20 Perfect Gift Ideas Every Bourbon Lover Will Appreciate

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Whether you're a longtime spirits collector or only just assembling your bar cart, you can't go wrong with a bottle of bourbon. This distinct whiskey comes in all forms, from rare collector's bottles to budget-friendly options that make the most of your every glass. In addition to the actual bottles, an assortment of bourbon-related apparel, glasses, books, and the like can further enhance your drinking experience and flesh out your bourbon collection.

Given the sheer number of options for bourbon bottles, rare varieties, and spirits-related gifts, we've rounded up some of the absolute best for this holiday season. Some of the suggestions below are based in or around Lexington, Kentucky, which happily embraces its "Bourbonland" alias. Others, meanwhile, come from across the United States and encompass both traditional bourbon brands and more innovative distilleries — as well as bourbon-related hats, candles, and other collector's gifts. Ideas like these may make it easy to select your next present, whether it's for a friend, family member, or your own self and shelf.

Castle & Key

Among Kentucky's crown jewel distilleries, Castle & Key makes some of the absolute best bourbon around. A bottle of the brand's traditional bourbon, therefore, makes a great gift. According to the brand's website, that product pairs "graham cracker, butterscotch, red apple, honeysuckle, [and] clove" flavors with notes of "molasses, golden raisin, golden apple, toffee, orange zest, praline, [and] cinnamon." Safe to say: It's an ideal combination — and an ideal gift. 

Purchase Castle & Key's Traditional Bourbon for $55. 

Bespoken Spirits

This item ushers distilling into the modern era. Lexington's Bespoken Spirits overlaps with the city's Bourbon Trail yet specializes in innovation; the distillery utilizes wood fragments to expedite production. You therefore won't find traditional barrel-aged spirits here, but will instead taste a new, sustainable version. For your next gift, try the Sable Bourbon, which overlaps with burnt sugar, pear, and marzipan — a delectable combination.

Purchase Sable Bourbon for $60.

Fresh Bourbon

Another Lexington-based distillery, Fresh Bourbon presents both a fantastic drink and story. According to Visit Lexington, this distillery's bourbon is the first to be "African American-owned and produced since slavery." Rather than adhere to tradition, a bottle of Fresh Bourbon elevates it, creating a product that's contemporary, delicious, and rooted in meaning. 

Purchase a bottle of Fresh Bourbon for $49.99 online.

While you can't go wrong gifting a bourbon lover a bottle, there are plenty of other spirits-adjacent gifts to choose from. Buffalo Trace, for instance, sells more than its sought-after bottles, offering everything from sweatshirts to candles that boast signature scents in buffalo-adorned glasses. For inspiration, try the leather & amber candle. 

Purchase a Leather & Amber candle for $23.95. 

Wear your love of Kentucky bourbon on your sleeve — and your head — with a simple and stylish bourbon trail baseball or trucker hat. This tried-and-true accessory could make for a practical and easily wearable addition to a bourbon aficionado's standard wardrobe, and is available on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail's website in different colors and styles.

Purchase this Bourbon Trail hat for $35.  

Trifecta Design Studio

For a well-crafted gift, look no further than Kentucky-based Trifecta Design Studio. This Lexington glassblowing studio doubles as a speakeasy with some of the city's best cocktails, many of which utilize bourbon in creative ways. Given the studio's attention to glass, you can purchase a handcrafted glass to enjoy your next glass of bourbon neat or on the rocks.

Purchase a stemless glass from Trifecta for $75 or a stemmed glass for $95.

Five Springs Infused Bourbon

For a bourbon with a fun, flavorful, and floral twist, try Five Springs: your new favorite bourbon brand. Five Springs launched last year, and, per its website, refreshes traditional bourbons with lighter, summery flavors. Namely, the brand sells three iterations: honey sage, vanilla maple, and blood orange.

Purchase Five Springs' infused Honey Sage bourbon, Vanilla Maple, or Blood Orange bourbons for $45.04 each. 

WhistlePig Bourbon

As the brand's name suggests, Vermont's WhistlePig Whiskey predominantly focuses on whiskey. However, if you're looking for a gift for someone who alternates between bourbon and whiskey, opt for the PiggyBack 100 Bourbon. The spirit maintains the flavor profile of the brand's perfected whiskey, but also incorporates a sweetness that's perfect for balancing your next whiskey sour.

Purchase Whistlepig's PiggyBack 100 Proof Bourbon for $49.99 or Snout-to-Tail Bourbon for $89.99. 

A book sounds less glamorous than a bottle of top-shelf alcohol. However, for the person who loves the stories behind the beverage, you can't beat a sleek hardcover about the history of Kentucky bourbon. Louisville, Kentucky-based bourbon expert Susan Reigler penned this ode to her state's favorite spirit, collecting the traditions of bourbon in this fascinating book.

Purchase "Kentucky Bourbon: The Essential Guide to the American Spirit" for $33.94.

The name says it all. Good Trouble Bourbon is the best kind of trouble, as this aromatic spirit works both on its own and in an array of cocktails. Beyond flavor, however, these bottles speak to a larger purpose; a fraction of every purchase goes toward the Be Good, Do Good Shine Your Light Foundation: an endeavor that focuses on inclusivity, equity, and tolerance.

Purchase Good Trouble Bourbon for $49.95. 

Four Branches

Next on the list, Four Branches Bourbon arose to honor the lives and service of military personnel, using bourbon to share the legacies of U.S. veterans. The brand makes two bourbons in the form of a Founders Blend Bourbon and the limited-edition The Continental Bourbon. 

Purchase a bottle of Four Branches Bourbon Founders Blend for $84.99 or Four Branches Bourbon The Continental for $119.99.  

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A classic bourbon brand, Wild Turkey produces and sells a multitude of bourbons and whiskeys, including the company's namesake Wild Turkey Bourbon — a beloved, accessible, and well-priced entry-level spirit certain to round out your bar cart. At a little more than $20, the brand's bourbon comes slightly on the sweeter side, with hints of vanilla, caramel, honey, and orange on the tongue. 

Purchase a bottle of Wild Turkey Bourbon's eponymous bourbon for $22.99. 

Angostura

Angostura Bitters present the perfect gift opportunity, not only for established bourbon fans but also for aspiring mixologists. That's because the brand's bitters hinge on a combination of botanicals that add specific flavors and characteristics to any of your go-to cocktails. They therefore allow for personalization, so you can incorporate the likes of orange, cocoa, amaro, aromatic, and 200-year bitters.

Purchase an Angostura Bitters three-pack for $48. 

If you'd like to add another bourbon book to your coffee table, how about Michael R. Veach's "Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey: An American Heritage"? The work walks readers through the heritage of the storied spirit. Bourbon earned Congress designation in 1964, but this book begins before that, tracing the stories of the drink's origin.

Purchase Michael R. Veach's "Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey: An American Heritage" for $16.97. 

You've already heard about the bourbon prowess of Susan Reigler — author of this list's "Kentucky Bourbon: the Essential Guide to the American Spirit" – and Michael R. Veach of "Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey: An American Heritage." This next gift suggestion, however, brings these two minds together for a comprehensive bourbon tasting book that will help you keep track of everything you've sipped and savored. 

Purchase "The Bourbon Tasting Notebook" on Amazon for $29.29. 

Signature Bourbon Bonbons

Chocolate and whiskey go hand-in-hand, and there's no sweeter gift than a box of spirit-filled truffles. Enter: Bourbon Bonbons, a Kentucky-based brand that specializes in an array of booze-infused chocolates. You can choose between mint julep truffles and amaretto bonbons, but for the truest taste of Kentucky, opt for the semi-sweet bourbon candies, which come hand-dipped and overlaid with perfectly crunchy pecans. 

Purchase signature bourbon bonbons for $24.00. 

Maker's Mark

If you're shopping for the bourbon drinker who already has a well-stocked bar, this next gift thinks outside the box... by focusing on the barrel. Bourbon brand Maker's Mark sells aged barrel heads engraved with not only the brand's name but also a name of your choosing. You can therefore gift the bourbon fan in your life a one-of-a-kind present.

Purchase an engraved logo barrel top for $149.95.

King's County Distillery

Add another bourbon book to your shelf with "The Bourbon Drinker's Companion" – a bourbon distillery-focused guide by Colin Spoelman. Equal parts informative and interesting, this book focuses on bourbon through the lens of the spirit's most storied and innovative distilleries, tracking the evolution of whiskey. 

Purchase Colin Spoelman's "The Bourbon Drinker's Companion"  for $29.99. 

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Rounding off the list of this year's bourbon gift ideas, Michter's small-batch US 1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon checks all of the boxes. Distilled in Kentucky — like most great bourbons — Michter's signature bourbon is a well-balanced spirit, where silky caramel undertones counteract the smoky and oaky intensity of the bourbon's base.

Purchase a bottle of Michter's US 1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon for around $50.99 (prices range, depending on location).