# Is this bottle of Gordon & MacPhail Mortlach 1949 51 Year Old single malt worth the price? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking, liquor-alcohol\ **Created:** [August 18, 2021, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-bottle-of-gordon-macphail-mortlach-1949-51-year-old-single-malt-worth-the-price/949090 "2021-08-18T11:45:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2021, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-bottle-of-gordon-macphail-mortlach-1949-51-year-old-single-malt-worth-the-price/949090/21 "2021-08-19T15:02:11Z")
The bottled in bond version is actually pretty decent, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2021, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-bottle-of-gordon-macphail-mortlach-1949-51-year-old-single-malt-worth-the-price/949090/22 "2021-08-19T15:10:07Z")
Yeah, I was just trying to think of a known, typically thought of as bottom-shelf whiskey brand that might be a funny answer to “lets pee in the barrel and see what happens!” I first thought of Wild Turkey, but Old Grand-Dad seemed funnier. Mostly just amusing myself, I’m sure. For all I know, OGD may be a perfectly fine utility bourbon whiskey ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2021, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-bottle-of-gordon-macphail-mortlach-1949-51-year-old-single-malt-worth-the-price/949090/23 "2021-08-19T15:24:14Z")
That barn fire story is all fine and dandy except barrels are charred on the inside, not the outside. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2021, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-bottle-of-gordon-macphail-mortlach-1949-51-year-old-single-malt-worth-the-price/949090/24 "2021-08-19T15:36:36Z")
From what I remember the one time I bought the regular Old Granddad, I was not impressed. But the bonded stuff was a good everyday whiskey (at least when I drank a bit more than I do now.) I’m struggling to think of a well-known bourbon/American whiskey that is truly horrific. Maybe Early Times? I remember it being cheap, but don’t remember ever having it, though. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2021, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-bottle-of-gordon-macphail-mortlach-1949-51-year-old-single-malt-worth-the-price/949090/25 "2021-08-19T18:32:51Z")
Like I said, almost-certainly apocryphal. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2021, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-bottle-of-gordon-macphail-mortlach-1949-51-year-old-single-malt-worth-the-price/949090/26 "2021-08-20T08:53:32Z")
That was the barrel they put old grand Dad’s body into to ship him home? ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2021, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-bottle-of-gordon-macphail-mortlach-1949-51-year-old-single-malt-worth-the-price/949090/27 "2021-08-20T09:12:58Z")
It is how barrels are made, the fire helps bend the wood into shape so it is waterproof (you don’t want to increase the angel’s share through dripping, evaporation is bad enough). [Here](https://www.wood-turned.com/how-to-make-a-wood-barrel/) is a tutorial, but be warned, it starts something like > For excellent results in making wooden barrels, the tree should be at least 100 years old. > […] > Choose a very dry place with a humidity level below 15% and leave the staves there to dry. You should leave the staves there for a period not less than three years. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-bottle-of-gordon-macphail-mortlach-1949-51-year-old-single-malt-worth-the-price/949090.md?page=1)