The Ultimate Whiskey Gift Guide: Best Gifts for Whiskey Lovers at Any Price Range

With the holidays upon us, there are millions of whiskey lovers out there who need the perfect gift this year. You’re looking for something great to buy them, so we’ve got you covered with an expansive list loaded with great options for any price range. This is our 2023 Holiday Whiskey Gift Guide, with items listed from lowest price to highest.

$1-$29.99

Angel’s Envy Bottle Ornament ($10)

A fun stocking stuffer for the whiskey fan in your life, this gorgeous ornament looks just like Angel’s Envy’s iconic bottle. For ideas on Angel’s Envy whiskey to pair it with… read on to the other price ranges.

Buy the ornament from Angel’s Envy.

Glencairn Whiskey Glass, Set of 2 ($18.99)

Every whiskey lover in the world should have at least one Glencairn glass. This style of glass is synonymous with whiskey. The shape is optimal for nosing and tasting neat whiskey. Some sellers jack up the price on these bad boys, but there’s really no need to spend an arm and a leg. This set of two official Glencairn glasses is modestly priced and makes for an excellent gift.

Buy the glasses from Amazon.

2023 American Whiskey Guide ($24.99)

Is someone in your life both a whiskey lover and a reader? Or perhaps someone new to whiskey who would enjoy learning more about the complex subject? If so, this guide makes for an excellent gift.

The 2023 American Whiskey Guide by Booze Press founder David Serfozo includes expanded listings for 200 whiskey distillers and producers and more than 350 listings in total. It also includes profiles on modern whiskey pioneers, winners of major whiskey competitions, whiskey features, recipes and much more.

Buy the book from AmericanWhiskeyGuide.com.

Bernheim 7 Year Old Small Batch Wheat Whiskey ($29.99)

Sometimes, you just want to keep things simple and give a great whiskey without spending a fortune. There are plenty of great options in the category of budget American whiskey (you can find some more here), but we recommend Bernheim Small Batch Wheat Whiskey. Bernheim is a brand from Kentucky producer Heaven Hill, and it’s one of the absolute best whiskeys on the market in this price range.

Easily findable for around $30 across the U.S., Bernheim is bottled at 90 proof and bears an age statement of 7 years — impressive for the price. Bernheim is a wheat whiskey, which isn’t a very common category of American whiskey. Wheat-based whiskeys tend to be remarkably soft and sweet, and Bernheim is a prime example. Gift this to the bourbon lover in your life; it’s not bourbon, so they can explore beyond their comfort zone, but its sweet profile will be adored by any fan of bourbon.

Click here to read our review of this whiskey.

Buy Bernheim from Internet Wines or find it near you at most stores with a decent liquor selection.

Fraser and Thompson North American Whiskey ($29.99)

What better whiskey to give for the holidays than one that comes from a singer whose music is synonymous with the season? Bublé’s 2011 Christmas album is on repeat across the globe this time of year, and his rendition of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas” has amassed more than 900 million streams on Spotify.

Whether Bublé’s whiskey brand will reach similar heights remains to be seen. It’s very new, having just debuted in late October.

The brand touts its whiskeys as the first “North American”-style, a blend of Kentucky bourbon and Canadian whiskey. Fraser and Thompson North American Whiskey is blended and bottled by Heaven Hill in Bardstown, Kentucky. Bottled at 42% ABV, the whiskey has a suggested retail price of $29.99.

Buy Fraser and Thompson online from ReserveBar.

$30-$59.99

Pappy Van Winkle 23-Year Bourbon Barrel Aged Pure Maple Syrup Limited-edition Batch ($48)

If you asked a bunch of bourbon enthusiasts what their “holy grail” bourbon is — the one they desperately want but probably won’t be able to track down at a remotely reasonable price — a name you’d likely hear more than any other is Pappy Van Winkle. Van Winkle bourbons are incredibly rare and sell for exorbitant prices. This maple syrup isn’t Pappy, but it has been aged in barrels that previously contained the legendary 23-year-old Papp Van Winkle. A single bottle of Pappy 23 Year Old sold for more than $52,000 at an auction last December, which gives you an idea of how lusted after the bourbon is.

This syrup is produced by Bissell Farm in Jefferson, Ohio and aged in 23-year-old Pappy barrels. Use it on pancakes, waffles and your usual breakfast items, but it’d also make a fantastic Old Fashioned. Pappy barrel-aged syrup is certainly a natural fit in plenty of cocktails, but Pappy & Company also recommends using it in salad dressings or drizzled over ice cream.

Buy the syrup from Pappy & Company.

Woodford Reserve Limited Edition Holiday Bottle ($50)

Each year, Woodford Reserve releases its holiday bottle. Full of Woodford Reserve’s standard bourbon, this flashy, eye-catching bottle will be appreciated for its style by anyone who unwraps it on Christmas morning and will stun on any bar.

This year’s label boasts a snow-kissed, wintery theme.

Buy it from Woodford Reserve.

Sausalito Unsinkable Bourbon Finished in Cabernet Sauvignon Casks ($54.99)

Sausalito is an under-the-radar brand in the Bay Area in California. Sausalito Liquor Company was founded in 2021 by Sausalito, California resident Scott Jampol, who came from the tech world (OpenTable, Yahoo).

Sausalito sells gin and whiskey, and fittingly for a California brand, it’s finishing its whiskeys in wine casks. Sausalito’s Unsinkable Bourbon is sourced from Tennessee and finished in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels from Napa Valley.

Bottled at 99 proof, Sausalito Unsinkable Bourbon is heavy on jammy cabernet and pastries on the nose, with a pleasant cinnamon-roll aroma. The palate delivers notes of toasted marshmallow, graham cracker, honey and a kiss of oak. The wine comes through in a big way, but the bourbon holds its own, not allowing itself to be lost.

The bourbon finishes long with plenty of marshmallow, plus butterscotch, chocolate chip cookies and a big dose of cab.

If the bourbon lover in your life is also a fan of red wine, this bottle is a no-brainer.

Buy this bourbon from Sausalito Liquor Company.

$60-$89.99

Knob Creek 12 Year ($60)

One of the best value bourbons on the market, Knob Creek 12 Year blend oaky goodness with sweet notes like berries, sweet cream, caramel, nougat, cocoa and brown butter.

A common rule of thumb for fair pricing among whiskey enthusiasts is $10 per year, which would value this bourbon at $120. Instead, this whiskey can regularly be found for between $50 and $70, which is a remarkable price for a bourbon of this age and quality, produced by an American legacy producer (Beam).

Click here to read our review of Knob Creek 12 Year.

Find Knob Creek 12 Year at a Total Wine near you. 

Barrell Craft Spirits Gift Box ($69.99)

This sampler pack from Barrell Craft Spirits comprises four 100-milliliter bottles each filled with a different spectacular whiskey: Barrell Bourbon Batch 035, Dovetail, Seagrass and Vantage.

Barrell Craft Spirits is one of our absolute favorite whiskey brands in the world, and this sampler pack is a perfect introduction to the brand. Each of these whiskeys is layered and truly remarkable in its own way.

Barrell Bourbon Batch 035 is a delectable blend of 6-, 7-, 8- and 13-year-old bourbons. Dovetail is a blend of whiskeys finished in rum, Port and Dunn Vineyards cabernet barrels. Seagrass is a blend of Canadian and American rye whskeys finished in artinique rum, Madeira and apricot brand barrels.

Buy the pack from Barrell Craft Spirits.

Stranahan’s Diamond Peak Single Malt Whiskey ($78)

An annual release from American single malt producer Stranahan’s, Diamond Peak is two batches in, and both have been superb. 2023’s batch is a blend of 5- to 8-year-old single malt finished for more than two years in José Cuervo Reserva de Familia extra añejo casks. The tequila influence mingles with the single malt in a truly delightful way, resulting in a bright, fruity and complex whiskey.

Diamond Peak batch 2 features notes of agave, custard and plenty of fruit on the nose. The palate is truly complex, with notes of figs, peaches and cream, lemon-lime, strawberry ice cream, vanilla, caramel, fresh mint, pepper and oak. The finish is long with plenty of tequila character, basil, dark chocolate, spearmint, brown sugar, blueberry pie and vanilla ice cream.

A truly remarkable and distinctive whiskey, Diamond Peak is a perfect gift for any whiskey lover, but bonus points if they also enjoy a good tequila!

Buy Stranahan’s Diamond Peak Batch 2 from Stranahan’s.

$90-$169.99

Oban Distiller’s Edition ($95)

This whisky ranges pretty mightily in price. While the distillery lists it as having a $95 suggested retail price, certain retailers sell it for upwards of $150. Its average price in the wild is somewhere between those two numbers (probably $110-$120). If you can find it for around retail, definitely snatch it up.

This light, complex whisky is bottled at 86 proof. On the nose, it’s bright and fresh, with notes of apples, pears, honey, sweet cream, cinnamon and some nuttiness. On the palate, it has a pleasant mouthfeel, plenty of nutty character with walnut and almond flavors, plus oak, cherry, a kiss of peat, honey, toffee and apple tart. The finish is long with more oak, toffee and cinnamon, plus dark chocolate-covered almonds.

Find Oban Distiller’s Edition at a Total Wine near you.

Widow Jane Decadence ($100)

A perfect gift for any bourbon lover with a sweet tooth, Decadence is a 10-year-old expression from the Brooklyn-based Widow Jane. This bourbon is finished in maple syrup barrels, which adds a great maple touch to the flavor profile.

If you’re concerned about Decadence delving into sickeningly sweet territory, however, fear not: This bourbon delivers stellar is far from a syrupy sweet maple bomb, with plenty of oak, maple and spice notes balancing each other out.

Click here to read our review of this bourbon.

Order Widow Jane Decadence from Drizly.

1-Month Subscription to the Whiskey Raiders Bottle of the Month Club ($124.99)

Balcones Cataleja Texas Single Malt ($132.99)

Released to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Waco, Texas distillery Balcones, Cataleja is an American single malt whiskey aged for three years in ex-Kentucky bourbon barrels before being finished in a blend of Moscatel, Amontillado Dulce, Oloroso and Palo Cortado sherry casks.

Cataleja is a heavy, layered and incredibly complex whiskey. Each sherry cask imparts different flavors, and Cataleja is equal parts rich, savory, spicy, dark and deep as a result.

American single malt whiskey is an exploding category, and this is a great example of a terrific single malt with a wildly interesting cask finishing process.

Buy Balcones Cataleja from ReserveBar, and use code “whiskeyraiders20” for a $20 discount off your order!

Homesick Blues Minnesota Wheated Bourbon Whiskey + Mixing Up The Medicine Bundle ($149.99)

Released in October, this bourbon from Bob Dylan’s brand, Heaven’s Door, was aged for seven years in Minnesota as an homage to Dylan’s birthplace. The whiskey, named Homesick Blues, is a wheated bourbon bottled at a cask-strength 122.7 proof.

The whiskey is really very nice. It’s got some nice heat to it but certainly isn’t too hot to handle. It packs in loads of dessert character with a hearty dose of oak joined by a big cherry note, as well as brown sugar, honey, waffle cone, crème brûlée, butterscotch, fudge and a kiss of orange peel on the finish.

The limited-edition Homesick Blues Minnesota Wheated Bourbon Bundle comprises a bottle of the whiskey; a copy of Dylan’s new biography, “Bob Dylan: Mixing Up The Medicine”; and a custom box with a copy of Bob Dylan’s original handwritten lyrics to “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.”

This bundle is the perfect gift for any Dylan fan.

The bundle is available here for $149.99, or the whiskey alone can be ordered here for $79.99.

$170 and Up

Chicken Cock Red Stave Petite Sirah Barrel Finish ($199.99)

Released in September 2023, Chicken Cock Red Stave is a Kentucky straight bourbon finished in Petite Sirah barrels from California vineyard J. Wilkes. The bottle comes housed in a tin — a nod to Chicken Cock’s storied roots based in Prohibition, when the brand’s whiskey was smuggled in tin cans to speakeasies like the Cotton Club.

Red Stave is excellently balanced in regards to whiskey vs. wine. Sweet on the nose with honey, char, baking spice and red berries, Red Stave has a palate the winds together cocoa, baking pice, honey, vanilla bean, toffee and berries. The finish is long with toffee, root beer, light oak and more red fruits.

Click here to read our review.

Joseph A. Magnus Cigar Blend Bourbon ($199.99)

A highly sought-after whiskey, finding Cigar Blend at its suggested retail price of $199.99 can be tricky, but it might just be worth the hunt. This bourbon was designed specifically to be paired with a fine cigar, and it’s one hell of a bottle. Cigar Blend takes Joseph Magnus Bourbon and blends it with 11- and 18-year-old whiskeys. Cigar Blend is finished in Armagnac casks.

Cigar Blend is rich and lovely with notes of leather, tobacco, caramel, ginger, clove, caramel, toffee, praline, butterscotch, crème bruleee, cherry cordials and nutmeg.

Click here to read our review.

Questlove x The Balvenie The Craft of Holiday Entertaining Advent Calendar 

Scotch Whisky brand The Balvenie teamed up with six-time GRAMMY-winning musician, Academy Award-winning filmmaker and New York Times best-selling author Questlove to release this holiday advent calendar, which contains 12 items, including a limited-edition deck of Quest for Craft playing cards, Glencairn tasting glasses, holiday chocolates and a QR code to redeem a bottle of The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 scotch whisky.

Purchase the advent calendar here.

Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon 2023 Finished in Port Wine Barrels ($229.99)

A delight every year, Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon is a tremendous whiskey. Angel’s Envy’s base whiskey has a great formula, but it’s handicapped by a relatively low proof. The cask-strength edition takes away that concern. Bottled at 59.1% ABV, this year’s edition is the first to come from Angel’s Envy’s new master distiller, Owen Martin.

This delicious bourbon features heavy caramel and figs on the nose. The palate is viscous and rich with honey, caramel, plum, fig, tobacco and cracked pepper. The finish is long and rich with Luxardo cherry, bold oak, sweet cream and some pleasant spice.

Click here to read our review.

Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon 2023 launched to retailers in all 50 states at the start of December, so if you’re up for it, get out there and hunt a bottle!

Join the Whiskey Raiders Bottle of the Month Club, where you will receive hard-to-find bottles curated by Whiskey Raiders staff with a 90+ rating on whiskeyraiders.com plus live virtual tastings. Sign up here!