Best Alcohol Gift

Costco has a nice wine set for $40 and a whiskey set for $100. $700? Fuck is wrong with you?

or just get a bottle of Maker's. Don't be such a pansy

Blantons if you can find it.

A good way to score Pappy is to check eBay for “empty” bottles....

Or you could treat your person to a drink at the Stanley in Estes Park, CO (incidentally, where Steven King wrote the Shining) and they have the largest collection of whiskey west of the Mississippi (7,000+ unique bottles)

$750 for a bottle? I'm more interested in what they did for you that you owe them such a huge thank you.

If he/she is a whisky fun there are plenty of choices in your budget. Still, you might need some research or just ask what does he/she like.

If you're in London, Fortnum & Mason carry a good selection of whiskeys in their basement. There is also a wine bar down there and a wine store if you'd prefer a bottle of vino. Harrod's also carries a wide selection of high end wines and whiskeys in their food hall.

Since you quoted your maximum price in dollars, though, I assume you're in the US. If you have your heart set on whiskey, I'd consider some of the Japanese whiskeys in addition to the Van Winkles and George T. Stagg's. Even Maker's Mark has some rarer bottles. There are a few of the Maker's Mark Black and the Maker's Mark Gold left, but you'll have to search for them. The Black Label was originally meant for export only. When i was in graduate school in London, Vinopolis near London Bridge would sell the bottles for 65 GBP. They're now almost all in private collections, and normally auction for 200 GBP in London. I am afraid I don't know the auction prices in the US at the moment.

That said, I strongly encourage you to try a high-end Japanese whiskey. Yamazaki Black Label is excellent. It's about $300 in NY. There was a special edition made in 1984 of the Yamazaki Black which is exceptionally tasty, but I think it's a bit out of your price range. I honestly think that at $300/bottle the Yamazaki is under-priced. In addition to being delicious if the person drinks it, if they don't drink it, it should appreciate in value.

I think the Van Winkles are overpriced at the moment because a few years ago, the majority of the Pappy Van Winkle (the 20 year) and the Van Winkle Family Reserve (23 year) was stolen in a highway heist. As a result, the market was under-supplied for at least a year. And because the 23-year was already so rare, a lot of restaurants were only allowed to buy one bottle for a time. From a marketing perspective, I wouldn't be surprised if that heist increased the value of the rest of the Van Winkle reserves by more than the loss (which I'm sure was insured anyway).

For what it's worth, someone above mentioned Blanton's. Blanton's is my go-to sipping Bourbon. Higher-end bars generally stock it, and it's not wildly pretentious. Their main bottle is maybe $60, but like every other distiller on the planet at the moment, they do a range of 'finishes'. Bourbons have to age in oak barrels to carry the name, but they can be finished in sherry casks, for instance (or a range of others). They also do some higher-end bottles, but not in the range you're looking at. And while they're different classes of whiskey (Japanese whiskeys were based on Scotch, and are essentially smoother, sweeter variants of Scotch), Yamazaki Black is a comparatively better bottle. I've bought high end alcohol as gifts before, and no one ever complains about Yamazaki Black.

Beyond that, if you're looking for a bottle of wine instead, I'd consider Vega Sicilia. They have several different labels, but they're all great. Even the Alion, their lowest quality wine, is still excellent. It probably costs $70-$80 per bottle for the Alion. The Unico is my personal favorite. If you could find a birth-year bottle, that would be a great (though costly) gift. Unico ranges widely in price, but you should be able to get something in the $300 range for a decent year.

Vega Sicilia is made from a Bordeaux grape that was transplanted to Spain 150-200 years ago, so you get a distinct flavor from the wine that I've not found in any other label. Much like Yamazaki Black, I think Vega Sicilia wines will increase in value over time. They are also delicious.

I think a gift that is both tasty and an investment (assuming you don't drink it) is a great gift for someone who did you a professional favor (assuming you're in investments).

Some champagne ideas:

Moet MCIII costs almost 750 and if they haven’t tried it yet chances are they’ll be very curious. It's fashionable and innovative.

A Dom Perignon dated back to the year they were born may cost approximately that much, unless they were born before the sixties.

DP also supposedly makes the best rosé (especially appropriate if the person is a woman), it’s about 500, but you may even find its Œnothèque Rosé, which should be the very best, for 750, with some luck. Alternatively, a good vintage Cristal rosé.

The Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Françaises is the best contemporary example of champagne a l’ancienne, supposedly reflects how it was made in the 19th century, almost legendary, limited production from two very small clos.

I see no mention yet of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. It’s worth looking at the logistics of getting deliveries from here depending on your location, as presents don’t come much more unique than this (if you live outside Scotland/the UK).

https://www.smws.com/whisky?limit=all&price=5%2C100

If you could explain the nature of the favor they did for you, it would give us added context and help us provide you with the perfect choice.

(not really but I know they had to have really hooked you up somehow and I'm curious)

There's a liquor store next to my apartment (NYC) that had 2 bottles of Pappy last I saw.

2012 Caymus

Anyone else interested in seeing PrestigeCaller's alcohol rankings here?

Go to TJ's and get 375 bottles of two buck Chuck

My father is super into whiskey / single malts and all I ever fucking hear him talk about is Bruichladdich, Lagavulin, Glenfiddich, and Octomore

Suntory.

Got a bottle of the 12 year lot b I've been holding on to for a few years... Picked it up at $120! Best investment I've made a while! Honestly , it's not about the dollar figure, it's about thought. The idea of wine of a birth year is interesting, or if there is a great bottle of wine from a year important to both of you, that could work too. If you know they are an officianado of something in particular (bourbon or otherwise) that would be a good place to start. If it is bourbon, spend your time tracking down a bottle of eh Taylor barrel proof. I'd put it against pappy 23 anytime (and I did just that a few years ago... It won). It's like $90 and awesome, but liekly something this person hasn't seen.

$750 is a huge budget for a good bottle of almost anything, short of the most premium or exclusive bottles sprinkled with fairy dust and unicorn poop.

I agree with GoldenCinderblock. At Costco, you can find great sets for a good price. When I choose liquor, I pay attention to two things: the manufacturer and the age. For me, it's important to ensure the product's quality. If your recipient loves gin, I suggest you give them a bottle of gin with their initials. I am sure that such a gift will be highly appreciated. Such personalized gifts show the people's effort to surprise and delight the recipient. How nice that there are companies that allow you to make people happy and implement interesting ideas into reality.

It's a shame yamazaki 25 is out of your budget. shit is life changing

Glenfiddich whisky 
I liked it from the first sip: bright rich taste, not harsh at all, opens gradually and lets you feel the whole bouquet. Spices are not spicy, and the aftertaste, thanks to them, warms. Not sugary at all, the sweetness is somehow creamy and soft.

Proper 12 Irish whiskey, I got it as a joke for a formal once but I actually liked it. Especially good idea if person likes Connor McGregor

Find out what they prefer to drink first... don't drop $750 on a fine whiskey or rum and later find our they don't ever drink that kind of stuff. I personally would be much happier with a decent bottle of red wine verses a $1000 bottle of rum. Make sure this is something they will appreciate. Talk to his wife/family/friends, etc.

Michter’s 10 yr bourbon is like 500 and I love it, tried the rye and wasn’t as much of a fan. I’ve heard some of the high end smoke wagons are really good too. My go to is basil Hayden’s or Woodward double oaked.