Gordon & MacPhail bottles oldest Caol Ila

Dec 3, 2018by Melita Kiely

Scotch whisky bottler Gordon & MacPhail has added a 64-year-old Glenlivet single malt to its Private Collection, alongside a 50-year-old Caol Ila – the oldest release from the Islay distillery to date.

Gordon & MacPhail 1968 from Caol Ila Distillery was aged in a refill Sherry hogshead and has been bottled at cask strength 52.5% abv. It is described as having warming spice on the palate, followed by fruit flavours with a finish of bonfire embers and lemon zest. Only 199 bottles have been created, available globally at an RRP of £7,500 (US$9,587). The Gordon & MacPhail 1954 from The Glenlivet Distillery was matured in cask 1421, a refill Sherry butt, before being bottled at cask strength 41% abv. Only 222 bottles have been released globally at an RRP of £9,950 (US$12,718). Stuart Urquhart, Gordon & MacPhail’s associate director of whisky supply and member of the fourth generation of the Urquhart family, chose the whiskies. Stephen Rankin, director of prestige and fourth generation member of the Urquhart family, said: “Our Private Collection range allows discerning whisky enthusiasts the opportunity to enjoy some of the oldest and rarest single malts in the world. “These latest releases epitomise the expertise and commitment that has gone into pairing spirit and cask over 123 years and four generations of the Urquhart family.” Last month, Gordon & MacPhail added two new expressions to its redesigned Private Collection range – a 33-year-old single malt from silent distillery Inverleven and a 44-year-old Glenrothes bottling.