Gordon & MacPhail unveils Mortlach 75YO

Whisky specialist Gordon & MacPhail raised the curtain today (September 2, 2015) at The Royal Opera House, London, on what it believes to be the world’s most exclusive single malt Scotch whisky.

Mortlach 75 Years Old by Gordon & MacPhail is the latest offering in the Generations range from the family-owned Scotch whisky firm.

On November 17,1939, John Urquhart, the first generation of the family to be involved in Gordon & MacPhail, instructed the first-fill Sherry cask to be filled with new-make spirit from Speyside’s Mortlach Distillery. Seventy-five years later, the cask was emptied and the liquid transferred into crystal decanters.

Founded in 1895, Gordon & MacPhail is the custodian of some of the oldest and rarest single malts. Stephen Rankin, great grandson of John Urquhart introduced the special whisky saying: “We’ve been anticipating this moment for a long time. Having been nurtured and cared for by four generations of our family it gives us great pleasure to release this unique and incredibly rare single malt. Our family has been immersed in the whisky industry for more than one hundred years and we’ve built up an expertise and knowledge, handed down from generation to generation.”

Generations Mortlach 75 Years Old by Gordon & MacPhail is presented in the teardrop-shaped Generations decanter. Each decanter is uniquely numbered and handcrafted with 75 multi-level ‘cuts’; each cut representing a year of the whisky’s maturation. The decanter sits on a white presentation plinth with two specially designed crystal glasses.

The decanter is packaged in a luxury Aniline leather travel bag and accompanied by a specially commissioned book, Seven Nights with Mortlach. Whisky writer Charles Maclean and author Alexander McCall Smith joined forces to tell tales of Scotland, whisky and the people behind this special malt, accompanied by illustrations from up and coming Scottish artists.

Mortlach 75 Years Old by Gordon & MacPhail was matured in a first-fill Sherry butt cask. Only 100 decanters, bottled at cask strength (44.4% ABV), have been released for worldwide sale with a RRP of £20,000 (although prices may differ in international markets due to local taxes and duty).

For more information visit www.gordonandmacphail.com/generations

2 September 2015 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor