Strathisla 40 Year Old Gordon & Macphail - Opinions?

[gambler]

So, I turn 42 this year, and I'm wondering two things:

1) If the Ultimate Question to Life, the Universe, and Everything is "How old do you have to be before everything makes sense?"

2) If this whisky would be a good choice since I'm looking to buy a whisky from my birth year. Are there any other suggestions for '1970' whisky that is in the $200 - $250 range?

Thanks![/u]

[edinburghlandlord]

We stock this and it sells very well. Best value 40 year old we have found. Perhaps you could also try that 40yo glenbridge aldi were selling (now on ebay)

[Andy M]

For the price this 40 year old it is hard to beat, i found it slightly woody but the delicious fruity sherry notes made up for that. I got a bottle to share with my father to mark my parents 40th wedding anniversary, all who tried it enjoyed it.

The Glenfarclas 40 is outstanding whisky, a bit over your price range, usually around £295 in the UK, not sure what you would pay on the other side of the water.

[Big Mac]

The Glenfarclas 40 is excellent and worth the bit extra, by far the best value original distillery bottling of this this age.

[gambler]

Thanks for the info... Is the Glenfarclas bottled in 1970? That's the year I'm aiming to get...

[Acker]

The Glenfarclas 40 year old doesnt state the distillation year but i would guess that all the stock on the shelves at present would have been distilled in either 1970 or 1971

[William]

gambler as Acker says most of the current stock of Glenfarclas 40 on the shelves at present would probably have been distilled in either 1970 or 1971, it is an excellent dram.

If you are interested in Glenfarclas then there is an excellent Glenfarclas 1970 Family Cask bottling which was bottled in 2011, Cask 6778 Sherry Hogshead Release VII, bottled at 51.7% abv. There is also a Glenfarclas 1970 Family Cask bottling which was bottle in 2007 Cask 566 Sherry Butt 53.6% abv. Not sure if you can still get hold of both of these but they should be around £300
_________________
There's no bad whisky. Just good whisky and better whisky.

[James T]

For a 40 year old whisky i would highly recommend Glenfarclas and any of the family cask series i have tried, i would rate them amongst the best sherried whiskies i have tasted.

If your birthday is later in the year you could wait and see what might get released, do you have a prefered distillery in mind?

[Samson]

Dont know if this helps but any Strathisla i have tried has been OK at best IMO, not sure if it becomes brilliant after 40 years but i doubt it. If it is just the age you are after then the Strathisla is a good buy but you may be disappointed if it is a special whisky to drink you are looking for.

I would seek out a Glenfarclas as mentioned, very good value quality whisky.

[Bookie]

I have only ever had the Strathisla 12 year old and it was ok but it never enticed me to want to try older more expensive expressions.

The Whisky Bible says this about the Strathisla 40 from Gordon & Macphai

[gambler]

Thanks again for the further responses.. Lots to ponder.

My favorite distilleries so far have been Lagavulin, Highland Park (and no way I'm getting the 1970 from that one unless I win a lottery), and maybe Glenmorangie and Talisker.

[Big Mac]

It is great to taste a whisky from you birth year if you can find a decent one at a decent price.

For birthdays my wife often gets me a few bottles with a combined age matching my age as it it very expensive now to get a bottle from my birth year or age. I mean have you seen the price of some of those 21 year olds

I would highly recommend Highland Park 30 and you could get the Lagavulin 12 Special Release to go along with it, giving you a combined age of 42. Anyway all the best when it comes and do let us know what you opt for.

[gambler]

Good idea on the combined ages! The HP 30 is probably a bit over my price range though at the moment...