A bottle of good whisky is the rare Christmas gift that is always welcome and never wrong. The only hard part is choosing, so here is a guide for every budget, from the easy pleaser to the bottle that stops a room.

Whisky is the ultimate safe gift that does not feel safe at all, because the range is so vast. The trick is to match the bottle to the person: an approachable blend for someone just getting into it, a characterful single malt for the enthusiast, and something rare for the person who has everything. Every bottle below is in stock and ready to wrap.

The Crowd-Pleasers

For someone who is not yet a whisky obsessive, reach for a smooth, generous dram that is hard not to love. Nikka From the Barrel is a small, mighty Japanese bottle that punches well above its size and its price, while Suntory's Hibiki Harmony is honeyed, elegant and about as gracious as blended whisky gets. Either makes a gift that gets opened on the day, not shelved.

The Step-Up Single Malts

For the established fan, a serious single malt says you paid attention. Macallan's Double Cask 15 is all dried fruit and Christmas spice, the sherried Speyside style at its most giftable, while the Dalmore 15, with its royal stag and its rich marmalade-and-chocolate depth, looks and tastes like a proper present. Both feel like an occasion.

The Showstoppers

For the milestone birthday, the big thank-you or the person who has everything, go up a level. The Glenfiddich 21, finished in Caribbean rum casks, is luxurious and warming, while The Balvenie 16, hand-made in Dufftown down to its own floor maltings, is a connoisseur's bottle with a story to tell. These are gifts to be remembered.

For more on two of the houses here, read our profiles of Macallan, and for the Japanese bottles, our guide to the best Japanese whisky.

Whatever the budget, a bottle of whisky is a gift with weight to it, in every sense. Wrap it, add a bow, and you have the easiest win of the season.