After a weird, wild, and genuinely pretty lousy 2020 that robbed everyone of precious time with friends and family, Father’s Day, as intended by the Original Dad himself, is back. That means cookouts and quality time, gratitude and golf. It also, of course, means gifts. While that last one can be a bit tricky, just keep it simple: 18 holes and a great bottle of whiskey. That’s all you need. And while the tee times won’t make themselves, we at least have the whiskey covered for you, compiling nine excellent bottles to cram in the ol’ side pocket come Father’s Day. Cheers, dad.
In July of 2020, a private barrel selection of Michter’s hallowed 10-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon broke the record for a barrel of bourbon ever purchased at auction, selling for a whopping $209,462. We’re guessing you can’t afford that, but it speaks to the quality of whiskey inside the Louisville distillery’s 2021 10-year-old batch, which retails at a fraction of the price. Stored in Michter’s heat-cycled warehouse, increasing the interaction between whiskey and wood for a more lively, singular bourbon, the Michter’s 10-year-old offers big-auction flavor for a back-nine-appropriate price. Even so, don’t tell dad how much you spent on it. Back in his day whiskey used to cost a quarter.
In the world of small-batch bourbon, no name is more dependable than Booker’s. Each year, like clockwork, 7th-generation master distiller Fred Noe handpicks four batches from the center of the Jim Beam rackhouse and bottles them uncut at their natural bottle proof in tribute to his father Booker’s tradition of handing out special batches to family and friends at Christmas. The result—typified by the 2021’s second release, the Tagalong Batch—is one of the purest drinking experiences in bourbon and a perfect father-son experience whether sipped neat, on the rocks, or in a cocktail. Dad’s call.
You’ve heard of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. You’ve heard of Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey. But have you ever heard of Southern California Straight Bourbon Whiskey? Well, R6 Distillery is looking to change all that with the first-ever bourbon ever (legally) crafted in the city of Los Angeles. The award-winning bourbon is familiar-yet-easy drinking, kinda like SoCal itself, and the perfect sipping companion for the U.S. Open’s return to Torrey Pines, just an hour south of R6’s point of origin.
Last year at the height of the pandemic, Andy Roddick and Peyton Manning teamed up with master distiller Marianne Eaves for a whiskey tribute to Tennessee's most nine-hole track, Sweetens Cove. Unfortunately for collector’s and drinkers alike, the Tennessee straight bourbon whiskey was virtually impossible to come by, with just 13,500 bottles released exclusively in stores in Tennessee and Georgia. This year, however, Sweetens Cove bourbon is back with the same team and whole new batch and while it will still be a tough find (and cost you a pretty penny), the 50,000 bottles now available across Kentucky, Texas, Colorado, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Georgia are sure to make the ultimate Father’s Day addition to dag’s bag.
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