Whiskey is the gift that keeps on giving\u2026 at least for 25 ounces. After that, you\u2019ve done your job and people can buy their own whiskey. But with so many options on the shelf, it\u2019s tough to know what\u2019s worth buying. We\u2019re here to help.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Unfortunately, we\u2019re flying blind in terms of what the fortunate recipient of your gift likes to drink. You might be too. The list below isn\u2019t meant to be the best whiskeys or the toughest to find bottles, although we do have a solution for the latter. It\u2019s meant to cross all palates and give people options they may not have tried before. Best-case scenario, your friend\/boss\/lover cracks the bottle open on the spot and shares it with you.<\/p>\n Baker\u2019s is the red-headed stepchild of the Jim Beam small batch collection. It doesn\u2019t get the notoriety of Knob Creek or Basil Hayden let alone Bookers. It just sits there on the shelf, quietly being delicious. Now it\u2019s looking to step into the spotlight with the Baker\u2019s Exclusive Selection, a limited-time offering of extra-aged bourbon. Baker\u2019s has been a single barrel offering since 2019 at a minimum of 7 years old, but this Exclusive Selection boasts nearly 12 years. You can taste the difference, too. Extra time led to more complexity without heading into over-oaked territory. <\/p>\n Not available online \u2013 $100<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Quick \u2013 name a pig. There\u2019s a 99% chance you just thought of Wilbur or Babe. That might change be about to change. Muckety Muck is a 25-year-old single-grain scotch, the latest from Diegeo\u2019s orphan barrel series, and it\u2019s allegedly named after a particularly virile pig at the Port Dundas Distillery. The distillery has been closed for over a decade, but the barrels that remained when it was shuttered are still making their way to market. Muckety Muck is a follow-up \u2013 and improvement on \u2013 the 24-year-old version released under the same name last year. <\/p>\n Reserve \u2013 $300<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Forget the phrase, \u201caddition by subtraction.\u201d Wiseman proves that sometimes addition by addition is the way to go. This unique whiskey blends Kentucky Owl\u2019s 4-year-old wheat and high-rye bourbons \u2014 this is the first of their products to use whiskey they distilled \u2014 with 5.5-year and 8.5-year-old Kentucky-sourced bourbons. The result is a very approachable bourbon that\u2019s unique enough for the sophisticated palate but easy enough for the novice. It\u2019s also the only way to get a bottle from Kentucky Owl without spending $120+. <\/p>\n Reserve \u2013 $58<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Come for Nick Offerman<\/strong><\/a>. Stay for great whisky. If you like peated whiskey but prefer the edge of the campfire instead of standing on the logs, Lagavulin might be just the right lane. Lagavulin 16 is the flagship product and for good reason. It\u2019s the sort of whisky you can sit around and ponder. Which sounds pretentious as hell, until you find yourself actually just sitting around sipping it for 30 minutes, trying to figure out exactly what all those bold, sweet, and spicy flavors are. It\u2019s an exercise in pairing patience with excitement as you anxiously away each new sip. <\/p>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.boozist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Bakers_Exclusive_Selection_Bourbon.jpg?resize=600%2C1200&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\nBaker\u2019s Exclusive Selection<\/h3>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.boozist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Muckety_Muck_25_Orphan_Barrel_Scotch.jpg?resize=300%2C600&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\nMuckety Muck<\/h3>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.boozist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Wiseman_Kentucky_Owl.jpg?resize=600%2C1200&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\nKentucky Owl Wiseman<\/h3>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.boozist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Lagavulin_16_Year.jpg?resize=300%2C600&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\nLagavulin 16<\/h3>\n