At some point in our lives, we've all experienced what I'm going to call 'Gift Anxiety'. It's that feeling in the pit of your stomach when Christmas/ Valentine's / a birthday etc. is approaching and you still haven't had that brilliant idea lightbulb moment where you just know exactly what you're going to get your awaiting recipient.
I can't say I can cure that entirely, but if your giftee likes whisky/spirits I can give it a pretty good go! So, without further ado, here is my Valentine's Guide For Whisky Lovers;
The Perfect Bottle:
When gifting a bottle, it's important to find something that isn't necessarily available in your average supermarket. You need something a little more special, something unlikely to already be on their shelves. Valentine's Day calls for something fruity and exciting. The type of bottle that one sip bursting with flavour will make your tongue tingle. A whisky that has had a finishing period in a wine cask fits this description perfectly, so I'm going to give you some examples:
Apart from the sumptuous, rich purple box this comes in, this bottle from Tomatin is a perfect Valentine's choice for several reasons. Monbazillac wine is a sweet white variety, and its cask imparts a truly wonderful apple/ apricot tang to the liquid. This is from Tomatin's French Collection, a series where the distillery used more experimental French wine cask finishes to create whiskies with noteworthy flavours (what could be more romantic than a French winery eh?). Happily, this is actually currently on sale on our website, so check it out here if you fancy it!
Glenmorangie Bacalta is another solid choice. It's another bottle that's a little more 'out of the box' due to its finishing period in sun-baked Malmsey Madeira casks. The packaging is bold and mighty in its block orange colour, and the taste is so reminiscent of honeycomb, apricots and caramelised almonds that you'll almost be transported to a sunny day in Portugal yourself. In short, it is sweet, bright and unique, just like your date.
This was Balvenie's first attempt at finishing whisky in Pineau des Charentes casks, and WOW - talk about love at first sight! It's delicate and fresh with a wonderful creaminess throughout. There's a lot of citrus and honey flavours in here, everything you would want to celebrate the day of love. It's a little pricey for sure, but certainly up there on a list of 'gifts that would be lovely to receive'.
The Perfect Gift:
The other approach one can take to absolutely nail a whisky gift is a tasting set. Not that I'm biased or anything, but our products really do present brilliantly and that is because all our gifts are really experiences packed up into a box!
To expand on this a little; our packs are far from being just some shots of alcohol to make you merry quickly - no - our packs are very carefully curated by whisky experts to allow you to really broaden your palate, to really experience the magic of maturations that can turn water, barley and yeast into a complex and delicious drink. To us, whisky is exciting; invigorating even, and the whole purpose of our products is to allow as many people as possible to feel its charm too.
Now that rant is over, I'm going to show you a couple of my favourite options that I think will impress the most this V-Day.
P.S If you are planning on purchasing any of our gift sets (not just the ones in this article!) we are including a free Valentines card that has a 3cl dram inside in every order when you use the code FREECARD at the checkout :)
Our 21 Dram Box has always been a bestseller, and for good reason! Apart from the fact that it presents BEAUTIFULLY and is a total showstopper gift, the whiskies inside all tell a mesmerising story of the Scottish countryside, different casks and the effects these have on the liquid. A truly fascinating journey. A superbly romantic gesture.
*This is available at 2 price points, depending on how experienced your whisky giftee is!
This pack of 3 drams is ideal if you're looking for something that is more affordable, but still looks luxe. It comes presented in a leatherette box with 3 x 3cl drams and a Glencairn glass. What makes this gift unique is the QR code system; scan the code on the box to discover a video on how best to taste whisky, and scan the individual bottles too, for information and tasting videos specific to each dram. This is perfect for someone who is just beginning their whisky journey and is looking to try some great drams!
Of course this list is in no way exhaustive. Our site has hundreds of bottles and gift products that will make your Valentine swoon! I'd love to hear your suggestions on what makes the perfect Valentine's whisky gift too, so do leave them in the comments!
Sending all our love🤎
Dani and the RGW Team🥃
P.S. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter below, just enter your email address and I'll send you whisky info every week for FREE! Now THAT is a Valentine's gift!
Leave a comment