Christmas is a wonderful time of year (the most wonderful time of the year, some say) but it can be stressful trying to find the perfect gift. And when you know they like whisky, but you don’t know the difference between Glenfiddich and Glen Campbell, stepping into The Whisky Shop can seem a bit daunting. Well we’re here to help!

Drop into your local Whisky Shop and you’ll find our elves ready with some top tips on the best whisky gifts to suit any discerning drinker, from beginner to well-seasoned connoisseur. Can’t make it to one of our stores? No problem – here’s our Top Ten gifts this Christmas:

1. 12 Drams of Christmas, from £70

Created to keep the Christmas ‘spirit’ alive well into the New Year, the 12 Drams of Christmas features a different 3cl of some fantastic whisky for each day of the festive season, from Christmas Day to January 6th. Available in Standard and Deluxe editions, it’s the perfect antidote to the Boxing Day slump. Make sure to check out our full advent calendar range as well.

2. The Golden Series Explorer Safari 6 Month Subscription, £360

Released in celebration of the first anniversary of The W Club’s whisky subscription service, The Golden Series is a limited edition six-month subscription, delivering truly exceptional drams direct to your doorstep. The Golden Series Explorer Safari is limited to just 20 sets and contains two 10cl bottles each month to compare and contrast, including limited editions, old and rare bottlings, single cask exclusives and Japanese whiskies. Click here for the full line up.

3. Shackleton Engraved with free glass, £45

Discovered under ice. Served over ice. The Shackleton is a blended malt like no other, with an origin story to rival the best superhero! In 1907, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his ‘Nimrod’ expedition warmed themselves in the brutal conditions of Antarctica with a dram or two of Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt whisky. A century later, one case of the forgotten whisky was discovered under the ice at Shackleton’s base camp and Whyte & Mackay Master Blender, Richard ‘The Nose’ Paterson, set about recreating the lost dram. The result is a whisky with real warmth and depth, much like Shackleton himself. Personalise your bottle with our bespoke engraving service and receive a free whisky glass.

4. The Loch Fyne Botanical Gin Engraved, £34

Created by the folks at Loch Fyne Whiskies in the Royal Burgh of Inveraray, this botanical gin is their first foray outside of the whisky world. With juniper, coriander, orange peel and a clever infusion of Scottish maritime botanicals combining to produce a distinctive yet balanced gin, with plenty of aromatic appeal and a sweet herbal finish. Presented in a rectangular bottle, there's plenty of space to engrave on the side for that extra personal touch.

5. Tamdhu 30 Year Old Platinum Old & Rare, £250

Part the Platinum Old & Rare Selection from family-run independent bottler Hunter Laing & Co, this single cask expression was distilled at Speyside’s Tamdhu distillery in July 1987. Aged for three decades in a single sherry butt, only 533 bottles were produced in July this year. It doesn’t get much more exclusive than a 30-year-old single cask!

6. Loch Lomond Taster Pack, £25

How about a distillery tour? The Loch Lomond Taster Pack lets you take the tour without leaving the warmth of your armchair. Featuring 5cl bottles of the Alexandria distillery's core range, including the Loch Lomond Original, 12 Year Old and 18 Year Old, this pack showcases Loch Lomond's unusual and diverse output, marrying the fruit-driven distillery style with subtle peat and smoke.

7. Balblair 1997 The Whisky Shop Exclusive, £140

The Highland distillery of Balblair stand out from most other distillers in bottling by vintage rather than by age. What difference does it make? When you pick up your favourite 10-year-old whisky, you know exactly what you are going to get when you pour a dram because the Master Blender has worked hard to combine hundreds of casks to maintain consistency. With a vintage, each expression is allowed to exhibit its own unique characteristics and interesting nuances. When we visited Balblair, we discovered a 1997 vintage single cask that blew us away. Bottled exclusively for The Whisky Shop, this Balblair 1997 is sure to impress the whisky drinker who has seen it all.

8. Dram-a-Month Deluxe 12 Month Subscription, £150

The gift that keeps on giving. What could be better than having a different whisky sent directly to your door every month for a year? The Dram-a-Month Deluxe whisky subscription from The W Club does just that with a 5cl sample of some fantastic whiskies. Since its inception just over a year ago, subscribers have enjoyed drams such as The Macallan Rare Cask, Glenmorangie Signet, Highland Park 18 Year Old and Bowmore Vault Edit1°N.

9. GlenKeir Treasures Craigellachie 9 Year Old, £50

Hand-selected by The Whisky Shop team and bottled for our exclusive GlenKeir Treasures range, this 9-year-old from Speyside’s award-winning Craigellachie distillery was distilled in July 2008 and bottled in 2017 at a preferred strength of 40% abv. A great gift for the indie aficionado, this single malt has a rich palate with blood orange, white pepper, cream candy and sherbet, before some classic Craigellachie earthy notes in the finish.

10. The Dalmore 15 Year Old Gift Set, £70

Whisky worth sharing. This 15-year-old is the epitome of The Dalmore house style; delicate yet rich, with mandarin, vanilla and ginger on the palate and a Christmas spice in the finish. Matured in a combination of three different types of sherry wood (Amoroso, Apostoles and Matusalem), this Highland malt is universally loved. This handsome gift set includes two tumblers etched with The Dalmore’s iconic stag logo, perfect for sharing a dram or two on Christmas Day.