So, I've decided to get my brother a bottle of whisky for his 30th.
I know he likes whisky, but he's not a connoisseur. I know nothing about whisky.
I've had a quick google to see if I can find him a 30 year old bottle from 1984, but most of the 30 year old stuff around was distilled earlier than that and bottled a few years ago.
So, should I forget the birth year idea and just pick something that's good rather than a specific age?
Either way, if you know your whisky, please recommend a bottle.
Would like to keep it below £200 if possible. Am open to cheaper suggestions as well :)
Pick something good instead of birth year search.
This maybe, around 100 pounds for bottle in UK if I'm not mistaken, amazing blast of complex flavours.
Or maybe something from the far east like Yamazaki or neighbourly Redbreast, a lot of whiskey for surprisingly small amount of money.
Glenfarclas 30 year old.
Jumped up a little in price recently so now about £150 but it's a very nice dram and I have a bottle myself.
Ten bottles of Grant's?
As per the above, a special bottle for £100 would be good, and how about some posh crystal glasses to drink it from with the change?
Thanks fellas, keep 'em coming.
The Yamazaki was high on my list, but I've just done some recon and it turns out he's got a bottle that's still closed.
Hard to beat Midleton, and the one below is meant to be very good:
http://www.celticwhiskeyshop.com/Mid...-barry-crocket
A Caol Ila from this selection if he likes Islay peat
https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/se...uctlist-filter
Balvenie 21 portwood is my favourite and definitely recommended; it's about £120. I also second the idea of getting him a quality set of glasses to go with it.
Originally Posted by Josh B
Oh yeah Caol Ila is good. I thought it was a fair bit cheaper than that (c£45), but I always buy in duty free.
There are lots of Call Ilas. The best bang for the buck is the 18 y.o. at around 70 quid a bottle.
Balvenie Caribbean cask, 14 years is a great whisky.
There are some really lovely whiskys under £100. Some nice tasting glasses, as well as some tumblers on top and you have a great gift in my opinion.
Do you know what, if any, preference he has for flavours?
Check out these guys for some inspiration...
http://www.masterofmalt.com/
A bit off the beaten track, but the Cotswold Single Malt is still available. Distilled last month and will be released in three years time. Might be worth a couple of bottles as an interesting gift?
I don't to be honest. And he is a relative novice, I am not sure if he knows himself. So after a bit of research I am actually a little hesitant to spend that much I think.
My random selection so far is:
Glenlivet 18 yr
Dailuaine 16
GlenDronach 21yr Parliament.
Will have to make a decision today, his birthday is on Monday.
A couple of nice glasses sounds good. Any suggestions?
I got a bottle of 30 year old for my 30th.
It was a great present, and was much appreciated.
It tasted pish though.
Affordable 30 year old whiskies are affordable for a reason.
I'd be straight on the Caol Ila if I was buying.
Can`t claim to be an expert, I drink whisky frequently and I`m happy with most blended stuff. The quality of the main branded blends is excellent thesedays.
Obviously, single malts have more character, but that can polarise the appeal; one man's meat is another's poison, it's a very individual thing. Some of the really peaty ones are almost undrinkable to me.
Safest bet is to buy 3 or 4 reasonably priced malts that he's not tried before. He's bound to like some if not all. Personally, I`d never buy one expensive bottle..........I`ll leave that to the whisky snobs.
A nice glass is a must-have; my favourite was a J & B glass nicked from Basel airport several years ago' really annoyed when it rolled into our new ceramic sink!
Paul
Nice glasses is a good idea. I got a set of Waterford crystal whisky glasses from my dad to celebrate my engagement (the only present that was actually for me!) and they are great. I'll have them for years and I'll drink many good whiskys from them.
You will, if you don`t buy a ceramic sink!
At the risk of sounding like a real cheapskate in such exalted company, I`ve just bought another bottle of 5 yr old malt from Aldi for £13:29. Reminds me of a light Speyside single malt I bought a few years back, very smooth, very pale, very drinkable!
Paul
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote