The range

Gifting

Bottles that work as a present — chosen because they are good, recognisable and arrive looking like something. Japanese whisky from Yamazaki, Hakushu and Hibiki, Islay peat from Lagavulin, Royal Salute in its porcelain flagon, Tasmanian single malt from Lark, and Champagne.

If you are buying for someone whose taste you do not know, a Japanese blend or a Speyside is the safest ground: both are approachable and neither is a statement about what the recipient ought to like.

12bottles. Every one with a reason written against it.

  • Black Forest · Germany

    Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin

    We stock it because it is the most complicated gin most people will ever drink, and because the resting step is unusual enough to be worth explaining.

    500 mL47.0%18.5 std

    $102.99

  • Richmond, New South Wales

    Karu Lightning Gin

    We stock it because overproof gin earns its place in cocktails - it survives ice and citrus where a 40% gin gets lost. One bottle carries about 32 standard drinks, so it goes further than the price suggests.

    700 mL57.5%31.8 std

    $98.00

  • London · England

    Tanqueray No. TEN Gin

    We stock it because it is the bottle that proves what fresh fruit does in a still, and because it makes a Martini that needs nothing else.

    700 mL47.3%26.1 std

    $89.99

  • Islands · Scotland

    Johnnie Walker 18 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky

    We stock it because it makes the case for blending as a craft rather than a compromise. If someone believes blends are what you drink when you cannot afford malt, this is the bottle that changes their mind.

    700 mL40.0%22.1 std

    $189.99

  • Islay · Scotland

    Lagavulin 16 Year Old Single Malt Whisky

    We stock it because it is the bottle that settles arguments about what peat means. If someone wants to understand the style rather than sample around it, this is where we send them.

    700 mL43.0%23.7 std

    $159.99

  • Islay · Scotland

    The Botanist Islay Dry Gin

    We stock it because it is a whisky distillery's gin and it shows - more texture and weight than the category usually carries, and it rewards being drunk on its own.

    700 mL46.0%25.4 std

    $94.99

  • Hakushu, Yamanashi · Japan

    Hakushu 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky

    Hakushu is Suntory's forest distillery, and the 12 is the green one - cut grass, cucumber, a whisper of smoke that arrives late and leaves quickly. It is the malt people reach for when they want something lighter than a Speyside without giving up complexity. We keep it alongside the Yamazaki because the two together show how far one company's house style can stretch.

    700 mL43.0%23.7 std

    $309.99

  • Yamazaki, Hakushu & Chita · Japan

    Hibiki Japanese Harmony 700ml

    We stock it because it is the bottle we hand anyone who says they do not like whisky. Soft, lightly floral, with no smoke and no heat to argue with. The 24-faceted decanter does not hurt when it is going to someone as a gift.

    700 mL43.0%23.7 std

    $199.00