Historic independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail has made a name for itself as a specialist in very old single malts, compiled from an unrivalled collection of casks from hundreds of distilleries. Recent years have seen the release of a multitude of premium editions presented in jaw-dropping bottles with just as noteworthy price tags, but the bottler has never deviated from its philosophy, rooted in its unique expertise in the art of maturation.
In the pursuit of time
Initially established as a grocer’s in 1895, in Elgin, Scotland, Gordon & MacPhail soon came to specialize in the purchase, ageing and bottling of single malts. Today, it keeps guard over an immense stock of spirits, including some casks filled as far back as the late 1930s and 1940s. James Gordon and John Urquhart showed truly visionary skills in developing this stock, which not only enabled the business to survive the Second World War by exporting whisky to the United States but also helped save a number of distilleries through its honouring of contracts to fill and buy casks.
In 1933, John Urquhart’s son George (now nicknamed Mr George) joined the company. Widely considered the “father” of the single malt, it was Mr George who created the Connoisseurs Choice range in 1968. For Urquhart, maturation warranted special care to ensure the perfect balance between the spirit and cask’s influence. The endless list of carefully finished vintage bottlings released by Gordon & MacPhail stand as a testament to this philosophy.
Exceptional bottles...
11 March 2010 marked an important milestone for Gordon & MacPhail. It was on this date at Edinburgh Castle that the independent bottler revealed a Mortlach 70 Year Old distilled in 1938 bottled in a magnificent decanter. It was to be the first expression in a new range named Generations, and at the time was the oldest single malt Scotch whisky ever bottled. Almost exactly a year later, a Glenlivet 70 Year Old joined the range, followed in 2012 by another Glenlivet 70 Year Old and a Mortlach 75 Year Old distilled in 1939.
The care taken over the design of the bottles containing these liquid archives is particularly impressive. The hand-blown crystal decanters featured in the first three editions of the Generations range form a water drop shape sealed with a Sterling silver stopper. On the decanter for the Mortlach 75 Year Old 1939, which comes with a crystal plinth, 75 curved lines dance across the glass, symbolizing the years spent in Gordon & MacPhail’s warehouses. In 2021, the company released a fifth edition in the Generations range, a Glenlivet 80 Year Old distilled in 1940, whose bottle and wooden box were designed by architect Sir David Adjaye Obe. The stunning square bottle seems as though sculpted from a single block of crystal and is crowned with wooden shoulders and a smooth, cylindrical stopper.
This respect for aesthetics is not limited to the designs found in the Generations range. In 2018, the bottler updated its collections, bringing the number of series available from 18 down to just five (Discovery, Distillery Labels, Connoisseurs Choice, Private Collection and Generations). Connoisseurs Choice and Private Collection were redesigned, with bottlings in the Connoisseurs Choice now including new information on the labels (cask number, cask type, bottling date, tasting notes), and the Private Collection now bottled in hand-blown bottles sometimes marked with vertical waves, and more minimalist labels. Gold is almost systematically used in the designs for both collections.
Authentic liquid archives
Gordon & MacPhail’s foray into the world of design and luxury is closely linked to its incredible spirits heritage. The single malts in the Generations range are truly exceptional vestiges of an era when Scotland’s distilleries were almost exclusively dedicated to producing blends. Mortlach, for example, only released its first regular single malt range in 2014. The Glenlivet 1940 bottled by Gordon & MacPhail is also a testament to a difficult time in the industry, when it was deprived of its key ingredient after the Ministry of Food put restrictions of grain distillation to ration barley for the war. Glenlivet’s production capacity was cut to a third of its pre-war figures.
. In 2022 and 2023, Gordon & MacPhail launched two one-off series named Recollection, featuring very rare whiskies from the Connoisseurs Choice and Private Collection ranges distilled at now-closed distilleries. Gordon & MacPhail’s warehouses are still home to casks of more than 20 of these silent legends. Other one-off collections include Mr George Legacy, dedicated to venerable bottlings from Glen Grant, George Urquhart’s favourite distillery. Distilled in 1959, the third edition in this series was the last cask from this vintage to be bottled by Gordon & MacPhail for any distillery. Every bottling from the company represents a period in the history of Scotch whisky, revealed at the same time as it disappears.
In the auction market, Gordon & MacPhail’s very old vintages (from the late 1930s up until the 1960s) are a roaring success, fetching tens of thousands of euros. And, while luxury spirits feed collectors’ dreams, the company continues its quest for rare treasures without ever forgetting its commitment to excellence.
Tasting notes:
Strathisla 34 Year Old 1937 Gordon and MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice 43%:
We started this tasting with a whisky from Strathisla, a distillery whose history is closely intertwined with that of Gordon & MacPhail. This version was bottled in 1971 for the iconic Connoisseurs Choice range. Distilled in the inter-war period, it was selected for Italian importer Edoardo Giaccone, as can be seen by the neck label which differs from the classic versions in the range.
Colour: amber.
Nose: fine, ethereal. The first nose overflows with freshness and stands out for its waxy, exotic (mango, passion fruit) and oily (olive) fragrances. The magnificent patina is also seen in notes of earth, pepper and ginger. Thyme appears on the second nose.
Palate: round, precise. With its surprising heady register, the attack pairs spicy notes (pepper, ginger) with florals (rose, violet). The more delicate mid-palate reveals flavours of peach and melted chocolate. These chocolate notes bring warmth and introduce a roasted end to the palate. Giving the malt time to breathe brings out notes that echo the waxy scents from the nose.
Finish: elegant, voluptuous. The milky start of the finish takes on the pepper from the palate, followed by lychee notes. The atmosphere then becomes malty. The retro-nasal olfaction evokes the damp setting of a maturation warehouse. The empty glass recreates lip balm scents.
Overall, this is a Strathisla whose complexity and character bear up wonderfully well to long ageing, with the power magnificently contrasted in more airy sequences.
Glenlivet 1940 George & J. Smith’s 40%:
The tasting continues with a malt matured for less than 40 years, a Glenlivet 1940 bottled in the 1980s.
Colour: dark amber.
Nose: frank, lively. A true journey back in time, this bottling immediately captures the attention with notes of wax, old wood, pencil lead and tobacco. Newspaper notes then takes over. The second nose reveals a woodiness that takes us to the world of rums.
Palate: complex, full. The attack contrasts the nose with a fresh and rich profile, revealing melon, mint and crème brûlée. The mid-palate then evokes the nose’s waxy notes. After this, animal (meaty) and peppery notes emerge. The end of the palate reveals nectarine notes that eventually merge fully into the flavour palette. A very light saltiness appears with time.
Finish: light, sensual. Banana leads into almond and dried fruit. Coal then allows a glimpse of thin smoke on the after-taste, followed by grape and wax. The shimmering empty glass alternates between fruity, waxy and smoky sequences.
This Glenlivet is the perfect example of an “old school” whisky, notably featuring a magnificent patina marked by notes of wax, old wood and newspaper notes. But it also has the additional soul found in all great old whiskies—boundless freshness.
Glen Grant 65 Year Old 1956 Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice LMDW 65th Anniversary 55.4%:
This Glen Grant 1956 was bottled in 2021 to mark La Maison du Whisky’s 65th anniversary and celebrate more than 40 years of collaboration between the two partners. This version was the last old Glen Grant to be bottled by the Scottish bottler for its Connoisseurs Choice range.
Colour: mahogany.
Nose: full, well-developed. Aromas of unpasteurized cheese, orange sauce, duck meat, cherry and rubber underscore this whisky’s extraordinary richness. These are accompanied by balsamic notes of sherry, wax, ginger and pepper... On the second nose, this delicately powdery Glen Grant then reveals scents of antique furniture.
Palate: concentrated, bitter. The powerful and seasoned attack unveils an empyreumatic and oily (pecan) character. Very bitter dark chocolate and mustard seed notes draw out the tension on the attack. Finally, veal flavours add an original animal aspect to the tasting. Aeration confirms the rich palette of this Glen Grant.
Finish: long, rich. The start of the finish rests on the malt’s tannins. Cashew nut, honey and Pedro Ximénez sherry then reveal the finish’s generous character. Next, strong coffee flavours return to the bitterness of the palate... The empty glass brings to mind peach skin and adds a hint of freshness.
Tasting a whisky this old is always an exhilarating experience. Compared with the expressions above, this 65 year old Glen Grant stands out for its intense concentration. Ethereal and heady sequences have been replaced by rich sequences full of tension that nonetheless boast almost-perfect balance.
