DRAMS FOR DADS
Drams for dads
A bottle of malt whisky is a gift that will go down very well WORDS CHARLES MACLEAN IMAGES ROY SUMMERS
Wear Retailers of New York in the 1930s – but it does provide an opportunity to thank Dear Old Dad for all the hard work he puts in to keep the family ship afloat. But what to buy him? Shirts, socks or hand-
O
kerchiefs used to be traditional – I can’t see this going down well with the modern Alpha Male. One ‘Guide to Father’s Day’ suggests ‘male-orientated gifts, such as electronics and tools’. What? As a father myself, I have to admit to complete incompetence in regard to both. No. The perfect gift for Dad on Father’s Day is malt whisky: virile, companionable, conviv- ial, pleasurable, rewarding – and a bottle lasts longer than a box of chocolates. And don’t let me hear ‘But my Dad doesn’t
drink malt whisky’. There’s a malt out there that he will love, and in this article I will attempt to identify a few. Prices are indicative only; some of the suppliers listed at the end may have them on offer.
The ultimate gift The ultimate whisky gift is not just a bottle of malt, but four small bottles of very special single cask malts, plus a handbook, a notebook and a badge, all gorgeously packaged in a hand- some box… I am talking about membership of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. This will
kay, I know Father’s Day is something of a commercial scam – indeed it was first introduced by the Associated Men’s
cost you £100, but it provides your Dad with the chance to buy exclusive single cask malts, access to club premises in Edinburgh, Leith and London, a quarterly glossy magazine and the opportunity to develop his interest in malt whisky at tastings up and down the land. See
www.smws.com
For the Dad who has everything (over £70) Okay, they’re expensive, but surely Dad deserves it… For those who want
something mythi-
cal, I cannot recommend highly enough the recently
released Mortlach 70YO (1938)
@46.1% (£10,000) from Gordon & Macphail:
www.gordonandmacphail.com. Not only is this the oldest whisky ever bottled, it is one of the finest I have ever tasted. Highland Park 40YO @ 43% (£790). 1977.
An outstanding example of a magnificent malt – it was justifiably named ‘World’s Best New Release 2009’ in the World Whisky Awards. Glenfarclas Family Casks @Natural Strength
(£1,350 to £125). A range of 43 vintages from between 1952 and 1994. All the ones I have tasted have been superb. The Macallan 21 years old Fine Oak @43%
(£125). To begin with I was disappointed in Macallan’s
‘Fine Oak’ range, but the 21YO
changed all that. Lighter and crisper in style than the traditional Macallan, it displays its complexity to advantage.
Left: The perfect way to say thank you for keeping the family ship afloat.
WWW.SCOTTISHFIELD.CO.UK 131
‘The perfect gift for Dad on Father’s Day is malt whisky: virile, companionable, convivial, pleasurable, rewarding – and a bottle lasts longer than a box of chocolates’
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