The number 21 adds up to perfect Father’s Day whisky gifts. Here are three 21-year-old whiskies to match your dad

If your father is a whisk(e)y fan then Father’s Day is easy, right? Well, for many of us that’s actually mostly wrong. The bigger the whisky fan the harder it is to surprise them with something they will love. Father’s day is an extra special day for men (and father figures) that stands apart from birthdays or Christmas. It’s a chance to say well done, thanks and (sometimes) I’m sorry. Getting it right can last a lifetime. 

So how do you choose from the vast array of whisky on offer? Well, quality is always a lynchpin and a guarantee of quality can often come with age. That’s why we’ve selected three -year-old bottles from our shelves that we think would make a perfect Father’s Day whisky gift.

White Heather 21

Long before Scotland mastered the single malt, they were the kings and queens of blends. This masterful art has been overshadowed in recent years by the sheer demand for single malt. But letting an artform die is not in Scotland’s nature, so luckily Billy Walker and the team at Glenallachie have put the blend back in the spotlight. The White Heather range, a (currently) two-bottle series of 15 and 21-year-old blends is a superb blended revival. 

The 21-year-old has three malt elements – 23% malt from Speyside, 20% from the Highlands and 4% from Islay. The remaining 53% is a delicate and floral grain whisky. These each matured in first fill American, sherry butts and second-fill casks before being married. This marriage was then finished in a trio of PX, oloroso and chinquapin oak for three years. 

This complicated blend and finish results in a highly aromatic and flavourful whisky. With layers of honey, butterscotch, citrus and gentle hints of smoke, this release is a testament to the art of blending. 

Bushmills 21

This is a notoriously good 21-year-old from Bushmills in Northern Ireland. It’s the oldest of the brand’s core range and easily holds sway over its companion bottles. Matured in bourbon and oloroso sherry for 19 years, it is finished in madeira for a further two years. This decadent endgame  creates a truly individual character, stuffed with flavour.

The aroma is rich and elegant and serves to draw you in with notes of summer fruit, cacao and hazelnuts. It’s a heady brew that is underpinned by a wonderful palate. You can expect layers of chocolate, toffee and vanilla; with lots of dried raisin and ripe fruit coming from the Portuguese wine cask. 

Bottled at 40%, this is a gentle treat of a whiskey that fans of the Irish single malt will love. It’s a special occasion pour for sure, but then where Father’s Day whisky gifts are concerned, every day is a special occasion. 

Caperdonich 21 Peated

Released by Chivas Brothers as part of the Secret Speyside collection, this elegant 21-year-old single malt is a star among its peers. Secret Speyside focuses on whisky from lessor-known or lost Scottish distilleries from the Speyside region. There are four in the series – Caperdonich, Longmorn, Glen Keith and Braes of Glenlivet – each representing a different aspect of the Speyside whisky character. 

Caperdonich is the largest of the quartet, with six bottles released from this demolished and never-to-return Speyside distillery. Closed since 2002 and completely destroyed in 2011, any remaining stock is hugely popular and sought after.

Chivas Brothers say they chose this peated variant as it offers a gorgeous combination of fruit and smoke and also plugs directly into the Chivas personality. Bottled at 48%, the malt was matured in ex-bourbon for its full duration and captures tons of citrus, liquorice and burnt embers from its more than two decades in oak. 

Click here to view more of our Father’s Day whisky gift range