Last Christmas...

Last Christmas we promised ourselves we would find the presents for our loved ones earlier. And just like last year, Christmas is suddenly right around the corner and the tiresome question comes up: “What to give uncle Ernest or aunt Martha?”

We know, of course, that Christmas has not been moved. Only we keep moving our shopping for Christmas presents – to a point where Christmas comes critically close.

Until ten years ago, the last weekend in November used to be the common beginning of the Christmas season, for religious and secular reasons. The weeks before Christmas were filled with people in the mood for celebration and joyful anticipation and the Christmas bonus was waiting on one’s bank account, ready to be spent.

The United States, consumption nation number one in the world, leads the way. American families celebrate the national holiday Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November. Many people spend the day with their relatives, take the day after off and use the free time for a shopping trip with their loved ones. Online merchants took advantage of this tradition and made the following Monday “Cyber Monday”, in order to compete with those existing habits.

The bottle of Wine for uncle Ernest and the box of chocolates for aunt Martha have been set for decades. But who says it has to stay that way? Wine and chocolates are usually emptied within one night and the memory fades quickly.

Whisky and Whisky-Liquor, however, are enjoyed in small quantities. After one or two sips a night we usually put the bottle back on the shelf and it sometimes takes half a year until the bottle is empty. The advantage for you as a gift-giver: people will think of you more often.

So what to give now? Basically, there are different strategies. If you have no idea whatsoever the donee likes, a soft, smooth Single Malt Whisky from the Scottish Highlands is usually a good choice. I often recommend Balvenie 12Y, Glenfiddich 15Y and 18Y, Macallan 12Y, Aberlour 12Y and 16Y, Glenfarclas 12Y, Glengoyne 12Y, Knockando 15 and 18Y as well as Glendronach 12Y.

If the donee prefers richer aromas, in my opinion, Whiskies with stronger cask-maturation are suitable. I would especially like to recommend Dalmore 15Y, Glenmorangie 12Y Quinta Ruban and Glenrothes 18Y Elders' Reserve.

A whole different topic are smoky Whiskies, which are primarily produced on the Scottish Isle of Islay. You should not give those to someone whose taste you are not sure about. It can be a revelation, but the donee might also not like it or will be frustrated with the gift.

If you do not really know, what kind of taste the other prefers, a product range of different smaller bottles, that can depict a whole spectrum of tastes, might be a good gift. There are product ranges which demonstrate the differences in taste between distilleries or regions and other product ranges which illustrate the differences within a distillery due to variation in maturation, age or type of barrel.

The choice is huge and there are many potential gifts in the field of Whisky. Let’s hope everyone finds the right gift for uncle Ernest or aunt Martha.

Have a wonderful Holiday Season!