I would recommend getting the men's cologne sampler from Sephora. It has 8-10 sample of different colognes and a coupon in it for a free larger bottle of one once you decide which one you like.
I did this with the women's version when I couldn't decide on a new perfume and it worked great. It's hard to get samples now from the department stores I find and I don't like to spray myself in the store. But this worked great, found 1 I really liked (Stella by Stella McCartney) and got a whole bottle for free.
And no, I wouldn't ship gifts to someone you're seeing 2 days after Christmas - much better to do it in person.