No matter where you are in the world, the appreciation of fathers, grandfathers, stepparents, and paternal figures is celebrated universally through the medium of a dedicated day, Father’s Day.
We’ve compiled the ultimate guide of unusual whisky gifts to celebrate the occasion, looking at the origins of Father’s Day, and the perfect whiskies for gifting.
The origins of Father’s Day in the Western world reach back to the turn of the early 20th century, to 1908 where a church in West Virginia, United States, held a vigil for 362 men who had died tragically in a coal mining accident. This was the first recorded formal recognition of only fathers.
It was intended that this remembrance would be celebrated only once, but in the next year, a woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd campaigned to establish Father’s Day as a national holiday, to mirror Mother’s Day, which had been celebrated in part since the 1860s. Dodd came from a family of six siblings, raised by her single father – and fought to have her father honoured in the same way as a maternal counterpart. Dodd’s campaigning ultimately succeeded, and the first official Father’s Day was celebrated on the 19th of June 1910.
Whilst many countries around the world have adopted the third Sunday in June as the day of celebration, in the far east, Father’s Day is also widely celebrated on the 8th of August. The origins of Father’s Day in the far east follow a similar theme – created during the years of World War II to honour fathers and soldiers lost during the war. The 8th of August was selected as when the date is shortened, it sounds like the informal word in Mandarin for father.
Why do we gift Whisky on Father’s Day?
Over time, whisky has become synonymous with Father’s Day gifting – but the act of gifting whisky in itself is symbolic.
Whisky has long enjoyed a history of gifting – and if we delve into Scottish history, we often find whisky recorded as presented by Clan leaders to others as a token of friendship and trust. In many cultures beyond Scotland, it is intended to impart goodwill, wishes of success and good luck, making it a natural contender for gifting.
Of course, for many, gifting a whisky on Father’s Day is an act of sincere appreciation – and what better way to celebrate your loved one, than with a truly unique and unusual whisky gift? We’ve compiled our selection of exceptional and rare whiskies, fit for a king.
Uncover Silent Distilleries within The Lost Estate
A glorious grain whisky is always sure to satisfy a sweet tooth, but The Lost Estate, a 43-Year-Old Blended Grain Scotch Whisky from the Legacy Collection yields two secrets. Within this bottling, is a marriage of two now-silent distilleries – an incredibly rare and coveted blend.
This characteristic blend has birthed a rich, estery release, redolent of pear drops, barley sugar and mandarins. Bottled at a natural cask strength, this expression is offered as the distiller intended – free from added colour and chill filtration. Just 564 bottles are available of this release, before it is lost to history for good.
Discover Whisky Making Techniques Lost within Blended at Birth
When shopping for the whisky connoisseur, it can be a challenge to find a whisky they’ve never tried before – but Blended at Birth, a 1965 Vintage Blended Scotch Whisky, from the Charles Gordon collection is almost certainly up to the task.
Considered to be one of the first, and very likely the last of its kind, this vintage was blended as a new make – a technique now prohibited by Scotch Whisky law. After its unconventional blending, this whisky has slumbered for over half a lifetime in ex-bourbon American Oak, giving way to notes of marzipan, fruit cake, and tannin-rich herbal tea, with a minty aftertaste.
This release is extremely limited, with just 192 bottles available worldwide – and once its gone, this piece of living history is gone forever.
Start The Next Chapter the Right Way
Our relationships with our parents mature over time, and for many of us form deep, rich friendships - they transform as families grow, and father figures transition into grandfathers. This evolution is the perfect analogy for The Next Chapter, a 50-Year-Old Blended Scotch Whisky from the Charles Gordon collection.
This expression was distilled in 1972, and initially aged to near perfection within a combination of American and European Oak. Perhaps rather controversially, on the cusp of perfection, the spirit then embarked upon a new chapter, with an unconventional secondary finishing period in active ex-bourbon barrels.
This bold decision by the blender led to the emergence of fresh vigour in an already weighty blend – yielding layers of complexity in the final spirit – bursting with chewy toffee sweetness, Seville orange and marmalade on the palate.
This extremely limited bottling of just 157 reminds us of the power of new beginnings – and that it’s never too late to embark on the next chapter.
Connect with an Era Gone By within A Singular Blend
Just as our roots dig deep through the family tree, the provenance of a single distillery is the heritage of its whisky. Within A Singular Blend, a 1963 Vintage Blended Scotch Whisky from the Charles Gordon collection, lies a marriage of true signature style thanks to the malt and grain components within the blend stemming from the same distillery, distilled within the same year.
Singular blends are extremely rare by nature, but with a maturation of 58 years in American Oak, this level of age makes this particular bottling entirely unprecedented and unique in its nature.
Just 74 bottles of this connection to an era gone past are left – and with such a lengthy maturation, rewards the palate with butterscotch sweetness combined with waxy fruit, showcasing the remarkable complexity than can yield from one single point of origin.
Who Knows What the Unknown Holds?
A bottle for the dads who are self-confessed amateur sleuths, The Unknown, a 44-Year-Old Blended Scotch Whisky from the Charles Gordon collection, has many secrets still to tell.
Little is known about this well aged whisky – except for a few key details:
- Distilled in 1978
- Blended in 1989
- An extensive secondary maturation for 33 years
- Secondary maturation took place in a single refill sherry butt.
Although little is known, one thing is conclusive: this is a blend of exceptional quality – and a prime example of the boons that the unknown future can hold.
Rich in spice, sweetness, and treacle, only 143 bottles of this mysterious expression are available worldwide.
Unusual Whisky Gifts – Picking the Perfect Gift with Our Whisky Concierge
There are many treasures within the House of Hazelwood to discover for Father’s Day, but if you have a vision of an unusual whisky gift in mind, our Whisky Concierge bespoke service would be delighted to assist you and help to make it a reality– simply get in touch via our dedicated form.
