While many people believe the unofficial start of summer is Memorial Day weekend, I tend to lean toward Father’s Day. This year, it takes place on June 16th (right before the actual beginning of summer on June 20). The weather is mild, the days are long, and flip-flops and shorts are aplenty. Speaking of Father’s Day, this year, if you’re planning to go big for your dad’s Father’s Day gift, don’t opt for a power washer or weedwacker. Instead, give him something he really wants. Give him the gift of bourbon.
While your dad might be happy with a budget bourbon under $50 or a bottle of Elijah Craig Small Batch, Woodford Reserve, or Knob Creek (there are, after all, great bourbons at every price range), we suggest you splurge on him a little this year. He (hopefully) taught you how to ride a bike, taught you about the inner workings of a car engine, and bandaged countless cuts and scrapes over the years. He deserves some pricier bourbon to sip neat this year. Luckily, there are a lot to choose from.
Also, while these are more expensive than the average bottle you’ll find on the shelves at your local liquor store, they won’t make you miss a mortgage payment to treat your dad. We’re talking a few hundred dollars at most. Keep scrolling to see some of the best expensive bourbons worth gifting this Father’s Day.
A Guide to Bourbon: Underrated, Overrated, Budget-Friendly
Bourbon might as well be America's version of Single Malt Scotch because it's truly drinkable in many forms and boasts a flavor experience that's deep and wide. Bourbon drinkers are no longer found just in bars along dusty roads in the south. In fact, those who imbibe cut a wide…
Michter’s 10-Year
You might see that this is only a 10-year-old bourbon and wonder why it’s so expensive and what all the hype is about. Well, it’s because this is a limited-release bourbon that isn’t produced consistently by the distillery. Also, even though each batch is unique and different from every one release prior, it’s always nuanced, complex, and flavorful. This 94.4-proof whiskey was matured for at least 10 years in specifically selected fire-charred new, American oak barrels. The result is a highly sippable whiskey with notable flavors like maple candy, caramelized sugar, vanilla beans, and charred oak.
Buy: $449.99
Widow Jane The Vaults
If the thought of drinking a sourced bourbon doesn’t appeal to you, you’re missing out on some truly special expressions. One of the best, more expensive sourced whiskeys is Widow Jane The Vaults. The most recent release of the Vaults was in 2023. It consists of the distillery’s rarest and oldest whiskeys from Tennessee and Indiana. Each was aged for a minimum of fifteen years before being married together and finished in air-seasoned casks at the Widow Jane Mine for an additional three months. The result is a sublime sipping whiskey that begins with a nose of caramelized sugar, cinnamon candy, orchard fruits, and vanilla. The palate is a symphony of brown sugar, butterscotch, dried fruits, honey, vanilla, and oaky wood. The finish is long, and warming, and ends with a final flourish of spice and nutty sweetness. Drink it neat on an unseasonably cool evening and enjoy the warming feeling envelop you.
Buy: $281.99
Blanton’s Straight From The Barrel
Buffalo Trace is the type of distillery that makes nothing but noteworthy whiskeys. From its classic Buffalo Trace Bourbon to its most expensive bottles, there’s something for any wallet size. One of the best more expensive bottles is Blanton’s Straight From The Barrel. Named for Colonel Albert B. Blanton, this is the third version of Blanton’s to be released since the brand first launched in 1984. This expression is cask strength and known for its complex, uncut, unfiltered flavor profile featuring a nose of candied nuts, chocolate, and toffee and a palate of toasted nuts, vanilla beans, caramel candy, and rich oak.
Buy: $293.99
Elijah Craig 18-Year
If you took a poll of whiskey experts and bourbon aficionados and asked them to tell you to name the best bargain bourbon, you’ll get a ton of people who shout out Elijah Craig Small Batch. And while that whiskey is a great everyday sipper, if you want to pay a little more to get an exceptional bourbon for your dad, you’ll grab a bottle of Elijah Craig 18-Year. This award-winning whiskey comes from one specific barrel that was matured for a minimum of 18 years in charred American oak. It’s known for its flavors of dried cherries, clover honey, crisp apple, vanilla, chocolate, toffee, and oaky wood.
Buy: $304.99
Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon
Named for former master distiller Elmer T. Lee, Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon doesn’t carry an age statement, but most batches are believed to spend between 9-10 years in charred American oak barrels. It’s known for its well-balanced, highly sippable flavor profile. This award-winning whiskey is also known for how sought-after it is and the limited quantity available. This 90-proof, nuanced, complex whiskey has a nose of fresh leather, toasted vanilla beans, and wintry spices. Sipping it neat reveals notes of dried fruits, caramelized sugar, honey, toasted vanilla beans, and charred oak. The finish is long, warming, and leaves you craving more.
Buy: $351.99
