Plenty of women, myself included, enjoy the gift of fine whiskey or whisky. So do some men. Here’s a roundup of some great whiskeys and whiskies made by some amazing women:
Paul Sutton Bourbon, $69.99
Myra Barginear spent more than a decade to get her bourbon on the shelf. “Paul Sutton Bourbon is the epitome of family, love, tradition and legacy,” says Barginear, CEO. “That’s why I’m all in. It has been quite a ride. We worked closely with Ferm Solutions in making sure we had our family’s exact century old mash recipe. The bourbon is made with Alabama farmers growing and harvesting local grains, including an heirloom corn, and the bourbon is distilled in Kentucky. “Our master distiller is meticulous,” she says. “I’m blessed to have this road map given by the generations before. That’s why we say ‘Paul Sutton Bourbon is passed down to be passed around.’”
The George Dickel x Leopold Bros Collaboration Blend balances two different styles of rye whisky.
CLARK BREWER
George Dickel x Leopold Bros Collaboration Blend, $109.99
Rye whisky fans will fall in love with the George Dickel x Leopold Bros Collaboration Blend, which balances two different styles of rye: Leopold Bros’s Three Chamber Ryel and George Dickel’s never-before-released traditional column still rye. The resulting rye is a historically inspired blend of straight rye whiskers that is reminiscent of an era when heavy-bodies rye whiskies were served at saloons. “At the core of both George Dickel and Leopold Bros is a shared spirit of commitment to produce quality and distinctly delightful whisky,” says Nicole Austin, general manager and distiller at Cascade Hollow Distilling Co. If you’re just looking for a little something, George Dickel also makes a great stocking stuffer in a Harvest Whiskey Sour canned cocktail collaboration with the Social Hour.
Jane Walker is a delightful Scotch whisky made by master blender Emma Walker.
Johnnie Walker
Jane Walker, $38
This exceptional blended whisky is made by Emma Walker. Walker is the first female master blender in Johnnie Walker’s 200 year history. Well-rounded and smooth, with notes of ripe, orchard fruit and white peaches that transform into hints of baked apple and sweet cream, it boasts a lingering dark chocolate finish.
Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch Whiskey boasts a beautiful bottle for gifting.
Uncle Nearest
Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch Whiskey, $49
ReserveBar is sold out of this small batch whiskey, it’s so popular, but you can still find a few bottles at the above link. The whiskey comes from barrels chosen by Uncle Nearest rounders, and each blend is curated by fifth generation Nearest Green descendant and master blender, Victoria Eady Butler. Butler’s signature can be found on the back of each bottle, which also boasts a white label with gold embossing, making it an elegant gift to give.
This is the first edition of Benriach Malting Season, made in a very traditional method.
Benriach Single Malt Scotch
Benriach Malting Season, $148.99
Benriach Single Malt Scotch whisky released the first expression in a century to be produced entirely using barley malted from the distillery’s historic floor. “Passed from distiller to distiller throughout the generations, the floor malting process keeps a traditional part of the whisky-making process alive,” says Rachel Barrie, master blender. “Benriach is one of only seven distilleries in Scotland to continue the practice of floor malting.”
Ann Soh Woods founded Kikori Whiskey.
@2021 Wonho Lee
Kikori Whiskey, $46.99
Founder Ann Soh Woods wanted to make a fine Japanese whiskey, and she absolutely delivered. Made from locally grown rice in Japan’s southernmost island of Kyushu, this whiskey is delicate, delicious and memorable.
The Macklowe American Single Malt Whiskey boasts a bottle that feels like a flask.
The Macklowe
The Macklowe, $1,500
If price is no object, then you might want to consider gifting The Macklowe, the first luxury American single malt whiskey, launched by Julie Macklowe, a serial entrepreneur with a lifelong love of single malts. Bottled in a hand-crafted, hand-painted design that’s reminiscent of flasks, the whiskey spent more than seven years in new American white oak, offering up aromas of Seville orange peel, honey, and marzipan, with a lingering finish. “Every bottle is one hundred precent American with grains grown and stilled here,” says Macklowe. “This is the first release of a series of limited releases.”
Whisky/whiskey blender Kelsey McKechnie, created Fistful of Bourbon after years of learning under … [+]
William Grant & Sons
Fistful of Bourbon, $24.99
William Grant & Sons whisk(e)y blender, Kelsey McKechnie, created Fistful of Bourbon after years of learning under Brian Kinsman. It is a blend of five straight American bourbons – a fistful – that was born of William & Grant’s century of whisky making experience, but this time, applied with some “cowboy spirit and a touch of Hollywood nostalgia.” It’s a smooth and easy drinking bourbon, great for gifting.
Alpine Distilling American Whiskey is a blend of Kentucky bourbon and Park City single malt whiskey.
Alpine Distilling
Sara Sergent founded Alpine Distilling with her husband Rob in 2017 in their hometown of Park City, Utah. Their American Whiskey is crafted with respect to Rob’s Kentucky lineage using corn, wheat, rye and barley in various mashbills, and it’s a blend of aged Kentucky straight bourbon and Park City single malt whiskey. “We are flavorists, carefully determining the perfect aromatic and taste profile,” says Sara.