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Wonderful Whisky Gift Ideas Australia | 2024

Last Updated: December 2, 2024

Are you on the hunt for the perfect whisky gift in Australia? Luckily, our guide to Wonderful Whisky Gift Ideas You Can Actually Buy In Australia is here to help. We'll help you decide which whisky (available in Australia) is best to gift and then dive into our top recommendations for whisky sampler packs, whisky gift sets, hampers, and unusual whisky gifts that are sure to impress. 

While it's tempting to purchase from overseas retailers as they appear much cheaper at first, by the time you pay customs duties and taxes to get your purchase into Australia, the final cost can be double the purchase price. To make life easier for you, we've curated a list of our favourite Australian retailers that offer a fantastic selection of high-quality whiskies and whisky-related gifts.

Whether you're shopping for a whisky enthusiast or someone just starting their journey into the world of whisky, our guide has something for everyone. So read on and let us help you find the perfect whisky gift in Australia.

Whisky Sample Packs Australia

Whisky sampler packs are a fantastic gift option as they're already nicely boxed and ready to present. They contain a selection of whiskies, so you don't have to worry about picking the wrong one, as there's bound to be something in there to please your whiskey lover. All of these sets are available from Australian retailers.

For a broader selection of gift sets, see our Whisky Lover’s Guide to Unusual & Unique Whisky Gifts and A Whisky Woman’s Guide To Whisky Gifts.

cardboard gift box with small cutout window showing a selection of Australian whiskies. Top of box says 'Australian Whisky Flight'

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This tasting flight from White Possum features 12 Australian whiskies, each showcasing a diverse range of flavor profiles. Each whisky is housed in a 30ml matte-black glass sampler bottle, clearly labeled with the distillery, whisky name, and distillation location. Accompanying the whiskies is a 14-panel tasting booklet that provides insights into each whisky, profiles of the distilleries, and a brief history of whisky production in Australia. This whisky set comes elegantly packaged in a beautifully decorated, eco-friendly gift box, making it the perfect gift.

box set of 12 world whiskies (3 in photo) 30ml samples. whisky miniature bottles are glass and wax sealed

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The Drinks by The Dram 12 Miniature Whisky Collection of 3cl (30ml) wax-sealed samples of whiskies is a safe bet as a whisky gift as there are a variety of drams from around the world, and they are beautifully presented in a gift box.

yellow gift box containing a selection of four glenmorangie whiskies from gifts australia

This beautifully packaged gift set contains four (4) fabulous 100ml bottles of Glenmorangie Whisky, including Glenmorangie Original 10 Year Old and The Lasanta (a 12-year-old that spends its first ten years ageing in ex-bourbon casks before being finished for two years in Sherry casks). Also included in the Glenmorangie Taster Pack are The Quinta Ruban, a 14-year-old whisky that spends its final two years in Ruby Port Pipes, and The Nectar D’or, a 12-year-old that spends its last two years in Sauternes barriques.

three 20cl bottles of Starward whisky in front of their gift box. whiskies are Starward Classic, Nova and Fortis (from left to right)

From Melbourne Distillers Starward, this Whisky Gift Pack features three 200ml bottles of their awarded and much lauded-whiskies: Two-Fold, Nova and Fortis.

Starward Two-Fold 40% ABV: an approachable double grain whisky, fully matured in red wine barrels from Australian wine regions.

Starward Nova 41% ABV: Starward’s signature whisky, fully matured in red wine barrels, Nova is a deliciously balanced and bold whisky for sharing and mixing.

Starward Fortis 50% ABV: a full-bodied flavour and velvety smoothness at a higher ABV than Starward's usual releases. Matured in 100% American Oak red wine barrels to give it a fuller and richer mouthfeel.

trio of whiskies from morris distillery with their gift box

Three x 50ml whiskies from Morris Winery and Distillery in Rutherglen (Victoria). The wine-heritage of Morris lends itself to some spectacular cask finishes (we love the Tokay Barrel).

Morris Signature 40% ABV: The Signature expression shows bright topaz hues on appearance which open a door to orchard fruit profiles, macerated black cherry and biscuit notes balancing the zest of marmalade jam, lingering cocoa and dark-berry flavours.

Muscat Barrel 46% ABV: Creamy mouthfeel packed full of rich dark fruits and sweet malt notes, which give way to sweet vanilla and cocoa interspersed with cinnamon spice.

Tokay Barrel 48%ABV: Intense toffee, mocha and soft caramel flavours matured in an ex- 15-year old Morris Cellar Reserve Grand Topaque cask.

While you'll see a lot of stunning whisky advent calendars available on sites like Master of Malt and Whisky Exchange, sadly, most of those aren't sold by Australian retailers, and if you buy them from outside the country, you'll have to pay the duty/taxes to get them into Australia (often as much as 50% of the purchase price). Also beware, there are a lot of fake whisky advent calendars online, so only purchase from reputable retailers.

Barrel and Batch Whisky Advent

This year Barrel and Batch (an Australian retailer) have partnered with Drinks by the Dram (UK) for a 12-days of Christmas whisky advent calendar, which includes drams from the likes of Highland ParkArran, Linkwood, and That Boutique-y Whisky Company. Twelve x 30ml wax sealed drams beautifully boxed and ready to gift. Also available as a 12 days of Gin Advent Calendar.

Whisky Club Advent Calendar

The Whisky Club Australia release an annual 24-days of Advent Calendar which includes 24 x 30ml drams from around the world, including including an exclusive single cask, a 32 year old rarity, a 24 year old malt from Scotland’s most-wanted region, a few peaty malts, and a legendary Islay matured in rare Hungarian Tokaji casks. Regions include Scotland, Australia, Japan, Canada, New Zealand and the USA.

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Whisky Gift Hampers and Whisky Gift Packs

While the sampler packs provide you with a broad range of tastings, we love a good whisky gift set or whisky gift hamper for the broad range of ITEMS, especially if they include branded glassware (as most of these sets do). The following whisky gift hampers are available from Australian retailers.

Archie Rose Gift Hamper with Maggie Beer goodies

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Archie Rose Whisky is a fabulous gift as you can tailor the label to the recipient. Whether it's wishing dad 'Happy Father's Day' or simply writing 'Merry Christmas Roddy' you can select the label text, colour and font, and include a longer message on the back label. In addition to a custom 700ml bottle of Archie Rose whisky, this hamper includes: 80% Dark Chocolate Almonds, Burnt Toffee Popcorn, and Cocoa-dusted Cashews from Maggie Beer's pantry range. Dark Chocolate Coffee Beans and Toffee Popcorn Brittle from Morgan's. This gorgeous gift hamper comes with FREE standard shipping Australia-wide and a premium card you can leave a message on. 

whisky hamper containing 500ml Nikka, wondaree macadamias, compartes chocolate, and a box of 2 Riedel o-series whisky glasses

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This gorgeous whisky hamper features a bottle of Nikka Whisky From The Barrel (500ml) offering notes of biscuity malt, vanilla, dried fruits, and a hint of spice. Paired with a stylish set of two Riedel crystal O-series whisky glasses, a bag of Wondaree Roasted and Salted Macadamias (50g) and a block of Compartés Gourmet Old Hollywood dark chocolate (68g). The Whisky Lovers Gift Hamper from Kent St Cellars comes with complimentary gift wrap, complete with a wax seal. 

legendary whisky gift hamper

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Read up on legendary whiskies while sipping on three superb examples from Loch Lomond Distillery (Scotland). This hamper from Gourmet Basket includes Ian Buxton's classic '101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die', three 50ml single malt whiskies from Loch Lomond Distillery (Loch Lomond Original, 12 Year Old and 18 Year Old) and a Double Old Fashioned-style whisky glass. This hamper comes with a gift card, stylish gift box and FREE shipping Australia-wide.

glenmorangie whisky and hamper items including maggie beer products

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This gorgeous gift set from Gifts Australia includes a full size (700ml) Glenmorangie The Original, 10yo scotch whisky. For a great night in, and to perfectly compliment the whisky, the hamper also contains Maggie Beer Dark Chocolate Almonds, Maggie Beer Toffee Popcorn, Morgan's Dark Chocolate Coffee Beans, and Morgan's Toffee Brittle.

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A fabulous gift pack from the founders of modern Tasmanian whisky, this set includes three x 100ml Lark Distillery whiskies and a Lark-branded Glencairn whisky glass.

Unusual Whisky Gifts Australia

What do you get the whisky lover who already has a mountain of whisky? Or you don't want to pick the wrong bottle because you're unsure precisely what they like? A whisky-related gift might be just the thing. All of the following items are available in Australia, including two bespoke options via Etsy that you can engrave with your recipient's name or the details of their favourite distillery.
two glasses and a glass globe with the world map filled with amber liquid

This elegant Whiskey Decanter Globe and Glass Set will stand out on any bar, countertop, or drinks trolley for that added touch of class. The decanter and matching whisky glasses are made from quality glassware with a frosted map of the earth. The glass globe decanter capacity is 940ml and comes with a glass stopper. It also includes two 270ml whisky glasses and a timber decanter stand.

photograph of a glass decanter in the shape of a storm trooper helmet. the decanter is full of amber liquid presumably whiskey

This Stormtrooper Decanter is the perfect gift for a Star Wars Fan and Whisky Lover (this is quite a large number of people we know). Shaped to match the original moulds of the Stormtrooper helmet and armour created by Andrew Ainsworth, prop designer for the first Star Wars movie in 1976. The decanter weighs 950g, has a capacity of 750ml, and includes a cork stopper.

two Tasmanian oak whisky flight paddles, one side showing 4 holes for dram placement, the other showing 'dads bar whisky and cocktails' as personalised engraving is available

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DuckManorWoodworking (Etsy) are a small Australian business producing customisable whisky flight paddles handmade from Tasmanian oak. Holes are cut on one side for dram placement (either 3 or 4, depending on your preference), and personalised engraving is available on the other. Timber gift tags are also available.

open spread whisky journal included guided whisky notes page

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SomethingForKeepsAU (Etsy) are a small Australian business producing Handmade Leather-Bound Journals made from Australian and New Zealand leather. The journals are available in various colours, cover images (Whisky Notes Bourbon Notes) and page formats (blank, lined, grid, or the very handy whisky notes template pictured). Personalised engraving is also available. The journals ship gift wrapped and are available worldwide.

leather hip flask with laser engraving from etsy australia

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Wildfire Engraving (Etsy) are a based on the Gold Coast (Australia), producing customisable faux-leather stainless steel hip flasks ideal for a personalised gift. They also have a great selection of engraveable timber chopping boards (including some very cool epoxy-filled boards), and leatherette stubby holders.

Best Australian Whisky To Gift

If you would prefer to give them a bottle rather than a gift pack, the following are whiskies that we would gift to our friends and family and that we would happily receive as gifts as well (hint hint to said friends and family). These are staple whiskies in our household and they're all readily available in Australia (and the links we've provided are to Australian retailers).

photograph of a bottle of Cape Byron The Original Whisky

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Roddy and I were very fortunate to attend the unveiling of Cape Byron's long-awaited whisky, made in collaboration with Roddy's old boss, master distiller Jim McEwan. We're both huge fans of their Brookie's Gins (Jim has been involved since the beginning), and the whisky is of the same high quality. Made in Byron Bay, Cape Byron Distillery is a fabulous place to visit, and now they're also producing some of our favourite whiskies.

archie rose tailored whisky front and back labels

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From the wonderful distillers at Archie Rose comes this fantastic gift idea - a tailored whisky, customised to suit your gift recipient. Choose from preset flavour profiles, or blend your own malt type. Pick your label pattern or limited edition artwork, and add your text (20 characters on the front label and whopping 110 characters on the back label). Archie Rose Tailored Whisky is the perfect personalised gift for a whisky lover. Also available in Tailored Gin and Tailored Vodka.

Morris Muscat Barrel Australian Whisky

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Winner of DOUBLE GOLD San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2024, among a host of other awards, the Morris Muscat Barrel whisky has a creamy mouthfeel packed full of rich dark fruits and sweet malt notes, which give way to sweet vanilla and cocoa interspersed with cinnamon spice. Roddy and I have really enjoyed the Morris ex-fortified wine casks that we've tried, and own several bottles of them. The Morris ex-Muscat Barrel whisky is just as likely to delight non whisky fans (assuming they like fortified wines!) as it is to impress a die-hard whisky fan.

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Best Rye Whisky Australia

Our first experience with rye whisky in Australia was with Archie Rose, and it was certainly a great whisky to start with! We've tried a few more Australian rye's since then, and our favourites are as follows:

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Winner of "World's Best Rye Whisky" at the World Whiskies Awards (London), and "World's Best Rye Whisky" at World Whisky Masters (also London), Archie Rose's Rye is a layered, aromatic whisky that offers notes of spiced custard, ginger and a palate reminiscent of baked stone fruits (think peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce) or baked apple pie with a fresh herbal finish that lingers on the palate. Delicious neat or in an Old Fashioned, this is the Rye that got us started on our rye whisky journey.

bottle of backwoods rye white oak cask

From the best distillery in Yackandandah (actually they're one of the best distilleries in Australia and well worth a visit if you're near the NSW/VIC border) Backwoods produce some exceptional whiskies (the white oak is a personal favourite, especially if you can get it at cask strength - another reason to visit the distillery). Backwoods rye is a beautiful sipping whisky and a great addition to the cabinet of an Australian whisky fan. Gold Medal: Australian Distilled Spirits Awards 2023, Silver Medal: World Whiskies Awards 2023, and Silver Medal: Australian Distilled Spirits Awards 2022.

belgrove wholly shit sheep dung smoked rye whisky

Peter Bignell has developed quite a reputation as a maveric distiller and he is making some exceptional rye whiskies. We were fortunate enough to sample quite a few on a recent trip to Tasmania and they are superb. From 'traditional' malted rye, to peated rye, and a very untraditional sheep dung-smoked (Wholly Shit Rye Whisky), there is something for every palate and interest. Belgrove whiskies are all limited releases so get them while you can (my favourite was the last remaining drops of a Spelt whisky). Belgrove's Coffee Liquer (rye based) is an ongoing release though, and it's the best coffee liqueur we've ever had. Whisky Magazine named Belgrove Distillery “Icons of Whisky Australia, Craft Producer of the year 2019”.

red toned image containing smoking branch, cinnamon quils and a cut citrus. centre is a bottle of Gospel Solera rye

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The Gospel Solera is hands down the best base spirit for a Manhattan or a Boulevardier. It is matured in new American oak and ex-Australian wine barrels. The Gospel have a fantastic range of pre-mixed cocktails and whiskey cocktail gift sets. This is an unusual enough whisky that it will be a rare find for most whisky fans and a much-welcome gift for those who have already tried it.

Whisky Subscriptions Australia

whisky club subscription

With over 35,000 members, The Whisky Club is by far the biggest whisky club in Australia. Whiskies of the Month generally range from $140 - $170 a bottle, with exclusive/premium releases also available. You can decline to purchase the 'Whisky of the Month' or delay a membership at any time. Recent past whiskies include The Glendronach Cask Strength Batch 12, Lagavulin Offerman Rum Cask, and Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel II (view past whiskies here). Many whiskies are Whisky Club only releases. Gift memberships are available ($160).

Our Favourite Australian Whisky Retailers

There is an extensive selection of whisky out there in the wide world, and most of the big online retailers like Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt do ship to Australia AND their prices at checkout are often a lot cheaper than you will see from Australian retailers AND they carry a much bigger selection of whiskies than you'll find anywhere locally. 

However, you must be aware that when you purchase alcohol outside Australia, you must pay customs duties to import it into Australia, making your bargain purchase potentially expensive on arrival. That's why the Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt offer very competitive prices to Australian customers. They know the consumer will pay additional costs after it has left their warehouse.

The following retailers are worth checking out as their prices are competitive and their whisky selections are excellent:

  • Barrel & Batch (and BoozeBud - same parent) - online-only retailers with an excellent selection of whisky and other spirits. Purchases you make on Barrel & Batch and BoozeBud from links on our website earn us an affiliate commission (at no cost to you) and help keep Wandering Spirits Global going. So thanks in advance if you purchase through one of our links! It doesn't even have to be the product we suggest 🙂
  • Nicks - wine, whisky, spirits. Mecca for Australian whisky fans and your one-stop shop for spirits. Nicks has an extensive selection of whiskies at very reasonable prices, and click-and-collect pick-up is available if you live in Melbourne (they're in Doncaster East). Always worth having a look in their One Litre Scotch Deals for ex-Duty Free bargains. 
  • The Oak Barrel - located right in the heart of Sydney (Elizabeth St), the Oak Barrell have a small but outstanding selection of whiskies, including Oak Barrel Exclusives. The Oak Barrel host regular whisky tastings, which we highly recommend attending if you're in Sydney.
  • The Spirt Safe - the online-only retail arm of Alba Whisky, an Australian distributor/importer of great labels such as Kilchoman, Benromach, Elements of Islay, Amrut (India), Milk and Honey (Israel), and they carry a fine selection of independent bottles (Cadenhead, Gordon & MacPhail, Hunter Laing) AND a considerable selection of glassware (Australian Distributor of Glencairn). Click and collect is available in Victoria (Notting Hill).
  • The Odd Whisky Coy - is a small business based in Adelaide with an excellent selection of hard-to-find 'back catalogue' whiskies. I picked up a favourite Ardbeg Feis release (Auriverdes) not long ago at a very reasonable price - bottles that are not available anywhere other than on the auction sites can often be found at the Odd Whisky Coy.
  • The Rare Liquor King - another small retailer, this time based in regional Victoria - The Rare Liquor King is our go to online store for all things Bruichladdich (including Octomore BBQ sauce!) and they regularly stock the latest additions from the Dramfool Range (Jim McEwan's private casks). We recently acquired some well priced Waterford from them (we highly recommend these Irish whiskies - another great gift idea as the bottles are beautiful and the whisky is divine).

About the author

Amanda

Amanda is an Australian-born photographer, digital nomad and whisky lover. Her passion for travel and whisky lead her to Islay, where she fell in love with an Ileach (an Islay native). Amanda and Roddy now share their Spirited Adventures.

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