2023 Scotch Whisky Holiday Gift Guide: 7 Bottles Sure to Spread Liquid Cheer

Everybody has a scotch lover in their life, and sometimes purchasing the right gift for these people during the holiday season can be downright daunting. Scotland has so many different regions, each with its own distinctive flavor profile. And let’s not even begin to discuss maturation processes and cask finishes — it’s enough to make a person want to throw in the towel and just pick up a pair of whisky stones instead (please don’t do that).

Not to worry! We’ve curated a list of seven scotches that would make some really great gifts and put them together in this handy gift guide to take the guesswork out of buying scotch. So whether you’re buying for your uncle, your boss, anyone else in your life or maybe picking up a bottle for yourself this year, check out these seven great scotch whiskies for the dram-lover in your life.

7 Best Scotch Whisky Bottles to Gift During the 2023 Holiday Season

For the Tastemaker: Glenmorangie Cadboll Estate

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They say trends come and go, but style is forever. If there’s a longtime scotch lover in your life who just knows what’s good — regardless of the price tag — we’d recommend the Glenmorangie Cadboll Estate. This no-frills scotch with a suggested retail price of $99.99 spent 15 years aging in bourbon and ex-Amontillado casks.

This Highland Scotch whisky producer hosts a history that dates back to 1843 and has had plenty of time to perfect the whisky-making process. The Cadboll Estate series was created by Glenmorangie’s Director of Whisky Creation, Dr. Bill Lumsden, to showcase the distillery’s homeland. Each single-estate, “field to glass,” expression begins with barley selected at the distillery’s barley fields located at the Cadboll Estate.

Glenmorangie Cadboll estate possesses a nose of fresh bread and apple butter. Viscous with plenty of honeyed and nougaty qualities on the palate, Glenmorangie Cadboll Estate is a complex and pleasant scotch that you’ll want to spend plenty of time with throughout the evening. The whisky finishes a bit heavier on the Amontillado with plenty of creamy apricot sweetness.

A classically beautiful scotch with a 43% ABV that is just damn good all around.

For the Naturalist: Bruichladdich Classic Laddie

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This gentle, elegant whisky from the Islay-based Bruichladdich Distillery possesses aromas of flowers and ocean air for days. If there’s a scotch lover in your life who is always puttering in the garden or loves being out in nature, consider gifting them this fairly easy-to-find scotch from Bruichladdich.

In July, Bruichladdich revamped its packaging of The Classic Laddie to cut the distillery’s carbon footprint by 65%. These eye-catching blue bottles are made from 60% recycled glass and are sure to make an impression, making them the perfect gift for the environmentally conscious imbiber.

Bruichladdich chooses not to peat this scotch whisky, which allows for its 100% malted barley base to shine through. Though The Classic Laddie clocks in at 100 proof, this gentle scotch is extremely subtle and clean, making it the perfect gift for the person in your life who appreciates scotch but doesn’t like the bold, smoky flavors associated with heavy peat.

Each year, the folks at Bruichladdich make subtle changes to the Classic Laddie depending on the flavor profile of the grain, so no two annual releases are identical. Bruichladdich’s Classic Laddie is relatively affordable and can be purchased starting at around $55. The scotch is non-chill filtered and has no additional coloring added. With a subtle honeyed sweetness, sherried fruit notes and a kiss of salt, this clean and pleasant scotch is an excellent choice.

For the Sherry Enthusiast: The GlenDronach 15 Year Revival

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This distillery dates back to 1826, which means The GlenDronach has a long history of making sherry cask-aged scotches and doing a pretty damn good job of it.

The GlenDronach 15 Year Old can be found anywhere from $90 to $110. With all that sherry goodness, this whisky is a great example of the Speyside-based house’s classic style. Crafted by Master Blender Rachel Barrie, who also lends her skills to Benriach and Glenglassaugh, this expression was brought back after being discontinued. The reason? It kept flying off the shelves.

With an ABV of 46%, this whisky was aged in Spanish oak Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks from Andalucía. Pedro Ximénez is a sweeter style of sherry, and Oloroso is an oxidative sherry known for its distinctive nutty profile. Both interplay beautifully with the scotch during the maturation period and lend it a nose of figs and freshly baked bread. On the palate, picture plenty of black fruit from the sherry maturation. The finish is pleasant and has just the right amount of length.

If the scotch drinker in your life loves sherry or is looking for something to drink while watching the new “Frasier” reboot, consider gifting them this Speyside scotch over the holidays.

For the Rebel: The Deacon

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Is the scotch drinker in your life a bit of a rule breaker? A maverick, perhaps? Then look no further than The Deacon.

The whiskey is a collaboration between Sovereign Brands and Pernod Ricard. Sovereign claims The Deacon’s name stems from the fact that “Deacon” is a word used in Scotts to refer to a “master tradesman.” This “disruptive” whisky launched in February. It is a blend of scotches from Islay and Speyside. Though this unusual choice may seem unconventional to some, that’s exactly the point behind The Deacon. Because rules, schmules.

Bottled at 80 proof, The Deacon is a blend of both smoky Speyside and peated Islay malt, meaning this bad boy has plenty of that smoke factor. As far as packaging goes, the rebellious minds behind the brand chose to house this dram in a copper vessel as an homage to the traditional copper pot stills used in Scottish distillation. The label depicts a mysterious figure wearing what appears to be some sort of steampunk plague doctor mask, which only amps up the badassery factor of this blended scotch.

The Deacon has a surprisingly light and sweet nose, making it more of a malt-centric scotch at first sniff. On the palate, picture aromas of apple butter, vanilla bean, and a pleasant light sweetness. The finish is where this whisky really shines, with lemon curd, candied ginger and a dash of pepper. The Deacon hosts an affordable suggested retail price of $39.99.

For the Peat Lover: Laphroaig Cairdeas 2023

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Peat can be polarizing. Some folks dislike it, and some really, really love it.

If the scotch lover in your life falls into the latter category, consider gifting them this offering from one of the icons of peated scotches: Laphroaig. Scotches from Laphroaig don’t come cheap, however, and this expression is no different. Laphroaig Cairdeas hosts a suggested retail price of $149.99.

Laphroaig Cairdeas 2023 has a higher alcohol percentage of 52.3% ABV and is from Laphroaig’s limited-edition line. Finished in a mixture of 75% White Port and 25% Madeira casks, this scotch was a blast to review, and we liked it quite a bit. Though it has Laphroaig’s signature peaty style, it’s also pleasantly fruity, tropical and sweet.

On the nose, picture tropical citrus fruit custard and cream, interspersed with charred, briny sea air. The richly complicated palate has dole fruit syrup, vanilla, buttercream and pear. Peat lovers, don’t worry: This expression has plenty of peaty goodness on the finish, making it a delightful little contradiction of smoke and fruit.

For the Jetsetter: Glenmorangie A Tale of Tokyo

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If you want to gift the jet setter in your life something special — without footing the bill for plane tickets — consider this distinctive expression from Glenmorangie. A Tale of Tokyo was finished in Japanese Mizunara oak casks and is the first whisky at the distillery to implement Mizunara in its production process.

Glenmorangie’s Whisky Creator, Dr. Bill Lumsden, was inspired by multiple trips to Tokyo, which happens to be one of his favorite cities. The whisky was bottled at 92 proof and hosts a suggested retail price of $109.99. In addition to spending time in Mizunara oak, the whisky matured in a mixture of sherry and bourbon casks.

The label features artwork from the Japanese artist Akira Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi is known for blending traditional and modern styles in creating bold and bright cityscapes.

Lumsden claims the addition of Mizunara yields an “incredibly complex and unusual” whisky. With a bright and fruity nose, kissed with icing coupled with a pleasant bitterness on the palate, Glenmorangie A Tale of Tokyo is a distinctive and savory whisky with plenty of tealike characteristics. With heady aromas of sweet cream, sandalwood and pineapple this head-turner of a whisky will definitely make an impression.

For the Sweet Tooth: Oban 14

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Oban 14 is the perfect dessert-driven dram for holiday sipping.

One of the smaller distilleries in Scotland, Oban is situated on the Hebrides Islands in the Scottish Highlands. The team behind Oban uses just two stills, which is a deliberate choice for quality control purposes. The folks at Oban have been making Scotch for a long time — 229 years, to be exact, and they are all about tradition at this distillery. Oban claims it has hardly changed its process since over two centuries ago.

Oban 14 hosts is bottled at 43% ABV. With its doughy-sweet and salted-caramel-driven nose, this whisky is a trip to a bakery at first sniff. On the palate, picture a baked pastry with salted caramel notes, integrated with plenty of oak. The whisky finishes nice and hot, making it the perfect after-dinner dram. There’s plenty of honey and gingered vanilla.

Oban 14 can usually be found for between $70 and $100.

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