I’ve got a mate whos a big fan of Bourbon. He’s tried all the standard brands like Buffalo Trace, JD, Jim Beam and Wild Turkey.
I want to get him a bottle for Xmas of something he might not have tried before, something I can say was recommended by Americans as a good bourbon. Doesn’t need to be some weird flavour like Red Stag, just old fashioned American bourbon that maybe flies under the radar in other countries.
Back when I was a drinker (7 years sober now) my drink of choice was whiskey in general, bourbon in particular.
That said, the best whiskey I ever had was a bottle of Yamazaki 12 year single malt. I got it as a gift when they just entered the US market and picked up a second bottle for ~$45 at the time. Highly recommended to any whiskey drinker.
Those bottles now run north of $150, so you’re better off being sober in more ways than one!