Father’s Day Gift Guide: American Single Malt Whiskies

Aug 13, 2023

Each bottle in the Wolves Malted Barley Series is hand-numbered and wrapped by hand in a laser-cut, ... [+] embossed, sheepskin label printed with UV light, and laid flush on heavy, French-cut glass.

American single malt whisky is perhaps the fastest growing category of whisky or whiskey in the United States. Here's a roundup of some of. the best American single malt whiskies to gift your dad.

Wolves Lot One Blended Single Malt Expression, $289

Wolves acquired a very limited supply of single malt and malted barley whiskeys that were put down in 8 to 12 barrel lots starting in 2011. Marko Karakasevic, a 13th generation master distiller distilled each lot over a 10 day period in a small alembic pot still from Cognac, France. During distillation, Karakasevic slept in four hour shifts so that he alone could make each cut. The whiskey boasts a nose of honey, grapefruit, vanilla, oak, and sandalwood that gives way to notes of maple syrup, currants, leather, orange cake, and warm vanilla. "We believe this could be the richest and most complex American Single Malt whiskey ever produced," says Jeremy Joseph, Wolves CEO.

This whisky boasts a removable and collectable gold coin that is attached to the bottle with a ... [+] magnet.

Virginia Distillery Company Courage & Conviction American Single Malt Whisky, $74.99

This is the flagship whisky from Virginia Distilling Company, the most award-winning maker of American single malts. Bold and assertive, this single malt blends together three different casks - sherry, cuvée and bourbon - resulting in in a fine whisky that's aged for at least three years.

Sip this American Single Malt whiskey straight or add it to your favorite whiskey cocktail.

Old Line Spirits Single Malt Whiskey, Navy Strength, $54.99

Old Line's American Single Malt Whiskey Navy Strength is a perfect way to give Dad something he’ll love, but something he might not buy for himself…yet. "You’re not only giving him a fantastic bottle but you’re also introducing him to the fastest growing category in American whiskey!" says Mark McLaughlin, co-founder of this Baltimore distillery.

This delicious single malt hails from Texas and is pot distilled.

Balcones Distilling Texas 1 American Single Malt Whisky, $75

This delicious whisky boasts aromas of toffee and fruit, with layers of toasted malt and honey, which are accompanied by baked pear and apple. The long finish comes with notes of cinnamon and cloves. This is ready to enjoy neat, but it also makes a stellar addition to an old fashioned.

This Colkegan Unsmoked American Single Malt Whiskey has a limited run of only 1,500 bottles.

Santa Fe Spirits Colkegan Unsmoked Single Malt Whiskey, $69.99

Distiller Stephen Julander created this limited run whiskey using 100% malted barley that focuses on the flavors of the pure malt with Unsmoked Colkegan. After distillation, Unsmoked Colkegan was aged for about four years in new American Oak and used bourbon barrels. Unsmoked Colkegan has warm aromas of brown sugar, bubblegum, macadamia nuts, and cinnamon, with a palate of toasted walnuts, wafer cookies, toast, dried pit fruit, and light spice. It has a lovely finish with lasting notes of toasted oak and butterscotch pudding.

If your dad likes both tequila and whiskey, then you might want to gift him this American Single ... [+] Malt that was finished for two years in tequila casks.

Stranahan's Diamond Peak Batch #2, $78

This delicious American Single Malt whiskey has all the classic notes of a great whiskey with a nice tequila cask finish to give it an extra layer of complexity. In fact, it spends just over two years being finished in añejo tequila casks, and the whiskey boasts a burst of brightness that's herbal and peppery. As a limited quantity release, it makes for an exclusive present for Father's Day. Another great option from Stranahan's is Stranahan's Blue Peak ($47), which offers notes of butterscotch and brown sugar and a warm, toasted flavor from being aged in new American oak barrels, and it was recently awarded a Double Gold Medal at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition

This fantastic American single malt is crafted in Iowa.

Cedar Ridge Distillery The QuintEssential American Single Malt Whiskey, $59.99

The richness of this American single malt whiskey comes, in part, from the fresh, once-used barrels of wine and port casks, which are from Cedar Ridge's own winery. The complexity develops as each cask is blended to create a singly distinct whiskey.

This is a fun American Single Malt created by Seth McFarlane.

Next Century Spirits Bear Fight American Single Malt Whiskey, $39.99

Dads who enjoy TED or Family Guy will love Seth MacFarlane's new tech-forward Bear Fight American Single Malt Whiskey. Aged to perfection in first-fill bourbon casks and finished in both sherry casks and an exclusive peated cask, this whiskey features notes of wildflower honey, candied dates, and a subtle smokey flavor.

Clermont Steep is Jim Beam's very first foray into American Single Malt whiskey.

Jim Beam Clermont Steep™ American Single Malt Whiskey, $59.99

Developed by Freddie Noe, 8th Generation Master Distiller of the Fred B. Noe Distillery, Clermont Steep is a five-year-old liquid distilled and aged in Clermont, Kentucky, and matured in bespoke barrels to deliver warm toffee sweetness on the palate without overshadowing the unique, bready taste of American barley. "As a new venture, crafting Clermont Steep has been one of the toughest challenges I have ever faced in the distillery, and I am incredibly proud of where we’ve landed," said Noe. "This American Single Malt Whiskey is smooth, sweet and incredibly balanced, and it deserves a spot on any whiskey lover's bar cart, right alongside their bourbons and ryes."

This special American Single Malt whiskey hails from Washington.

Westland Whiskey Solum Edition 1 American Single Malt, $149.99

This exclusive and unique whiskey celebrates American peat, and it's a limited annual bottling. In fact, it's the first nationally available single malt to showcase American peated malt, and only 4,044 bottles have been released. Another good gift for dad would be Westland Whiskey's American Single Malt.