Spirits Gift Ideas for Men 50 and Over

Have someone hard to buy for? Someone who’s always wanted to learn more about whiskeys or already an avid collector? Maybe we can help with some suggestions and reviews for Whiskey Gift Ideas for Men 50 and Over. We can recommend these single-malts, blends and whiskeys from the entry level to collectibles for you. The good thing about a spirit’s gift basket is you can mix-and-match for just about any occasion!

Single Malts

Let’s start with the Single Malt Scotch, a whiskey produced from only water and malted barley from a single distillery and distilled in pot stills. You can read more about them in our blog here.

Novice

• Dalmore 12yr – From the Highland region, it features classic Highlands character of bold, powerful and peaty flavors. Aged in ex-Bourbon barrels then finished in ex-Oloroso Sherry casks, it has a sherried personality with aromas of citrus and dried fruits with just a hint of chocolate. On the palate, expect more notes of citrus with cinnamon spice and smoke. A great entry level single malt with excellent richness and sweetness.

Intermediate

• Highland Park Valkyrie – Sweetness on the nose with hints of citrus and spice and background notes of smoke and peat. On your palate expect more citrus and dried fruit mingling with sweet smoke and spices such as nutmeg and clove. The finish lingers with a subtle rush of peat. A great, valued malt with excellent balance, showcasing peat and smoke without overwhelming the rest of the whiskey.

 Connoisseur

• Glenmorangie Signet – This whiskey does not carry an age statement but rumored to feature a blending of some of Glenmorangie’s oldest stocks upwards of 40 years. On the nose expect chocolate and spice with dried fruits with a hint of sweetness. The palate transitions to flavors of chocolate orange, sweet spice and dried fruit with hints of tobacco, leather and a subtle nuttiness with a slightly dry finish. This is a special whiskey for a special person.

Blended Scotch

Next, we’ll cover blended scotch, a blend of one or more single malt whiskeys with one or more grain whiskey.

Novice

• Dewar’s 12yr – Light and fruity on the nose with aromas of spice and a honeyed sweetness. On the palate expect a touch of grain, spice and dried fruit with a hint of a honey sweetness. Finishes lightly smokey, sweet with a malt presence. An excellent entry level blend for pouring on the rocks or using in cocktails.

Intermediate

• Duncan Taylor 18yr – From an independent bottler, this is a blending of whiskies aged 18-35 years. Delicate and flora on the nose with spice and dried fruit with a hint of sweetness. On the palate the whiskey gets bolder with dried fruit, toasted oak, vanilla and sweet malt. The finish features nuttiness, vanilla and sweet malts

Connoisseur

• Johnnie Walker Blue – The king of Blended Scotch. This whiskey has notes of honey, smoke, spice with a light breadiness. The palate transitions to delicate citrus and spice, oak and grassiness with the smoke making itself known but not dominating. The finish is long and oaky with more dried fruit and honey with a touch of smoke.

Bourbons

Bourbon is an American distilled spirit made primarily of corn. You can find out more on our blog on Bourbon Whiskeys.

Novice

• 1792 – This is a classic American Bourbon. High rye content so expect spicy aromas with vanilla and a touch of oak. On the palate it remains spicy with the sweet vanilla helping keep things balanced. Some caramel undertones but overall a rather rich, toasty bourbon. The finish keeps the spice going with more vanilla sweetness. Excellent Bourbon to get your feet wet and makes excellent cocktails.

Intermediate

• Blanton’s – The original single barrel bourbon. Classic aromas of rye spice, vanilla and toasty oak with hints of citrus and some sweetness. The palate is rather similar to the nose with continuing citrus notes and hints of sweeter vanilla and caramel. The finish drys out a little, hitting with some floras, oak, and some nuttiness. A great gift idea with collectible bottles but can be difficult to find.

Connoisseur

• George T Stagg – Part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, this is a cask strength Bourbon. The nose is intense with alcohol, spice, vanilla and toffee with underlying oak notes. The palate continues with alcohol and spice with more sweet vanilla, tobacco, leather and some caramel. The finish is intense with vanilla and spice and quite a bit of A splash of water does wonders to keep the alcohol under control and allow the flavors to come through. Can be difficult to find. Aged for 16 years and ABV is usually higher than 60%.

Looking for that extra special something in your gift ideas for men? Try one of the collector spirits below:

Whiskey for the Collector

Old Rip Van Winkle (ORVW) and Pappy Van Winkle (PVW)

These are the white whales of the whiskey world. Produced in very small quantities and released only once per year. ORVW are the more affordable bottlings, released in a 10 year expression and a “Van Winkle Special Reserve” 12 year expression. PVW are substantially more expensive and highly sought after by collectors. Pappy is released in three different expressions: 15yr, 20yr, and a 23yr.

Buffalo Trace Antique Collection

Much like Pappy these see release once a year and can be rather difficult to find. The Antique Collection comprises 5 different whiskies: George T Stagg, William Larue Weller, Eagle Rare 17 Year-Old, Sazerac Rye 18 Year-Old and Thomas H. Handy Sazerac. These highly acclaimed whiskies make an excellent addition to any bar collection. <LINK TO WET BAR>

High West Midwinter Night’s Dram

The flagship rye from High West distillery. This is a limited release of High West’s Rendezvous Rye finished in port barrels. On the nose expect aromas of winter spice, dried fruit and floras. The palate features flavors of spice, vanilla, dried fruit and oak. The finish lingers with more spice, toasty oak and dried fruit. A limited release but with very high critical acclaim it is definitely worth the search.

Final Thoughts

Spirits are a great gift ideas for men for anytime of the year, be it Christmas, birthdays, anniversary’s or just for the thought! You can find a large selection of whiskeys for the special person in your life from entry level to collector, so feel free to browse our recommendations whenever you need. If you don’t see something here you need, or just want to pass on your own spirits experience, please reach out to Glen through our Contact page or leave a comment below. All the best, Glen!