Holiday Gift Guide - Bourbon

Now that the holiday season is in full swing, you might be asking yourself, “With all the supply chain issues this year, how am I going to find special bottles for everybody?”  Have no fear, we’re here to help solve the problem!

At this point in the year, a lot of stores are often sold out of the most sought-after items.  Items that are usually available throughout the year start becoming scarce with each passing day in December, which means the clock is ticking, let’s get to it.

As usual in this space, we go ahead and get rid of the thought of getting that impossible-to-find bottle for your loved one.  It is a game that is played to the very end of the season and can leave you empty-handed if you aren’t careful to have a plan B, or this year, Plans B through G.

I’ve always found that the best place to start when buying a bottle for someone is to decide how much money you are going to spend on the gift.  Honestly, I’d suggest deciding on a low-end and high-end spending range, as something great could be just over the limit you have in place.  This should help you narrow down the available options at hand while shopping.

This holiday season, things are seemingly harder to get than ever, so I’m going to attempt to focus on bottles and brands that should be available.  Angels Envy is always a great gifting bottle.  The bottle is sharp, and the liquid is good, a great combination for any gift.  Makers Mark 46 and Makers Mark Liquor Barn Personal Selection bottles are easy to find in our stores. They both are in a great-looking bottle and the liquid is good.

The Makers Mark Personal Selections are a great way to treat that bourbon explorer in your life, there are typically multiple versions of this available in our stores, so you can gift someone more than one type if you choose, who wouldn’t love that?  Peerless Bourbon, going out around 5 years old these days, is a great bottle with good liquid.  A new option is the William Tarr line-up of bourbons. They have 3 different proofs and ages, 94 proof and 114 proof are the main bottles, but there is also a 12yr Manchester Reserve.  Also, the William Tarr bourbons are only found in Kentucky these days, so if you need a bottle for someone out of state, these are your bottles!  A few other brands that fit the bill would be Jefferson Small Batch or Reserve, Four Roses Single Barrel or Small Batch Select, Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series, or Discovery Series.

Here are a few brands that are great for gifting, but they do come and go quickly, but it is possible to find them if you’re lucky.  Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel or 10yr Small Batch, Wild Turkey Rare Breed or Kentucky Spirit, Smoke Wagon Bourbons, and Penelope Bourbons.

Again, these haven’t been on the shelves every day, but we have been getting them here and there and you can find them if you keep looking.

I would be remiss if I did not mention another great gift option for enthusiasts and beginners alike would be a Liquor Barn selected single barrel.  The liquid in these bottles comes from single barrel bourbons that Liquor Barn had the opportunity to taste and decide which barrel we liked best.  Each store has a designated area where these single-barrel selections can be found.  Each bottle has a label, or a medallion, that indicates that it was hand-picked by Liquor Barn.  These selections are always unique and are sure to please the bourbon, rye, or tequila drinker in our lives.

Hopefully, these suggestions and tips will help you get through the gauntlet this holiday season.

Cheers! Have a safe and successful holiday season!

Brad Williams
Liquor Barn-Party Mart-DEP’s
Bourbon Master
Vice President – Purchasing & Product Development