Recommended (affordable) 30 year old malts?

Oops that should be 200 GBP..

@systemdown My friend I saw some good (affordable 30 year olds on an aussie site recently, but it being the end of a long work day my brain isn't working) I'll email you tomorrow once I pull up the site for you!

@systemdown I recommend Glenfarclas 30, Glenrothes 30 Gordon&MacPhails, BenRiach 30 or Strathisla 30 if you want to stay in your budget. They are all very good quality.

@systemdown I don't know availability and price for you, but consider Glenglasaugh 30. Certainly an unusual malt for a milestone date.

Oops: Glenglassaugh

Highland Park 30 is in your price range; can be had for about $250 per bottle if you shop around

Also, Glenfiddich 30 and Glenlivet 30 can be had for prices within your budget.

@systemdown Can't go wrong with the HP 30 if you can get it for that kind of money. I'm envious. It's over 500 bucks in Vancouver.

@Marcus: H/P 30yo. would be fabulous but way over budget here in Australia. Dan Murphy has it at several outlets but for Au.$499.99: Slightly cheaper is graysonline at $449.99 plus shipping. I have no experience with this on line seller.

@systemdown, @ A'bunadhman.Yeah, I thought $250 was a little optomistic for the HP30. How about the Glenfarclas 25, it's a nice sherry style malt and should be on budget. What's the price like on the Balvenie 30 down under? It's about $440 here. There is also the Talisker 25. The 30 is probably too pricey. Caol 28 might be good if you like Islay style peat monsters. It's about $240 Can. Maybe less in Oz.. Any Macallan over 18 is a stupid price here, but maybe better down there.

@BlueNote: I get the impression hat the 30 is of signifance; a birthday, perhaps or an anniversary.There is an absolute 'killer' bottling of a 25yo.Glenfarclas for Au.179.99 from Dan Murphy which would fit very nicely, if the 25 years was suitable. It's the best value for money for a high end Whisky 'round this neck of the woods

Wow, thanks for the great response guys, much appreciated!

As @A'bunadhman points out, the idea is to open a whisky that is aged exactly 30 years according to the label for my 30th birthday next year (hey, it's within 12 months, I'm allowed to start planning this already, right?)

@Marcus @BlueNote @A'bunadhman - RE: the HP 30yo: seems I can get it shipped from The Whisky Exchange for 192 GBP! As I don't pay VAT that really makes buying from a UK-based online store a real bonus and it amazes me that I have so many options. I would not possibly get CLOSE to getting that kind of deal here in Australia for this, let alone any 30yo malt.

@two-bit-cowboy Glenglassaugh has been noted, cheers! Not on The Whisky Exchange but I can look around.

@maltster Thanks for the recommendations, I can get TWO Glenrothes 30yo within my budget! Amazing. I have also added Benromach 30yo to my list (as I was researching the BenRiach and it came up) and @Marcus the Glenlivet 30yo is also within my budget! Seems the Glenfiddich 30yo is not, unfortunately.

@BlueNote The Talisker 30yo comes out to 203 GBP delivered. I will have to add this to the list. Cheers for the other options as well, but as mentioned already I'm after one that's exactly 30 years old - however I'm almost certain I'll have to track down the Glenfarclas 25 at some point in time.

@fastpoose Yeah it's not a cheap hobby here is it? We're still better off than @BlueNote though. As I've said before, I will never complain (too loudly) again about the prices here. Of course as already mentioned, getting whisky shipped works out pretty damned well from UK stores. The Whisky Exchange is great, in fact I've already bought two bottles from there this year so I know there's no problems with customs etc.

@SquidgyAsh - Thanks mate, saw your list just now, I think I've already mentioned many of them here but it gives me an idea to trawl other UK sites over the next few months to nail down some good options.

Phew. A lot to consider. Thanks everyone. More recommendations most welcome!

@fastpoose It's 28 GBP for one bottle, 30-something for 2, and it gets cheaper from there (per bottle). You can see the table of shipping charges via the "Delivery Charges" link at the top of the website. With the non-VAT prices, the cost of shipping gets absorbed easily and it's possible to get whisky delivered to your door at almost half price of what you'd pay here, IF you can find that bottle you're after. Crazy world we live in..

@fastpoose Actually thanks to @SquidgyAsh! Would not have had the pleasure of dealing with TWE if not for the original recommendation.

@systemdown Thanks Mate! Always happy to pass on a good link, especially when trying to locate that hard to find bottle. @Fastpoose and @Systemdown just a heads up on ordering whisky from overseas: Not sure if you've been hit with it or not Systemdown but occasionally Customs will hit you for around $45+ per bottle on overseas deliveries. Not sure what the criteria is so far considering my first and third deliveries were a total of three bottles of Snow Phoenix and no customs or duties. My second shipment which was Old Pulteney 21 YO and I got hit for around $50 dollars in Customs. Like I said not sure why they charge some of the bottles and not others, but be cautious because ordering 4 or 5 bottles and getting hit with those fees as a surprise would REALLY suck.

@SquidgyAsh Yeah that's a good point RE: customs. I only got 2 bottles in my package, and I figure they saw the note that read "Happy Birthday" so were maybe willing to turn a blind eye? I would imagine that it would be up to their discretion as to whether they charge customs duty for those small shipments, but I'm guessing a larger quantity would get slugged without too much thought.

One that hasn't been mentioned here yet that I can see (to throw more options into the mix...) is Benromach 30 - I've not tried it but Jim Murray liked it enough to give it Best 28-34yo Single Malt in last year's Whisky Bible. The Malt Maniacs also seemed to think it ok - whisky-monitor.com/bottle.jsp/…

Staying at the more affordable end of things I can also recommend the Tomatin 30 - I tried it a tasting last year and it was rather good. whisky-monitor.com/bottle.jsp/…

In the more affordable (albeit blended) category there is the Campbeltown Loch 30 yo 40% Alc Springbank Blend Whisky. It is a blend of 40% 30yo Springbank and 60% grain but it is really stunning. Also comes in a nice presentation box. It used to be available from some dealers in Germany for 50 Euros (got 2 for myself about a year ago), but I just checked and they are now out of stock. But there is one seller in the UK that sells it for about 80 GBP (nickollsandperks.co.uk/product.asp/…).

@cowfish Thanks for the recommendations. Yeah the Benromach 30yo sounds fantastic. It's high up on my list now. Had skipped over the Tomatin; seems it's a fairly "low profile" distillery that doesn't get much air time - guess I assumed it's because the single malts aren't all that interesting?

@olivier: Thanks, the Campbeltown Loch 30yo sounds intriguing, older grain whiskies tend to rate pretty well, so if the grain content is good quality I don't mind that sound of that at all.. will look into it.

@systemdown My brother used to work at a golf course down the road with their own bottling from Tomatin, so it's been at the back of my mind for a while :)

I tried the 30yo at a tasting last year and was rather impressed - they've had a bit of investment recently so hopefully they should become slightly better known - blog.thewhiskyexchange.com/2011/09/…

I'm up in Speyside next week and they're the closest distillery to where I'm staying. Unfortunately I don't drive but I think a bus stops nearby...

@cowfish Thanks for the link to that Tomatin roundup, certainly sounds like pretty good stuff and gives a good idea of where they might be headed with their range. Interesting familial connection to the distillery as well! Fancy a golf course having their own bottling.. I also note that Tomatin is the home of the Antiquary blend, so perhaps that's why the single malts have been lesser known to date.

I hope you find the time to visit the distillery while you're up there, if it's only a short bus ride away.. envious. My closest distillery is a day's drive away I'd imagine, somewhere over the border in New South Wales or Victoria (it might be Bakery Hill, although I think there's a new industrial one near Sydney but that doesn't particularly interest me - I'd rather visit a boutique distillery with character). Of course, a distillery tour of Scotland is on my bucket list.. I can daydream for now though..

So thanks to @SquidgyAsh who found some 30 year old Port Ellens, I've gone with something more exotic and something I didn't even consider initially - Douglas Laing Old & Rare Port Ellen 1978, 30 year old. I spent my cap (AU $300 / 200GBP - more than double what I'd spent on a single bottle to date) and I will be enjoying this on my 30th in January - killing two birds with one stone, as I've been lusting after Port Ellen for some time.

Thanks to all again for the suggestions! Now only if I can convince the missus that I need the Brora 32yo for my 32nd birthday..

@systemdown You're welcome my friend:D I'd remembered you saying something along the lines of wanting an affordable (sorta) Port Ellen. I figured you could be like me and kill 2 birds with one stone :D I'm quite eager to taste yours and mine when I can bring myself to crack the bottle open haha.

Guys you are just crazy. Guess thats in your Aussie-veins? :) :)

And thx to @olivier for the hint with Campbeltown Loch 30. I would love to know which german seller this was. Just found it here: masterofmalt.com/whiskies/…

@Wills Hahaha my friend I guess we are a little crazy my friend!!! But I'm American Crazy while System is Aussie Crazy hahahahaha!

@systemdown With approx £30 shipping to .au this would easily limbo under your £200 mark, and personally I've really enjoyed the other 30yo speysides these guys have bottled: masterofmalt.com/whiskies/…

@SquidgyAsh @Wills You got that right, I am definitely a crazy Aussie.. what with my love of fine malt whisky, beer and cricket!

@jasonbstanding Cheers mate. There are some good affordable older "secret" bottlings available right now. Abbey Whisky have 30, 40 and 50 year olds. Our friend @SquidgyAsh has his review of the 40yo Secret Speyside up on Abbey Whisky!

@systemdown Hahaha nothing wrong with being a crazy aussie or even a crazy aussie american! :D:D:D Hahaha I gotta be honest that I blushed a bit when I saw my review going out over Twitter hahaha.