a year longer than its predecessor. As with any Orphan Barrel release, when it is gone, it’s gone.

4. McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt  SRP $55

If Dad has eclectic tastes and likes to try something different, a highly awarded single malt whiskey from Hood River Distillers in Oregon will intrigue him.  McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt ignited the American craft single malt revolution 20 years ago.

McCarthy’s is made from a fermented mash of 100% two-row, peat-malted barley sourced directly from Scotland.  Distilled in 60-gallon Holstein pot stills using single-pass distillation and non-chill filtration, McCarthy’s is aged in air-dried Oregon oak casks for a minimum of three years.  Proving that the original is still the best, McCarthy’s was awarded the Chairman’s Trophy by the Ultimate Spirits Challenge in 2017 plus gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and Los Angeles International Spirits Competition.

5. Glencadam Single Malt 10-Year Old Highland Single Malt  SRP $55

No list would be complete without an entry from Scotland and this one comes from one of the first legal distillers in the Eastern Highlands.  Glencadam Distillery was founded in 1825.  This whisky is pale gold straw in color with clean, crisp citrus notes.  Natural sweetness and soft spicy oak combine for a long, soothing finish.

Recognized as delicate, smooth and subtle by critics and whisky lovers since its introduction in 2008.

RUM

6. Flor de Caña Centenario 25  SRP $144.99

This ultra-premium, full-bodied rum comes to us from the 5th generation family estate in Nicaragua that was named the 2017 Best Rum Producer of the Year by the International Wine and Spirits Competition in London.

It has had a quarter century to develop its beautifully integrated and luxuriously smooth and rich palate of honey, grilled pineapple, roasted banana, toasted coconut, toasted hazelnuts, almonds, rich red fruit, dates, brown sugar, figs, oak, clove, burnt orange and crème brulee. The nose features tobacco, dust, dark cherry, dark chocolate, nutmeg and a sweet long finish. We are quoting the tasting notes verbatim but reviews do confirm it is really special. Best served neat with an orange twist, Centenario 25 is certified Fair Trade.

7. Bacardi Reserva Ocho  SRP $29.99

For the classic dad who enjoys the option either to sip his rum or to create a cocktail, the Reserva Ocho is a great gift.   Based on the original recipe from the family reserve created in 1862, Bacardi Reserva Ocho is barrel-aged for a minimum of eight years with a rich, velvety body, best enjoyed neat, on the rocks or in an Ocho Old Fashioned. With warming notes of butterscotch, nutmeg and dried apricots and an extended aging process that creates an additional layer of complex flavors, Dad will be sure to love this rum cult classic.

8. Bacardi Gran Reserva Diez  SRP $39.99

If Dad is seriously devoted to sipping and savoring his rum, the Gran Reserva Diez is an excellent choice. A master blender’s reserve has been barrel-aged for a minimum of 10 years and is best served neat or on the rocks.  Bacardi Gran Reserva Diez boasts bright notes of banana, pear and tropical melon balanced with caramelized vanilla and oak. Perfect for when your dad wants to kick back and savor a truly sensational spirit.

9. Facundo Exquisito  SRP $150

This is the perfect luxury libation for the cognac or bourbon sipping Dad who has everything, or wishes he had everything.

As the name implies, Facundo Exquisito is an exquisite blend of seven to 23-year-old rums aged in oak barrels and finished in sherry casks. A delicately balanced rum, Exquisito seamlessly combines the fruitier notes of seven-year-old rums with the smokier and spicier notes of 23-year-old rums. This smooth, silky blend is best enjoyed neat and offers a warm, lingering aftertaste reminiscent of raisins and toasted nuts.

Facundo Exquisito is one of four expressions in the luxury Facundo Rum Collection, from the Bacardi family’s private reserves. The Collection brings the Bacardi family tradition of sipping rum to connoisseurs everywhere, making Exquisito the perfect addition to Dad’s home bar.  It is available in New York, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco but it can be ordered from ReserveBar.com which has a special Father’s Day promotion right now.

COGNAC

10. Camus XO Borderies Cognac  SRP $170

Camus, the fifth largest independent cognac house in the world today, is currently led by Cyril Camus, the fifth generation.  Located in the tiny Borderies region of Cognac , Camus is the only producer with a portfolio of 100% Borderies Cognacs which are prized all around the world.

Produced in limited quantities, Camus XO Borderies offers a rare and exquisite tasting experience and is delicious with a fine cigar.  Dad will be thrilled.

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