Gordon & MacPhail bottles 80-year-old whisky

Independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail will release an 80-year-old whisky in September, which will be the world’s oldest single malt Scotch.

The whisky, which comes from The Glenlivet Distillery, was poured into its cask on 3 February 1940 under the watch of George Urquhart and his father, John.

On 5 February 2020, Gordon & MacPhail decided to bottle the cask – Cask 340 – creating 250 decanters.

The whisky bottler partnered with Sir David Adjaye OBE to design a decanter and oak case to present the whisky.

Bottled at 44.9% ABV, the 80-year-old single malt is said to be “full of vibrant flavour”.

Ewen Mackintosh, managing director at Gordon & MacPhail, said: “Maturing a single malt Scotch over eight decades is an art, similar in many ways to architecture where you are creating something that needs to stand the test of time. Neither can be rushed.

“Both Sir David and Gordon & MacPhail share a commitment to invest in the future. We both see the significance of creating something exceptional; leaving a legacy for future generations.”

The price of the whisky will be unveiled in September, along with Adjaye’s decanter and case.

Sotheby’s will auction decanter number one in early October, with all proceeds, minus costs, to be donated to award-winning Scottish charity Trees for Life, which works to rewild the Caledonian Forest.

Gordon & MacPhail is no stranger to bottling extremely old Scotch whiskies. In 2015, Gordon & MacPhail released £20,000 (around US$28,000) 75-year-old Mortlach single malt Scotch whisky that was first put into casks at the start of World War Two.

In November last year, Gordon & MacPhail revealed the name of its new Speyside distillery, which is due to open in spring 2022.