Gift giving is one of the great compassionate acts of the festive period. A truly thoughtful gift will ensure you remain in the good books throughout 2017 and beyond but buying something he will truly cherish isn’t always easy. More often than not, the same question occurs year after year – what to buy for the man who has everything?
Instead of sending you into the melee of 5th Avenue or Mayfair ill-equipped, we’ve written up our favourite gifts for discerning gentlemen. If you elect to choose a gift from this list, you won’t fail to impress him, because we’ve covered all tastes and predilections in this year’s Gentlemen’s Gift Guide. From a timeless watch he’ll use as an heirloom to stylish accessories and sumptuous tipples, this guide will make Christmas shopping easy.
1. Whitehouse Cox S2376 English Bridle Leather Wallet – £210
Whitehouse Cox have been handcrafting exquisite luxury leather goods in England since 1875. Alongside this rich heritage, luminaries such as David Attenborough and Michael Palin all champion the brand and it’s easy to see why.
Both stylish and resilient, Whitehouse Cox’s S2376 Wallet benefits from being crafted out of English bridle leather. The leather is subjected to coats upon coats of wax, so the wallet will weather the wears and tears of living in your pocket with grace.It also ensures that no two wallets will look the same after time, with each taking on a unique aesthetic after use.
In total, seven workers combine to craft the wallets and the level of craftsmanship involved is readily evident when you handle a Whitehouse Cox wallet. In fact, the brand are so confident in their product that they estimate each wallet will last 9-10 years with daily use.
A beautiful accessory, guaranteed to please even the most discerning of gentlemen.
2. Crazy Gin, The World’s First Clear Lassi – £45
Rather new to the gin scene, Crazy Gin has been making waves in a rather saturated market since its recent inception.
Despite the wealth of boutique gins popping up in recent years, Crazy Gin has enjoyed great success with the bottle already a regular fixture on the shelves of Harvey Nichols, not to mention gracing the menu of Vineet Bhatia’s flagship Chelsea restaurant.
They’re some stunning testimonials, after all Bhatia was the first chef to win a Michelin Star for Indian Cuisine. So Crazy Gin already commands fine pedigree and for good reason – it’s delicious.
As my waistline may attest, I’ve tried my fair share of gins but the delicate balance of lassi with gin accomplishes a rare and endearing taste.
Described as the world’s first clear lassi, the mixture of Indian and British culture work to great effect and Crazy Gin is actually vacuum distilled to enhance the flavours of fruit and fragrant spices. Drinkers will note a blend of sweet tasting pomegranate as well as floral elements combined with citrus notes, tumeric and black cumin.
A superb stocking filler for those partial to the odd (or frequent) G&T.
3. Zenith Elite 6150 Rose Gold – £9,700
A timeless and truly elegant collection, if he’s into more refined fashions then Zenith’s Elite range is worth browsing.
Having produced watches in Switzerland for over 150 years, Zenith carries stellar heritage akin to some brands you may be more familiar with.
The beauty of Zenith is that it continues to develop the movements of its timepieces in-house, something increasingly rare in the industry. The craft that goes into each watch is such that Zenith can boast winning 2,333 awards during their history and they will no doubt add to that with the revived Elite collection.
The 6150 Rose Gold is the face of the Elite range and it’s evocative of all Zenith stands for. Extremely stylish, the rose gold case and ultra-thin pebble shaped case are complemented by a silver tone dial. The latter is embellished only by slim rose gold leaf hands and stylised hour markers, culminating in a timeless design.
4. Petra Seth Kornegay Maison de Parfum – $165 / $390
Petra is one of New York-based Maison de Parfum, Seth Kornegay’s most unique fragrances. This is thanks to the inclusion of Islay single-malt Scotch whisky in the aroma, which makes for an unusual but pleasantly masculine scent.
The aromatic Islay is complemented by notes of Amber, fresh alpine as well as white and dark wood, wild Northern herbs and rare barks.
A high-end eau de toilette that makes for a fine gift.
5. Audeze SINE On-Ear Planar Magnetic Headphones – $499
These award-winning Audeze Headphones feature progressive acoustic engineering and a fashionable aesthetic which will make a great present for audiophiles this Christmas.
What makes these headphones stand out is the use of a fully integrated Apple Lightning Cable called Cipher. This innovative technology isn’t found on many headphones on the market and allows the headphones to stream a 24-bit digital signal through high grade DSP and DAC to afford best-in-class sound quality from iPhones. Whilst the built in microphone is SIRI compatible and can be used for phone calls.
Low distortion, good bass, crisp extended high frequencies characterise these SINE headphones, which should be music to any audiophiles ears.
6. Ardbeg TwentyOne Whisky – $499.99
Ardbeg Whisky has been named Whisky of the Year four times in the last seven years. Yet although recent history has been kind, it hasn’t always been plain sailing for this iconic brand and Ardbeg distillery hasn’t always enjoyed a history as smooth as its product.
Ardbeg actually closed in 1981 having once been the most productive distillery on Islay. Now, as recent awards attest, the brand is flourishing and Ardbeg TwentyOne was created as a salute to the brand’s tumultuous past.
Hand selected by Ardbeg’s distillery manager Micky Heads, this golden dram was born out of the brand’s resilience and dedication to their art, the same traits that have enabled Ardbeg to survive.
Ardbeg TwentyOne is bottled at 46% ABV, with a pale gold complexion that contains the tarry smoke flavour so indicative of Islay. This is coupled with ice-cream and black pepper and herbal top notes that give the whisky a peppery and fizzy mouthfeel that succumbs to flavours of liquorice, charcoal, peppermint and vanilla, with a subtle dash of spice. Finished by soothing hints of coal tar, aniseed and smoky butter, this won’t fail to impress whisky lovers.
Author Bio: Henry McIntosh is a freelance journalist and the Director of Twenty One Twelve Marketing. Twenty One Twelve Marketing specialises in digital marketing for luxury brands.
