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1257 Kensington Road NW
1 (403) 283-8000 / atyourservice@kensingtonwinemarket.com
$208,000.00
There is only one bottle of the world's oldest whisky slated to come to Canada, decanter #79 of the Glenlivet 85 Year from Gordon & MacPhail. The whisky is from Cask #336, a Sherry Hogshead of Glenlivet that was filled in 1940. It is sister cask to the earlier bottlings of G&M Generations Glenlivet 70 Year and Glenlivet 80 Year. 43.7%
Producer Description
"On 3rd February 1940 in a quiet corner of the north-east of Scotland, George Urquhart and his father, John, had the extraordinary foresight and vision to lay down spirit from Glenlivet Distillery in a Gordon & MacPhail American oak cask to be enjoyed after their lifetime by future generations.
"On 5th February 2025, harnessing knowledge passed down through four generations, the decision was taken to raise this exceptional single malt from its slumber. 125 decanters of this whisky at £125,000 - 85 years in the making – the oldest single malt Scotch the world has ever seen."
About the Decanter
"Embracing the creative theme of ‘Artistry in Oak’, the design evokes the idea of a tree slowly entwining a piece of amber. Four separate branches spiral upward, wrapping around a suspended glass vessel that contains the amber liquid originally distilled at Glenlivet Distillery. American oak informed the branches’ design, a nod to the wood used to comprise the Gordon & MacPhail cask which cradled the spirit for 85 years. “It was of utmost importance that the quality of the whisky itself be manifest in the design of the decanter. Made from handblown glass and cast bronze, I thought about how each material would exhibit its own inherent qualities while fulfilling its purpose to hold and protect the liquid,” explains Jeanne Gang.
"The design was conceived as a single object, with the suspended glass vessel relying on the branches for support, evoking the reciprocity between whisky and its cask. Jeanne chose bronze for the four entwining branches that cradle the vessel because it is an enduring material; one that evolves slowly and beautifully over time, much like whisky. As bronze develops a patina, it mirrors the way whisky deepens in colour and character over the years. “Standing tall and strong, the patinated bronze entwines the vessel, suspending it while revealing the amber colour of the whisky within. Together, the elements depend on and complement each other, in a reciprocal dance whose form, like the whisky it holds, is a product of both natural growth and the nature of its materiality,” expresses Gang."
700 mlPRE-ORDER
This is not a guarantee of availability. You will not be charged until we can confirm we can get you a bottle(s). In the event we have more pre-orders than bottles we will draw names by ballot to allocate bottles for sale.
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: old, nutty, and antique-y, but surprisingly fresh and bright; soft caramel, dried fruits, and candied nuts are balanced by oxidized old sherry and earthy old dunnage notes; dark milk chocolate, marmalade, and Aussie licorice; decadent spices mixed with tropical fruit notes and faint smoke.
Palate: you can tell this is ancient, very antique-y with a firm backbone yet balanced and fresh; firm oak spice, musty old oak, soft leather, and a little vellichor; nutty oloroso and dry fino notes; mince meat pie, candied cherries, and dried mango; building hot decadent spices; eucalyptus and spearmint mingle with subtle coal smoke.
Finish: long, full, and fruity with fading spices and oxidative old sherry cask notes; fresh to the finale with cool mint and more eucalyptus.
Comment: ethereal, elegant, and expressive; it is such a privilege to be able to sample something so old, rare, and precious; it is remarkable how well balanced this is for its age, were it not for the alcohol hovering at just 43.7%, this could easily have matured another 5 years; but I suspect yet more time would not have improved on this!
Tasting Note by Dave Broom
Aroma: Soft, aged leather aromas lead to apricot compote, cinnamon, and subtle waxy, citrus fruit notes. Vanilla gives way to dried sultana and aniseed with underlying beeswax polish. Subtle smoky undertones develop.
Flavours: Smooth and vibrant with cracked black pepper and sweet dried tobacco flavours, followed by Seville Orange peel. Morello cherry and plum flavours are balanced by subtle oak.
Finish: A full-bodied finish with lingering herbal notes.
Adapted from an article written for Celtic Life Magazine by Andrew Ferguson:
In 1895 James Gordon and John Alexander MacPhail opened a grocery business in the City of Elgin, the heart of Scotland’s Speyside whisky region. The business sold groceries, tea, coffee and wines from all over the world. 125 years later, Gordon & MacPhail still operates the grocery business in Elgin, but its real enterprise is as an Independent Bottler and Distiller of Scotch Whisky.
In the early years of the business Gordon and MacPhail brought in a young John Urquhart as apprentice. Urquhart had a knack for selecting and blending whiskies from local distilleries. He also began brokering casks and independently bottling single malt from famous distilleries like Glenlivet, Mortlach and Glen Grant. The practice of filling casks of new make whisky, rather than simply purchasing mature casks began at this time. This is something which sets Gordon MacPhail apart from almost all other independent bottlers to this day, and it gave them a leg up through leaner years. In 1915 John Urquhart was made senior partner, and though the firm would keep its name, from this point on it would remain privately owned by the Urquhart family.
In 1933 George Urquhart, aka “Mr. George”, joined his father in the business. He was heavily involved in the firm’s whisky business, travelling widely to showcase Gordon & MacPhail whiskies. G&M’s business thrived during and after World War II. Having had the foresight to lay down large numbers of casks in the 1930s and early 1940s, they were in a strong position to meet demand, especially in America. This was a difficult time for most of the industry with barley rationing dramatically reducing distilling.
In 1968, under George Urquhart’s leadership, Gordon & MacPhail launched the Connoisseurs Choice range. At a time when few distilleries were bottling their own whisky as single malt (rather producing it for use in Blended Scotch whiskies), Gordon & MacPhail began marketing single malts from distilleries across Scotland. The range is still being bottled today.
The third generation began entering the business with George’s son Ian Urquhart in 1967. He was joined by David Urquhart in 1972, as well as Michael Urquhart and Rosemary Rankin in 1981. The family firm continued to thrive even during the industry downturn of the 1980s and ear 90’s, emerging as the undisputed preeminent independent bottler of Scotch whisky. In the 2010s the torch was passed to the 4th generation, with at least five of John Urquhart’s descendants now involved in the business.
It had always been John Urquhart’s vision for the family to own a distillery of its own. The dream was finally realized in 1993 with the acquisition of the closed Benromach Distillery in the nearby town of Forres. The distillery was in rough shape, and it took nearly 5 years to get it up and running. HRH Prince Charles was on hand in 1998 for its official reopening. Never content to rest on their laurels, the firm announced plans in 2019 to open a brand-new distillery in the Cairngorms National Park. The Cairn Distillery is scheduled to open in 2022.
One of the most remarkable things about Gordon & MacPhail is the vision it had to mature whiskies to great ages. Few other whisky firms, whether distilleries or independent bottlers, have ever had the foresight to mature casks for more than 30 or 40 years. In 2010 G&M bottled the Generations Mortlach 70 Years Old, which was the oldest whisky ever bottled at the time. They followed up on that milestone by bottling 70-year-old Glenlivet in both 2011 and 2012. And then in 2015 they once again they raised the bar by bottling the Generations Mortlach 75 Year. Of the 10 oldest whiskies ever bottled, all but 2 have been bottled by G&M.
It is almost certain that Gordon MacPhail will one day bottle the first ever one-hundred-year-old whisky, but that may still be a couple of decades away. Their oldest maturing stocks are from the late 1930s and early 1940s. A number of these casks, 15 First Fill Sherry Butts to be precise, were filled for Gordon & MacPhail at the Glenlivet Distillery on February 3rd, 1940. Most of these casks have been bottled over the decades, but G&M dipped into another of these casks this year to bottle another whisky. The Generations Glenlivet 80 Year, once more the oldest bottle of Scotch Whisky ever bottled. It isn’t inexpensive, but I can vouch for it in one regard… it doesn’t disappoint!
Gordon & MacPhail whiskies can be found all over the world with whiskies ranging from under $100 to $100,000.00 or more. Their grocery shop in Elgin is the brand's spiritual home, with a section dedicated to Scotch Whisky that showcases more than 1000 bottles. Prior to Covid-19 the shop offered both tastings and in-store sampling. As does their nearby Benromach Distillery in Forres, one of the smallest and most traditional distilleries in the Speyside.
$140000
ONE BOTTLE LEFT... IN THE WORLD! - Bottle #121 Available!
This was the oldest bottle of whisky ever bottled, for a little over a year and a half, and it is exclusive to KWM in Alberta! Only 4 of the 250 decanters produced are destined for Canada. Distilled February 3rd, 1940, at the Glenlivet Distillery, the whisky was filled into a First Fill Sherry Butt, and matured 80 years before botlling on February 5, 2020, at 44.9%. It isn't inexpensive, but it is stunning, and beautifully presented! 93pts Angus @ Whisky Fun!
We launched exclusively in Canada, a sister cask, the Gordon & MacPhail Generations Glenlivet 70 Year around a decade ago. Details on our archive!
Producer Description: "On 3rd February 1940 in a quiet corner in the north of Scotland, George Urquhart and his father, John, had the extraordinary foresight and vision to lay down spirit from Glenlivet Distillery in a bespoke Gordon & MacPhail cask to be enjoyed by future generations.
"On 5th February 2020, leaning on the unique skill and experience acquired by over more than 125 years, the decision was taken to finally bottle the cask’s precious out-turn of 250 decanters."
