Need a last-minute gift suggestion for the bourbon lover in your life? Read this first!

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Our readers have been sending us messages more than usual lately asking what bottles they can buy the bourbon lover in their life. So let us answer this question from the perspective of a gift recipient whose spouse also complains that they don’t know what to get them. Hopefully with this guide you can find a way to see them crack a smile when they open up their present on Christmas Day (or whatever holiday you celebrate this time of year).

“Store Picks” are your friend

If you came to this article looking for advice on regular, everyday bottles to purchase, this is not that list. The truth is that if your recipient drinks bourbon and owns more than a dozen bottles, then you’d just be buying an extra bottle for them.

With that being said, store picks are the way to go. The concept is that producers have programs where they allow stores to select a single barrel of bourbon to sell only in their stores. These bottles will typically have a tag or a sticker saying “Picked by ____.” The allure of a bottle like this is that it will taste different (but still somewhat familiar) from the original product.

Imagine single barrel picks like ordering a standard pizza off the menu and then modifying it. Instead of green peppers, maybe you want banana peppers. Instead of red sauce, you substitute it with white sauce. Maybe you want ricotta cheese on the top. This is why single barrels are sought after – the pickers try to find barrels that have more fruit notes or are oakier or even sweeter – than the regular offerings.

If you’re still on the fence, I’ll also point out that there’s a low chance your gift recipient has that exact single barrel. The truth is that enthusiasts love to buy these picks, but there are so many out there that we could never buy/taste them all. I can almost guarantee if you get a store pick, it will be new to them.

To make the best possible decision, use Facebook, Yelp or Google Reviews to find the best independently owned liquor stores in your area. Chances are high that they have a store pick of something. Even if you live in a control state (Ohio, Virginia, Idaho, Alabama, North Carolina, etc), they should have store picks.

Store Picks – Part II

If I’ve sold you on the idea of finding a single barrel store pick, you might want to pick a bottle similar to what the gift recipient likes to drink. Do they like Wild Turkey? There are a few options for single barrels including Wild Turkey Private Selection, Kentucky Spirit or Russell’s Reserve you can choose from. Do they like Maker’s Mark? Maker’s Mark also has Private Selections. Four Roses does too (but these are admittedly hard to find due to their rarity). I can’t think of a single producer today that doesn’t have a single barrel pick program.

Finally, if you or your gift recipient like buying local, there is a growing number of local craft distilleries and producers spread across every state. Many of them even sell bottles at their gift shop (not all distilleries have a gift shop, though). Here in Indiana, I can find store picks of local craft producers like Starlight, Hard Truth, Spirits of French Lick, West Fork Whiskey Co, Hotel Tango and so many more. If you’re clueless about what local distilleries exist, simply enter “craft distillery near me” into Google Maps and I guarantee one will pop up near you.

Expensive Bottles – Know what you’re getting into before buying

One of the most common questions I hear people asking when they’re trying to find a gift bottle is “what’s the best bottle for $XXX?” This question is inherently hard to answer because producers realize people only want to buy bottles based on price alone. The number of $100-$250 bottles that have popped up over the last 5 years has skyrocketed. Among educated enthusiasts, we don’t understand why people would waste their time on them when they’re obviously no better than $50-80 bottles.

I’m not going to make fun of you for buying an expensive bottle for a loved one. I get it, you want to show that person how much you appreciate them by spending a dollar amount that shows them that. I’ve been there/done that myself. I wish that wasn’t how things were, but I acknowledge that’s how it works.

So let me guide you to the expensive bottles that genuinely are worth the money they’re charging just so you can feel better about buying it. I’ll split them into two groups. And if you’re wondering where you can find these, look for fancy display cases or shelves behind the counter where they can’t be easily stolen. These will rarely be on the shelf for you to pick up.

One last thing to note – the bottles on these lists are the most commonly found expensive bottles on liquor store shelves. There will be no allocated bottles on this list like Blanton’s, Stagg, EH Taylor, Birthday Bourbon, etc. It goes without saying that if you have the means to find these bottles on the secondary market, you probably aren’t looking at this list.

Best bottles to buy between $120 and $200

Fifteen Stars – Any bottle in this range

Knob Creek 18

Angel’s Envy – Cask Strength

Barrell – Gray Label Bourbon, Dovetail or Seagrass

Four Gate – Any bottle in this range

Little Book – Chapter 8 “Path Not Taken”

Worst Brands/Bottles to buy between $120 and $200

Blue Run – All bottles priced in this range

Borchetta

Chestnut Farms – Single Barrel Bourbon

Chicken Cock – All bottles priced in this range

Garrison Brothers Bourbon – All bottles priced in this range

Jefferson’s – All bottles priced in this range

Kentucky Owl – Takumi, Maighstir or St. Patrick’s Edition

Old Elk – Infinity Blend

Orphan Barrel – All bottles priced in this range

Penelope – All bottles priced in this range

Rabbit Hole – All bottles priced in this range

Rare Perfection – 14 or 15 Year Whiskey

St. Cloud – All bottles priced in this range

Sweetens Cove – Single Barrel or “22”

Very Olde St. Nick – All bottles priced in this range

Whistlepig – 12 Year Old World Rye Bespoke Blend

Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection

Best Bottles more than $200

Barrell – Seagrass Gold

Kentucky Owl – 10 Year Rye Whiskey

Remus Gatsby

Worst Bottles over $200

2XO – Gem of KY Bourbon

Kentucky Owl – Bourbon or Mardi Gras release

Lock Stock & Barrel – 18 or 21 Year Rye Whiskey

Chicken Cock – Chanticleer Bourbon Whiskey

Horse Soldier – Commanders Select VI

Hard Truth – Schoonover Hickory Smoked Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Whistlepig – 15 Year Rye Whiskey, 18 Year Double Malt Rye or 25 Year Malt Whiskey

Widow Jane – The Vaults Bourbon