Father's Day Whiskies For All Sorts of Dads

Updated June 13, 2024

Father’s Day is this Sunday, and there’s no better time to celebrate the father figures in our lives. If your dad appreciates a great dram, then odds are there’s a whisky that ties to his other interests, be it a love of cars, the great outdoors, music, or other things. A bottle of whisky goes a long way in letting dad know how much you appreciate him.

History Buff Dad

Shackleton Blended Malt Scotch, 40% ABV, $35
This blended Highland malt is inspired by the whisky that Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton left behind during a failed bid to reach the South Pole in 1907.

George Washington’s Straight Rye, 43% ABV, $188/375 ml
Researchers discovered the original recipe for Washington’s whiskey in his ledgers from 1798 and 1799—he used a mashbill of 60% rye, 35% corn, and 5% malted barley. Today, that same recipe is made at Mount Vernon Distillery, on the site of Washington’s home.

Grilling Dad

Peg Leg Porker 8 year old Bourbon, 45% ABV, $50
Barbecue legend Carey Bringle (pitmaster of award-winning restaurant Peg Leg Porker) made this whiskey as a companion to barbecue and puts it through hickory charcoal in a special twist on the Lincoln County Process (link).

Ardbeg BizarreBQ Single Malt Scotch, 50.9% ABV, $85
A combination of Ardbeg’s signature smoke and the meatiest of flavors, this single malt was dreamt up by Ardbeg’s director of whisky creation Dr. Bill Lumsden and barbecue aficionado Christian Stevenson aka DJ BBQ.

Outdoorsy Dad

Yellowstone Select Bourbon, 46.5% ABV, $50
Limestone Branch, Yellowstone’s distiller, donates a portion of the whiskey’s proceeds to the National Parks Conservation Association, an organization dedicated to keeping America’s national parks safe for future generations.

Westland Colere 3^rd Edition American Single Malt, 50% ABV, $150
All of Westland’s single malts pull directly from their Pacific Northwest surroundings, and this newly released whiskey specifically highlights a unique, locally grown strain of barley.

Sea Faring Dad

O.H. Ingram River Aged Bourbon (Barge IN068518), 52.5%, $70
As the name implies, this bourbon matured on a floating rickhouse that’s set upon a barge by the banks of the Mississippi River. Its exposure to a wide range of environmental changes all combine to create a striking flavor profile.

Jefferson’s Ocean Aged Rye, 48% ABV, $80
This rye spent an undisclosed amount of time on ships that traveled to ports throughout the world. Jefferson’s founder Trey Zoeller previously collaborated with OCEARCH, a nonprofit that studies and tracks marine species within the world’s oceans, to test the impact of a ship’s constant rocking on the contact between the bourbon and the wood.

Car Guy Dad

Jack Daniel’s McLaren Racing 2023 Limited Edition Tennessee whiskey, 40% ABV, $33
This bottle was released in celebration of Formula One (F1) racing; the whiskey inside is Jack’s classic Old No. 7, but the packaging will appeal to fathers who are fans of McLaren.

Bowmore Masters’ Selection 22 year old Single Malt Scotch, 51.5% ABV, $450
The latest release from collaborative partners Bowmore and English automaker Aston Martin (now in their third year of collaboration), this whisky celebrates the synergy between the two brands by marrying whiskies that have been aged in two types of casks, and come from two distillation years.

Sports Fan Dad

Dewar’s The Champion’s Edition 19 year old Blended Scotch, 43% ABV, $75
This is a continuation of Dewar’s ongoing partnership with the U.S. Open Golf Championship; the 2023 release blends up to 40 grain and malt whiskies, and is then aged in red wine casks from Napa Valley. A portion of the proceeds will go to the United States Golf Association.

Gentleman’s Cut Bourbon, 45% ABV, $80
Is your dad a Steph Curry fan? If so, this whiskey might just be the perfect gift for him—it’s the NBA star’s first foray into spirits through his new company, Game Changer Distillery, in partnership with Kentucky’s Boone County Distilling Co.

Music Loving Dad

Slane Irish whiskey, 40% ABV, $30
Through his whiskey, Slane, co-founder Alex Conyngham—who grew up watching the Rolling Stones, U2, and more play live at his home, Slane Castle, as part of the Slane concert series—looks to bring whiskey and music lovers together.

Blackened x Wes Henderson White Port Wine Cask Finished Bourbon, 58.1% ABV, $100
All Blackened whiskeys are exposed to low hertz frequencies of Metallica’s music, and this one is no different; what does it make special, however, is that it’s a collaborative effort between Blackened master distiller and blender Rob Dietrich and Wes Henderson, the retired co-founder of Angel’s Envy.

Coffee Snob Dad

Jameson Cold Brew, 30% ABV, $25
Though technically not a whiskey, this spin on classic Jameson sees the whiskey infused with roasted Arabica beans for strong coffee flavors of cacao, praline, and dark toffee.

The Macallan Harmony Collection Intense Arabica Single Malt Scotch, 44% ABV, $185
Macallan whisky maker Steven Bremner created this whisky (and another, Smooth Arabica) out of an appreciation for the fact that coffee and whisky share many traits, from creation to flavor to mixability.

Movie Buff Dad

Bushmills Prohibition Recipe Irish whiskey, 46% ABV, $30
If your dad watched Peaky Blinders, this whiskey is for him—it was released in homage to the show’s final season.

Johnnie Walker Black Director’s Cut, 49% ABV, $90
Made in collaboration with Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villeneuve, this blend comes 35 years after the core Johnnie Walker Black Label showed up in the original Blade Runner.

Literary Dad

Writers Tears Cask Strength (2023 Release), 54.8% ABV, $160
A cask-strength blend from Ireland’s Walsh Whiskey, full-bodied and packed with flavor.

Hemingway Signature Edition Rye, 51% ABV, $80
Finished in sherry casks seasoned with rum, No. 13 on our Top 20 Whiskies of the Year list for 2023. Made in Kentucky in partnership with the family of Ernest Hemingway.

High West A Midwinter Night’s Dram Blend of Straights Port Barrel Finished Act II, Scene 1, 49.3% ABV, $150
A port barrel-finished rye that’s a toast to the Bard.

Compass Box Vellichor, 44.6% ABV, $150
Vellichor is a word that describes the nostalgic scent of old books, this one is truly dedicated to literary types.

Smoky Whisky Dad

Whiskey Del Bac Frontera, 48.5% ABV, $90
Mesquite smoke permeates this sherried gem from Tucson, Arizona.

Glenglassaugh Portsoy 49.1% ABV, $75
A peated sibling to Glenglassaugh’s Sandend and 12 year old, somewhat more gentle than most Islay whiskies.

Cigar Loving Dad

Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve, 44% ABV, $180
Perfect with a cigar, aged in cabernet sauvignon barriques, bourbon barrels, and Matusalem Oloroso sherry casks.

McCarthy’s 6 Year Old Oloroso Cask Finished (2023 Limited Release),56% ABV, $120
From Oregon-based Hood River Distillers, offering lots of smoke-filled flavors of grilled meats, plus cherry, chocolate, and spice.

Old Elk Cigar Cut Island Blend, 55.8% ABV, $130
Three whiskeys aged at least 6 years and finished for 2 years in port, sherry, sauternes, and rum barrels. Rich in flavor and perfect for pairing with cigars.

Adventurous Whisky Drinker Dad

Kavalan Triple Sherry, 43% ABV, $100
From Taiwan, aged in a combination of PX, oloroso, and muscatel sherry casks.

Indri Dru Cask Strength, 57.2% ABV, $85
Hot weather aging for this whisky from India, matured in bourbon barrels.

Pokeno Exploration Series No. 3 Triple Distilled, 49% ABV, $100
From one of New Zealand’s few single malt makers, and the whiskies have scored well.

Golfing Dad

Loch Lomond the Open Special Edition, 46% ABV, $45
Made to mark this year’s British Open golf tournament at Royal Troon, Scotland. Loch Lomond has been the official spirit of the Open since 2018.

Elijah Craig Small Batch PGA Release 2024, 47% ABV, $37
An Elijah Craig special edition celebrating the PGA championship tournament, which took place in Louisville back in May.

Beer Nerd Dad

Bardstown Bourbon Co. Collaborative Series Goose Island Bourbon County Stout Finished, 50% ABV, $160
Bardstown’s beer cask-finished bourbon using barrels from Goose Island Brewery in Chicago.

Westward Stout Cask American Single Malt, 46% ABV, $90
Oregon-based Westward leans into cask finishing, and this one is finished for 1 year in stout casks from an undisclosed Oregon brewer.

The Whistler Imperial Stout Cask Finish Batch 003 Irish, 43% ABV, $40
This from Ireland whiskey maker Boann is finished in stout casks from Lough Gill Brewery in Sligo.

Dessert-Loving Dad

George Dickel 12 Year Old Bottled In Bond Tennessee Whiskey (Spring 2011 Vintage), 50% ABV, $33
Another blockbuster Dickel BIB, with sweet notes perfect for dessert.

Glenmorangie 16 year Old The Nectar, 46% ABV, $100
Glenmorangie’s revamped update on Nectar d’Or, with a higher age statement.

Whisky Collecting Dad

Compass Box The Extinct Blends Quartet Celestial, 50% ABV, $375
The fourth and final whisky in the Compass Box Extinct Blends Quartet, all of which notched 90+ scores.

Old Fitzgerald Very Very Special Bottled In Bond, 50% ABV, $230
Containing whiskey distilled at owner Heaven Hill’s Bernheim Distillery in Louisville back in 1999.

Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Triumph, 52%, $275
A 10 year old rye that’s the oldest age-stated rye ever released by Wild Turkey.