Last month, I put together a quick guide on the best scotch whisky gifts for under $25 and a lot of you folks emailed me about how useful that list was. Thank you for giving me that feedback!

We don’t have a lot of guides like that on the site. Besides the sub-$25 list and the best cheap scotches list, we actually don’t have any.

So today I want to put together a list of things you can get your favorite scotch aficionado if your budget is a little higher. For this one, we set the price point at $50 because it was a nice round number.

If your budget is less than $50, we also have this a guide for those looking for a gift priced at $25 or less.

Scotch

At our last price point, $25, we were really limited to blended scotch because there are very few single malts available for less than $25 (if any). If your budget moves up into the $50 range, the world suddenly opens up because there are a lot of high quality single malt scotches available at around $50.

To start, you can basically get a monster 1.75L of one of the blended scotches we listed in the earlier post – Johnnie Walker Black, Johnnie Red, and Dewars 12 Yr. You’ll look like a champ if you give someone 1.75L of anything, let alone scotch.

Let’s say you want to go up the maturity ladder and skip the enormous bottles, what’s there? Basically every known name in single malt scotch is available for under $50.

• Macallan Fine Oak 10 Yr,
• Macallan 12,
• Glenlivet 12,
• Glenfiddich 12,
• Cragganmore 12,
• Laphroaig 10,
• Highland Park 12,
• Dalmore 12,
• Glenkinchie 12,
• Jura 10,
• Cardhu 12, and so many more.

You really have basically every option available to you in the 10-12 year range.

As for recommendations, if you think your recipient would like some smokiness and peat (if they love IPAs, they’ll probably like smokiness/peat) then go with Laphroaig 10 or Highland Park 12. If you think they prefer more sweetness and caramel, you can’t go wrong with Macallan. If you think they like it more floral with spiciness, Glenlivet 12 is a good shot.

If you want to stretch the budget by a few dollars, Balvenie 12 Yr Double Wood is a fantastic bottle that is one of my favorites. It’s got a rich sweetness of honey and vanilla that I could have all day and night.

Flasks

What’s something all whisky drinkers need, besides whisky?

A classic whisky pocket flask.

You really cannot beat this in terms of a gift, especially if you’re going to ship it, and picking a flask is really simple. I look for single body construction, leather wrap if any, stainless steel, and a reasonable price.

My personal recommendation is one made by SWIG for a few reasons. First, it’s well constructed with a beautiful and soft leather wrap. The cap is a screw top and it comes with a funnel for easy fill up. It’ll hold 8 oz. of liquid and is available for about $100 USD.

Decanters

I actually prefer the look of the bottles but a lot of people prefer putting their scotches in decanters. I can’t argue with the beauty of a nice decanter and at $50 you start to get up into some nicer designs but we’re still looking at glass and not crystal. At this price point, I think it’s best to start looking at decanter sets, which include a decanter and some glasses, instead of just more expensive decanters.

If you research this yourself, you’ll find that decanters don’t get much nicer until you get to the $100 range when they’re made of crystal.

So which sets are worth checking out? The Circleware Excalubur 5pc Whiskey Decanter Set is an affordable set that’s well under the $50 limit and includes a 35oz decanter and four 10.5oz Double Old Fashioned glasses.

Another fine looking set is the Dublin Whiskey Set With Mirror Tray – Triangle Decanter & 6 Shot Glasses. I’m not sure how I feel about the shot glasses but the decanter looks nice and the mirror tray is an added touch. I can get over that Dublin, rather than Edinburgh, is in the name. 🙂

Glassware

For under $25, you should be able to get any single glass you want for drinking anything. At $50, you just start getting two or four of them. 🙂

Things do get a little pricier when you start using leaded crystal glasses, like a Riedel Vinum Bar Leaded Crystal Single Malt Whisky Glass, and a set of two will set you back close to $50. It’s 24% lead crystal, which makes it beautiful, but there are risks with lead (less so for a glass since you aren’t storing a liquid in it).

Riedel also has a Sommeliers Collection line that looks just like the “regular” series except it’s just more expensive. The Riedel Sommeliers Series Single Malt Whiskey Glass goes for more than sixty bucks. The only difference I can see is that it’s full lead crystal, instead of 24% lead crystal.

There you have it — our guide for the best scotch whisky gifts under fifty bucks.

Do you have a great gift idea that isn’t on this list? Please let us know in the comments.

Whenever you tell someone that you enjoy scotch, you can almost always see their face change as they immediately think – “oh, you’re one of those snobby rich types.” And you very well might be, but scotch doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive all the time. It can get extremely expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Very few scotch aficionados open a Macallan 18 as their daily dram (though if this is you, I salute you!), and they usually don’t pour it from their $500 decanter into a $200 glass.

[wpdm_file id=1]

No, most scotch whisky accessories are far more modest. It’s better to spend less on a glass or a decanter so you can spend more on the stuff inside of it.

This is especially true if you are looking for a gift for your favorite whisky aficionado. Every year I take part in a gift exchange with a bunch of our friends and we set our gift exchange limit to $25, so you’re forced to use creativity instead of just spending more dollars. While that price point is a little low for us to look at our popular list of best cheap single malts, but it’s not so low that we can’t start looking at some other accessories or gifts for your favorite whisky lover.

If your budget is slightly bigger, we also have this a guide for those looking for a gift priced at $50 or less.

Scotch

If you want to get scotch, there are a few blends that come in under the price and are a good value. It’s crucial to remember that at this price point, you can’t expect them to be as smooth or as matured as a bottle in the $40-$60 range. It’s just unfair. You can get a very good bottle that you’ll be happy drinking – that’s the important part.

If you want to find a bottle for under $25, I’d go with a blend. Distilleries have flexibility when they make their blends, unlike single malts, and so they’re able to offer them at a lower price point. Many blends also don’t have age statements, which is part of the flexibility, and so you take away some of the bite in terms of cost. I’d look at Famous Grouse, Johnnie Walker Red (go Black if you can go above the $25 limit), Dewars, and Chivas Regal 12.

Alternatively, you could buy a bunch of small miniature bottles (think airline bottles) but this is not going to be cost effective as you’ll be paying a huge premium. A 50ml bottle of Chivas Regal 12 goes for around $3.99. That’s like paying $59.85 for 750ml when the actual retail price for Chivas Regal 12 is only $24.99. The trade off is you can get a bunch of different ones and it’s kind of fun to get a lot of little bottles.

Whiskey Stones

Whiskey stones are fun gifts because you can use it for a variety of things, be it wine or whisky. “Stones” come in two varieties – soapstone and stainless steel.

Personally, I think stones look nicer and every whisky stone I’ve seen has been made of soapstone. Teraforma is the most well known brand but a stone is a stone is a stone. Just get one in a nice bag since it’ll be a gift.

• Teraforma Whisky Stones – Set of 9 with bag
• Whiskey Rocks Stainless Steel – Set of 6 stainless steel stones with bag and ice tongs

One advantage of stainless steel is that you only need to freeze it for an hour before using. Soapstone needs four hours.

Decanter

Decanters make fantastic gifts because even if you aren’t paying top dollar for crystal, even a glass decanter can look beautiful (and you don’t have to be fearful of lead).

The only rule I have about decanters is skip the leaded crystal, especially if you’re giving it as a gift. Most people know that you shouldn’t store anything in leaded crystal because the lead can leech into the liquid but if your friend isn’t conscious of it, you don’t want them making this critical mistake.

Plus, it’s impossible to find a crystal leaded decanter for under $25 anyway! 🙂

If you’re thinking decanter, I challenge you to find a better deal than this Bormioli Rocco Selecta 7-Piece Whiskey Gift Set. You get a decanter plus 6 glasses, crafted in Parma, Italy all for less than $25.

Glasses

One can never have too many glasses for scotch! While there are endless debates about what type of glass you should use for scotch, one thing is for sure – you will never be disappointed if you get any of the popular glassware types. unfortunately, Reidel’s whisky glasses are out of the price range but you can get a great set of Glencairns or Old Fashioned glasses for less than $25:

• Set of Four Glencairns – OK, it’s a little over the price limit but so so worth it. Or buy a set of two and then a book.
• Riedel H2O Double-Old Fashioned Whiskey Glass, Set of 2 – If you love Riedel, you can go with a set of 2 Old Fashioned glasses (the set of 2 Riedel Scotch Whisky glasses is a little pricier)
• Godinger Set Of 4 Dublin D.O.F. Glasses – Set of four Old Fashioned glasses

Books

If your friend is new to enjoying Scotch, your first step is to introduce them to me. 🙂 But a good second step is to get him or her some books so they can learn a little about the process, the history, and the major scotch producing regions. Being educated about some of the basics makes you appreciate the intricacies of scotch whisky. There are really only a handful of ingredients and a handful of steps in the process, yet region and process differences produce a wide range of different flavors and aromas.

Here are a few good ones:

• 101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die by Ian Buxton
• The Single Malt Whisky Companion Hardcover Book by Helen Arthur
• Michael Jackson’s Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch
• Whiskey: The Definitive World Guide by Michael Jackson

There you have it – my list of ideas for whisky gifts under twenty five bucks.

Do you have an idea of something I missed? Please let me know in the comments.

A few years ago we went to a Celebrate the Macallan event down in Washington D.C. at Ibiza, a downtown nightclub. It was a fun little affair where we heard a presentation, sampled some scotch, and just had a jolly good time.

One of the things they showcased as an ice ball maker that took an enormous ice cube and melted it, basically, into an ice ball. The device is what you see to the right.

I don’t normally put ice in my scotch, I prefer my scotch neat but the presentation was pretty cool. That said, the ice ball maker sells for £650 on the Macallan website. That’s over a thousand dollars USD. It was cool but not that cool.

The argument for a perfectly cylindrical ice ball is that it’ll melt slower because it has a smaller surface area, compared to an ice cube of that size. You can cool your beverage without introducing as much water. Given the price, I’d probably buy some whisky stones before dropping a grand on a ice ball maker!

That said, there are ways you can make ice balls that won’t cost you a thousand bucks. You just need to buy ice cube trays shaped as balls. They look like ice trays except each one has a locking lid that forms a sphere. I have no idea how well they work but it seems pretty straightforward enough!

My personal favorite?
This Star Wars Death Star ice ball maker. It’s “cheaper” than the sets I list below but it only makes one ball at a time, so technically it’s more expensive per ball… but who cares, it’s the Death Star! (it’s also made to handle hot or cold so you can bake in it too.

Here are three more traditional ice ball trays:

• Silicone Ice Ball Molds 2.5″ – $15
• Ice Ball Mold – 4 Pack x 2.5″ – $25
• Tovolo Ice Molds, Set of 2 – $9

Or you can go with massive ice cubes too!

If you have an experience with any ice ball trays, please share it in the comments!

Whisky stones are made of soapstone, a metamorphic rock, and are often promoted as a way to chill your drink without diluting it. Ice can do it more effectively but it introduces more water when it melts. This isn’t as big of a deal with some cocktails, but water can drastically change the profile of whisky – which is why whisky stones have been popularized lately.

Personally, I prefer my whisky neat but I do have whisky stones in my freezer for when my friends come over and prefer it on the rocks, literally.

I’ve long wondered if whisky stones were safe to use because they’re not regulated by any agency. After doing some research, I learned that they’re completely safe for consumption because soapstone is hard enough not to leave anything behind. Teroforma is one of the most well known of whisky stone makers but any manufacturer will do – they’re just rocks!

The only potentially dangerous part about whisky stones is when you put them in your glass. You are, after all, putting a rock into your glass! Slide it in gently (or even better, use ice tongs — they’re really cheap), don’t drop it in, and be careful when you slide them out. The nicer your glasses are (ie. thinner walls), the greater the risk. If you’re careful, you shouldn’t have any problem.

To use them, just stick them in the freezer at least four hours before you’ll want to use them. We just leave them in the freezer.

These make great gifts!

When I visited Scotland and went on a few distillery tours, I noticed that the glassware varied as much as the scotch. I had figured, after centuries of enjoyment and experience, we’d have settled on one type of glass best suited for scotch. Unfortunately, that issue remains unsettled. Watch a few episodes of Mad Men and you come to the same conclusion – it’s not entirely clear which type of glass is best for this special spirit.

So I set out on a quest to find out which one was best. The four contenders were a Glencairn style glass, the Copita Nosing Glass, a Reidel Vinum, and a classic tumbler style glass (these are the glasses I had).

Glencairn Whisky Glasses

The Glencairn Glass was created by Glencairn Crystal Ltd. and the design was inspired by the nosing glasses used in whisky labs. It’s a distinct design that I fell in love with when I visited distilleries in Scotland (I picked up two branded ones from The Macallan and The Glenlivet, which became the basis of this test). As you’d expect from a design based on nosing glasses, the smaller tapered opening allows for a concentration of the scents of the scotch.

When you put your nose into the glass, you very clearly get a lot of the aroma. When you sip scotch, again the aromas are directed, almost like a laser, to your nose for maximum enjoyment. If you’re new to drinking scotch, with it’s 43%+ ABV, this can be overwhelming. You might have to add a few drops of water in order to open it up and take a bit of the edge off.

These glasses are best designed for someone who is enjoying their scotch neat or with a few drops of water. While not impossible, it is more challenging to put ice in the glass given the smaller opening.

On the plus side, Glencairn whisky glasses are inexpensive.

You can get buy one glass for ~$10 or a set of two for ~$15.

Copita Nosing Glass

The Copita Nosing glass is the only glass I don’t own but it’s the glass that Richard Paterson, Master Blender of Whyte and Mackay, recommends you use.

The Copital is shaped like a tulip, which facilitates nosing, and it’s what they use at the distillery. Much of what I said about the Glencairn glass applies to the Copita too, you can see how similar the two are.

Pricewise, it’s reasonable and it resembles a wine glass in its shape.

Buy the Copita Nosing Glass

Riedel Vinum Single Malt Glasses

I was given a set of Riedel Vinum Single Malt Whisky Glasses by my wife for a previous Christmas and I’m a big fan of the glasses. Riedel makes a whole line of glassware and their hallmark, at least in my mind, is that the glass is often high quality and remarkably thin.

From a design perspective, it opens up at the lip rather than closes in. Whereas the Glencairn almost focuses the aroma on your nose, this one doesn’t. The idea behind opening it up like this is so that the spirit “opens up” as it hits your tongue and lips. As a frequent user of the glass, I don’t know that much happens different if it “opens up” for the few millimeters before it gets to me!

What I do like about the glass is that it’s thin, so I don’t feel like I’m carry a bulky glass, and the opening is better suited for my nose. I don’t feel like I’m inhaling everything and so I don’t get an overwhelming nose, which I would get if I was too enthusiastic in sniffing a scotch in a Glencairn.

As was the case with the Glencairn, it’s best to avoid putting ice in this as it’s a more delicate glass and there isn’t really much room. On the downside, it’s more expensive than any other option here.

Buy Riedel Vinum Scotch Glasses (pictured)

The NEAT Whiskey Glass

This is a relatively new entrant into the world of whiskey glasses. NEAT stands for Naturally Engineered Aroma Technology, which is hokey and terrible sounding, but by the shape of the glass you can already see that it looks the part.

The logic behind the NEAT glass’ shape is that you want a large surface area on the whisky in order to maximize evaporation of vapors, which helps in nosing. The neck tapers to concentrate – all of this is similar to every other glass. Then the neck widens and they claim it allows the harsh alcohol to diffuse leaving you without the alcohol punch.

I’ve never used it but it is the official tasting glass of the 2013 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, which is one of the most prestigious competitions for spirits. I’m not sure if it was adopted for 2014, though I suspect so.

Old Fashioned Tumblers

An Old Fashioned Tumbler is what most people think of when you talk about a tumbler (or lowball tumbler, as opposed to highball glass). It’s designed for mixed drinks, like the Old Fashioned after which it was named, and for enjoying whisky on the rocks. (Incidentally, an Old Fashioned is a lump of sugar, two dashes of bitters, ice, a lemon-peel, and a jigger of whiskey)

My favorite of the bunch is the one in the image above from Mofado. What’s nice is that it’s lead-free crystal but they’re heavy. The feel premium because of how nice they look and the weight they carry in you rhand.

I don’t often enjoy my scotch on the rocks but if I did, I’d go with a tumbler. It’s the only glass where ice “feels” right and there isn’t much of a design here to accentuate any particular aspect of the scotch. I don’t think you lose anything from drinking scotch neat from a tumbler, the other designs just accentuate something that’s already there that you are getting anyway.

Buy Mofado Premium Whiskey Glasses – Lead Free Hand Blown Crystal – Thick Weighted Bottom – 12oz Set of 2 – Seamless Design – Perfect for Scotch, Bourbon and Old Fashioned Cocktails

The Rest

The Glencairn, the Riedel, the Copita and the Tumbler are the classics when you think about whisky glassware. There are, however, a million other types of glassware and any one that holds a spirit you could sip near (brandy, bourbon, tequila, etc.) will have properties that make it suitable for drinking scotch.

There are also fun rocking glasses, like these Normann Copenhagen Liqueur Glasses. Rocking (or swirling) glasses can be fun but they always make me nervous, so my case just has the classics.

If you’re looking for a more traditional looking glass that looks like a wine glass, might I recommend a snifter. Brandy is “burnt wine,” which is to say it’s distilled wine (whisky is distilled beer), with a typical alcohol by volume of 35-60%, which is the same range as whisky.

Finally, you could always skip glassware and buy a whisky flask if you’re on the go. 🙂

Susquehanna Glass Brandy Snifter Glasses, 12-Ounce, Set of 4 (pictured)

Do you have a favorite glass for scotch?

Image Legend:

• Top Row, left to right: Glencairn, Canada Glencairn, Normann Copenhagen Liqueur Glasses, Canada Glencairn w/ Whiskey Soapstones, Normann Copenhagen Whisky Glass
• 2nd Row, left to right: Glencairn, Blade Runner Deckard Whiskey Glass, Libbey Foodservice Whisky Glass, Rosendahl – Grand Cru Whisky Glass