Skip the tie, get Dad some spirits
For Father's Day this year, it's time to think outside the gift box — and look to a bottle instead.
The average consumer will spend about $115 on Father's Day gifts, up from last year's $113, according to the National Retail Federation. Clothing (yes, Dad, another tie) and gift cards are among the top items on consumers' shopping lists, with 40 percent of respondents saying they planned to buy either.
If Dad enjoys a good cocktail or sippable spirit, consider bestowing one of these five recently released bottles for his home bar. You might even have some cash left over for that tie.
— By CNBC's Kelli B. Grant
Posted 17 June 2016
High West Yippee Ki-Yay
$96, Oak & Barrel
High West aged its Double Rye! whiskey in oak previously used for vermouth and syrah. The experiment paid off with a spirit that's just a tad sweet, with a kick of cinnamon and bitter orange. If Dad likes Manhattans, this might be a new go-to option.
Smooth Ambler Old Scout Single Barrel Bourbon
$75, Astor Wines & Spirits
Whisky Magazine's 2016 World Whiskies Awards called Old Scout the "best single barrel bourbon in the world." Astor Wines & Spirits buyers hand-picked this 9-year-old — with notes of canned peaches, tobacco and nougat — through Smooth Ambler's private barrel program. Sip it neat.
Parce 12-year-old rum
$55, Binnys.com
This aged rum — a blend from Panama and the Caribbean, aged and bottled in Colombia — has racked up wins including a double gold medal at the 2015 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. It's rich, with sweet notes of molasses giving way to a spicy finish of black pepper and clove. Sip it on the rocks, or try it in an Old-Fashioned.
Lock, Stock & Barrel 16
$200, Mash + Grape
Fans of the company's 13-year-old straight rye have an opportunity to see the impact of a few more years in oak: a more intense, but not overly woody spirit loaded with dark fruit and spice. The limited release scored a double gold medal at the 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Sip neat, or with a few drops of water.
Suntory Toki blended whiskey
$38, Astor Wines & Spirits
This newly released spirit highlights three Suntory distilleries, with a base of Hakushu malt and Chita grain whiskies, along with two single malts from Yamazaki. The result is a smooth blend with notes of green apple and vanilla custard. Astor Wines & Spirits likes it for its versatility: Try it solo, or in a highball.