A whisky expert offers Father’s Day gift inspiration for everyone from the connoisseur to the curious.
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Let’s talk Father’s Day. Or rather, let’s talk Father’s Day, dads, and whisky.
Does your dad like a wee dram? Maybe he’s curious to discover more but unsure where to start. Or, perhaps you are a dad hoping to receive a gift more inspiring than socks this year?
If so, read on, and feel free to forward this article to your designated gift buyer. As they say, if you don’t ask, you don’t get.
“There’s a whisky out there for everybody”
No matter where you or your dad stand on whisky, we discovered it can inspire a host of great gift ideas for Father’s Day on Sunday 16 June.
The world of whisky can be intimidating especially if you don’t know your way around, so we brought in an expert to guide us. We spoke to James Rogerson from Annandale Distillery to discover gift ideas that will blow your (Father’s Day) socks off, and asked him for some tips on how to delve into the world of whisky like a pro.
“A common thing I hear is ‘I don’t like whisky’,” said James, who is the bulk inventory and compliance specialist for Annandale Distillery in Annan.
“But I always say there’s a whisky out there for everybody. It might sound cliched, but there really is. It’s a case of trying as many as you possibly can and you’ll find one that clicks.”
When it comes to the single malt versus blended debate, James insists you should stay open minded. He said: “Some people take the approach of ‘single malts are all I want to drink’. Actually, there are some cracking blended whiskies out there that need to be tried, and Annandale Distillery’s Storyman is one of them.”
Buy Father’s Day whisky online
A perfect starting point for a Father’s Day gift, James told us more: “Storyman blended whisky is one we created in collaboration with actor James Cosmo.
“With Storyman, it not just the connection with James that makes it special. It’s that it’s a blended whisky that is interesting and has depth to it.”
Whether blended or single malt, James says the age of the whisky doesn’t necessarily equate to elevated character or taste.
He shared this expert tip: “When it comes to age statements on whisky, it’s much like adults – age isn’t always an indication of maturity! Don’t be afraid to try some younger whiskies.”
Annandale Distillery make two different types of single malts, Man o’ Words that’s a fruity fresh style named after Robert Burns, and Man o’ Swords, a more intense smoky style named to pay homage to Robert the Bruce.
Needless to say, both whisky’s make a great Father’s Day gift and are available to buy online with delivery straight to your, or your dad’s, front door.
And there are other great gift ideas available to buy online too. James said: “Our tasting packs are a great introduction to the distillery and are really popular. It’s a good way to get a feel for and an understanding for the different whisky and cask options that we do.
“We also offer vouchers for whisky tastings, and tours of the distillery can be booked online too.”
Casks, bottle filling and whisky afternoon tea
However, there are more ways to gift Annandale Distillery’s whisky, and they are sure to make your dad feel super extra special.
A visit to the distillery is a great way to spend a day and while you’re there, how about gifting your dad his very own cask of whisky? Or you can even let him fill his very own bottle.
James told us more about buying a cask. He said: “What usually happens is that you come to the distillery and have a tour, and part of that tour will be the filling of your cask. A few drams will be poured to ‘seal the deal’ and celebrate the filling.
“We can stencil text on the cask end to make it extra special and what you decide to stencil on your cask can also be used on the labels for the final bottles when you come to bottle your whisky.”
Buying a cask comes with long-term benefits. James explained: “A lot of our cask owners visit every year and request a cask sample to be drawn to have a taste to see how it’s progressing.
“The cask owners become part of our team and our distillery. The fact that we can facilitate everything from the barrel to the bottling in-house is really appealing to people.”
If your budget doesn’t quite stretch to a cask, then there is another option: “We also do a fill your own bottle too. You can fill your own bottle and have that photographed which is a nice touch.”
While you’re at the distillery, James’ advice is to really make a day of it. He said: “We’ve got a really good coffee shop here that does a whisky afternoon tea which is perfect for Father’s Day and can be booked online. You can do a tour and have a whisky afternoon tea, it’s a great day out.”
And after a day at the distillery, a good meal will be the order of the day. James has that covered too: “Annandale Distillery also own The Globe Inn nearby in Dumfries, it does incredible Michelin level food, so you’re sorted for dinner too!”
Annandale Distillery can help you make the most of a Father’s Day whether you visit or order online. Questions? Contact the Annandale team at info@annandaledistillery.com
Annandale Distillery, Northfield, Annan, DG12 5LL
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