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Ten whisky gifts for €150 and less from Ireland, the US, Scotland and Japan

WHISKY GIFTS

In the first of a series of guides to whisky gifts for Christmas, we round up some terrific collectibles for €150 or less

Buying for a whisky fan can be complicated but our Christmas guides to whisky gifts are here to help. We’ll be rounding up a selection of some of our favourite bottles at different price points for you to savour. We start here with the €150-and-less price guide with ten bottles from four whisky producing countries.

IRELAND

Writers’ Tears Cask Strength

Walsh Whiskey, the makers of this cask strength Writers’ Tears release, is exciting because they engage with the arts, rather than simply using it as a marketing ploy. In the past, they’ve financially supported Sweny’s Pharmacy, of James Joyce’s Ulysses fame, as well as independent filmmakers and others. It underlines their intentions, and so, when they come up with a great cask strength whiskey we take notice too.

This 11th edition of Writers’ Tears is a marriage of Single Pot Still and Single Malt, resulting in a rich, spicy and sweet whiskey. There’s no age statement but at 54.2% ABV you can expect tons of flavour and a full body. There were 6,000 bottles released – 1,500 for the US and 4,500 for the rest of the world. Put it on your whisky gifts list – it will kick start a great collection.

Athru Keshcorran 14

Trilogies make excellent collectibles and this 14-year old triple-distilled single malt from Lough Gill Distillery in Sligo proves the case.

The team at Lough Gill borrowed an old-favourite of the crowned palaces of Europe, Hungarian Tokaji wine, when they set out to add a touch of distinction to Athrú Keshcorran. They finished the third in their trilogy of single malts in a Tokaji cask. The third release in the Creation Trilogy, it was aged for a total of 14 years: 11 in ex-Bourbon and a further three in Tokaji.

The master blender overseeing it all, Scotsman Billy Walker, has plenty of experience with the magic that Tokaji can bring to a whiskey. He’s worked with these casks on a number of his Scotch bottlings with fantastic results. This is a triple-distilled single malt and bottled at 48%.

Teeling Renaissance 18

This is the fourth release in the Renaissance series and another wonderful example of the quality of single malt that Teeling produce, following on from its World’s Best Single Malt win in 2019. The Renaissance series launched that year too and this fourth edition was aged in ex-Bourbon before a final two years in former Pineau des Charantes fortified red wine casks.

Bottled at 46%, it’s beautifully packaged in a large decanter-style bottle and presentation box. Teeling is hugely collectible and a firm favourite with fans all over the world.

THE US

Woodford Reserve Brandy Finish

Woodford Reserve is proud owner of the Master’s Collection, an annual experimental series that releases a new whiskey each year. It’s a great series to collect because it’s not hugely expensive and the distillery tries something new with each edition.

The edition featured here is a straight Kentucky bourbon that had been finished for two years in an American brandy cask, giving it a rich and decadent finish that is incredibly flavoursome and quite rare in the category. Bottled at 90.4 proof (45.2% ABV) the brany finish was the 11th bottle in the Master’s Collection and has a mashbill of 72% corn, 18% rye and 10% malted barley. Fans of this series love the innovation it releases into the Bourbon category. Put it on your whisky gifts list.

SCOTLAND

Benrinnes Old Malt Cask 19

The great thing about the Douglas Laing single cask bottlings is that they give you access to great whisky for really affordable prices.

This 19-year-old single malt is part of the independent bottlers’ Old Malt Cask range and was produced in the hundreds rather than the thousands of bottles. This makes it really collectible. Matured for 19 years in refill hogshead, it comes from the Speyside distillery of Benrinnes. Founded in 1826, this distillery is best known today for its 15-year-old single malt, so this single cask 19-year-old makes a great companion bottle.

You can expect a sweet, smooth and richly textured whisky with added wood influence from its extra years in cask.

Glen Scotia 18

The Glen Scotia distillery team is likely still celebrating its Best Whisky in the World win at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2021, making this a great distillery to follow.

Located in Campbeltown, the lesser-known but excellent whisky region of Scotland, it’s just one of three distilleries remaining in this once world-famous whisky landscape. This 18-year-old is a 46% single malt, vatted from a combination of ex-bourbon and refill American oak hogshead before being finished in an oloroso sherry cask. 

Glenmorangie Túsail Private edition

In Irish and Scots Gaelic, the word Túsail means the start or the origin. Although Glenmorangie don’t say it anywhere in their marketing, we can presume that the word here is used to reflect the traditional malting methods used to produce this whisky. Made using Maris Otter barley, it’s been floor-malted by hand in a way that most distilleries don’t do anymore, due to cost and efficiency.

The bottle was released in 2015, the sixth in the Private Edition series, which has been so well received by Glenmorangie fans. The highland distillery produced this whisky in very small numbers. It’s 46% ABV and the malt produces what Glenmorangie describes as a rich, rustic malty flavour that creates sweet summer fruits and a long spicy finish.

Cragganmore 20

Fans of this 20-year-old Speyside whisky say that it’s one of the few whiskies that they suggest adding water to – but they love it. A drop of water releases incredible aromas and significantly changes the whisky, they say.

At 53% ABV it’s a vibrant cask strength that matured in newly charred oak casks releasing lots of vanilla and autumn fruit flavours. It’s part of the 2020 edition of the Diageo Special Releases series, which always creates a buzz. This whisky vintage is from 1999 and helped Diageo repeat their Rare by Nature theme from the previous year. A great addition to your whisky gifts list.

Glendullan 20

This 20-year-old single malt was released by independent bottler Ian Macleod in 2019.

Founded in 1933, Ian MacLeod’s is among the biggest whisky companies in the world and has created some truly exciting partnership bottlings in Scotland. As part of its Dun Bheagan range it bottled this 54.5% cask strength Glendullan. Dun Bheagan is a series of single cask and small batch whiskies that are bottled from the cask.

It’s a fantastic series that constantly surprises, creating a real interest among collectors. This whisky was laid down in 1999 and the extra years in cask have given it a real punch and richness. 

JAPAN

Nikka Miyagikyo Single Malt

For anyone interested in exploring Japanese whisky, this is a great starting point. This non-age statement single malt is a vatting of a number of aged whiskies and has a delicate and floral personality.

Miyagikyo Distillery is over 50 years old and owned by the parent group Nikka. It celebrates lighter whiskies, with a smoother approach to flavour and nose than some of its Japanese contemporaries. There’s a sherry influence that layers a lot of sweetness through the whisky and you will experience a pleasant spiciness with honey, ginger and fruit. Bottled at 45% it’s a popular addition to any Japanese line-up. 

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