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It’ll be here before you know it. So if you’re in need of a few ideas on what to give (or in some cases, what to put on your own list) this year, this is the place to be for the next couple weeks. Our annual 12 days of Dappered covers one item each week-day between now and December 11th. That’ll leave some time for shipping if you’re the last minute type. All will be reasonably affordable. See the growing archive here.
A flask is a total luxury. Good for tailgates, cheesy municipal tree lightings, and twilight walks with the dog. By giving not just the container, but something to go in it, you’ll achieve maximum gift-giving success. Potential partners are below. Add yours in the comments. And know your municipality’s open container laws…
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Ernest Alexander Wax Flask Set – $50.00 | Wathen’s Single Barrel Bourbon – $20s – $30s
That flask is 12 oz. Good grief. So go easy. Made in the USA, unpretentious, great looking. That’s a perfect match for Wathen’s Bourbon. Sweet, rich, and stunningly easy for 94 proof (and therefore, very easy to get in trouble with). You have to love the “new website coming 01.01.10” note on their homepage. Screw the web, concentrate on the bourbon. Nothing wrong there in the least.
Allen Edmonds – $40.00 | Angel’s Envy Port Finished Bourbon – $40ish.
Allen Edmonds, meet Angels Envy. Sneaky good on both sides. The Allen Edmonds calfskin wrapped flask is made here in the USA, ships free, and is on sale for $40. The Angel’s Envy bourbon sneaks in some ripe fruit flavor thanks to it being finished in port wine barrels.
Lands’ End Houndstooth Tweed Flask – $34.99
| Auchentoschan – $30 – $40
Did a “gifts for guys” twitter party yesterday, and by coincidence the Lands’ End Houndstooth Tweed Flask came up. It’s cheap, it’s got that Scottish looking houndstooth nubby thing going for it, and the leather accents are nice. Hang out for a 30% + free shipping no min. sale and it could get awfully inexpensive. Meanwhile, Auchentoschan is about as accessible as single-malt gets. You don’t have to love Scotch to love Auchentoschan. A little sweeter than most. Plenty clean. Good price. (Also a good flask match: That TH blackwatch plaid one.)
Mulhollad Sportsman Flask – $80 | Zirbenz Stone Pine Liquor – $27 – $33
So you’re snowshoeing through the alps with some lovely Fräulein, when the two of you stop to take in some water and share a crisp, warming, reddish gin-like liquor made from Austrian Stone Pine fruit. Totally could happen. This would be the flask for that scenario. And the liquor? It’s… interesting.
J. Crew Factory – $14.50 – $29.50 | Old Crow – Not much $$$
Cheapness all around! Our tech correspondent Paul is a fan of the wise blackbird. Meanwhile, our official bartender says: “Old Crow… you could do worse. Not much worse, but you could do worse.” C’mon now. It’s a great base bourbon to try infusing with. Apricots & honey, orange peel, cloves, and dried figs… let a combination steep in the booze for a week or two, strain, and out comes something completely different… and better. A bit more on the infusing thing over here.
The insane combo: Tiffany Sterling – $900 | Appleton Estate 50 Year Old rum – $5,000
“Any last requests?” “Oh you bet. You got a pen? You’ll want to write this down.”
Any other leads on flasks? Got a favorite spirit worth a mention? Leave it all below. Top Photo: Pewter English Made flask via Lone Madrone’s tasting room.
Old Crow is absolutely the WORST bourbon out there. If you’re going for super cheap, can’t go wrong with Kentucky Gentleman. He’s never done me wrong.
That jcrew flask is sold out, apparently.
This is a great series. Check out this over in Threads http://threads.dappered.com/showthread.php/7586-Official-Bourbon-Thread for some bourbon advice from guys much more knowledgeable than me.
Also, what the heck is a twitter party?
I love this Stanley Flask especially for skiing. Perfect size and shape and a lifetime guarantee. I’d probably pair it with WL Weller Antique if I was on the slopes. I like a bigger bourbon in the snow. At a tailgate I might roll with WL Weller 12 or Rittenhouse Rye.
http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-Classic-Flask-Black/dp/B0049HUVZY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1354021227&sr=8-2&keywords=stanley+flask
For those that prefer Canadian Whiskey, look for Canadian Hunter. It’s sub $15 for a handle and one of the best…seriously.
http://www.canadianwhisky.org/reviews/canadian-hunter-40-alc-vol-80-proof.html
Old Crow got me through law school. it was the well bourbon at my favorite bar and a “normal” pour was really a double. always got the job done, easy on the wallet, but leaves you shredded in the morning.
I had a sweet (debatable, for sure) “Old Croak” bar lamp, that I *borrowed* from my folks’ home bar back in college. Jussssssst like this:
Great article – Thanks! I would also throw out the Stanley flask. Great working flask – a touch too thick but works great with a coat or in the wifes purse
Oh, and on the actual topic at hand… I have a couple flasks – a few that were wedding party gifts (who doesn’t, right?) – and a more recent procurement that came in a Glenlivet gift set. It’s a simple (read: “cheap”) vessel, yet The Glenlivet moniker on the side somehow makes it seem much more than that.
Anyway, at a recent “cheesy municipal tree lighting,” I filled it with some Canadian Club Dock No. 57 Blackberry-infused Whisky. I didn’t really have the opportunity to whip it out (errr… uhm…) and partake directly (a little *too* public/family of an event), but I did make use of it to *enhance* my thermos of hot Earl Grey tea. Hey, I was fighting a cold, and well.. ya’know, Granny always said “hot tea, lemon, honey and …. WHISKY!” Works for me.
I just tried some of that Angels Envy the other day. Loads of vanilla and cinnamon along with the fruit flavors, fairly light bodied too.
If anyone wants to give me $5000 for that Appleton Estate 50yr, feel free. I’ve got the 12yr and it’s *delicious*. Affordable too, got it for around $35.
I love expensive bourbon and costly scotch. I love them enthusiastically and with abandon and all too joyously for my wallet to survive. So to leaven the penalty, a bottle of Evan Williams will always have a spot in my heart as well.
It might just be me, but when I hear flask, I think Jim Beam.
Old Crow gets me through the comments section. Some days.
stupid Barron from EG lol
My regular drink is Blanton’s, neat, but for a great cheap bourbon (better than Old Crow) I
really like Rebel Yell. It’s about 10 bucks a bottle and while it’s not
the smoothest bourbon it does have great flavors of burnt orange, clove and vanilla. Perfect for flask passing at football games.
I actually preferred and picked up the other flask available from J.Crew Factory in the brown wool herringbone pattern. It was the “bottoms up” that turned off the leather flask for me.
montana-based company, meriwether, makes a handsome flask for $30 (made in USA) worth checking out: http://www.meriwetherfieldgear.com/collections/beer-wine/products/meriwether-flask. I have no affiliation with the company.
Not trying to find you on the slopes 🙂 Great call though
Evan Williams Single Barrel is hard to beat.
Mmm…whiskey. I’m a fan of Evan Williams Single Barrel and Buffalo Trace on the more affordable side. For scotch, I tend to go Balvenie.
Seconding any Balvenie scotches – love the sherry cask 12 yrs.
my personal flask favs are Famous Grouse blended scotch and Jim Beam rye…great values for flasking
I like Old Grand Dad among the cheaper ones, and Wild Turkey is my mid-priced go to, though mostly I stick to beer and wine these days. And Grand Marnier when the temps really drop.