Oldest single malt Scotch ever bottled to go on sale

The spirit that would become Gordon & MacPhail Generations 80 Year Old from Glenlivet Distillery was filled into cask on 3 February 1940 by George Urquhart and his father John, members of the family that still owns the Elgin-based company.

The whisky was finally bottled from Cask 340 on 5 February 2020 at a strength of 44.9% abv, and 250 decanters will be offered for sale in September, when the price will be announced.

Gordon & MacPhail has worked with architect and designer Sir David Adjaye OBE to create a unique decanter and oak case for the whisky, which will also be unveiled in September.

The first decanter of Generations 80 Year Old will be auctioned by Sotheby’s in early October, with the proceeds (minus costs) to be donated to Scottish charity Trees for Life, which has a mission to ‘rewild’ the Caledonian Forest.

‘That this whisky – the oldest single malt Scotch ever bottled – remains so full of vibrant flavour, with a strength of 44.9% abv, is testimony to knowledge handed down over successive generations of my family,’ said Stephen Rankin, director of prestige at Gordon & MacPhail.

Ewen Mackintosh, the company’s managing director, added: ‘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.’

In 2015, the company released a 75-year-old single malt whisky, Mortlach 75 Years Old by Gordon & MacPhail, filled into cask in 1939 and priced at £20,000 a bottle.