Gordon & Macphail Just Released the World’s Oldest Whisky
We’ve said this many times before, but it’s worth mentioning again—older whisky isn’t necessarily better whisky. In fact, sometimes the opposite is true, as the whisky becomes overly tannic and is transformed into something totally unrecognizable. Given that, independent bottler Gordon & Macphail certainly took a chance with its latest release, an 85-year-old single malt produced at the Glenlivet distillery that stands as the oldest bottled whisky available to purchase to date. We got a first taste of this ancient dram, and despite spending nearly a century in a cask, there’s still some vibrancy to the whisky.
This release surpasses the previous oldest whisky record holder, an 81-year-old single malt from the Macallan called the Reach. Of course, releasing older and older whisky can’t just be a space race-style competition, there has to be a reason for it—in other words, the whisky has to actually be good and drinkable and not just a historic relic. And while this 85-year-old Glenlivet might not be what you want to reach for on a random Tuesday night, it still maintains complexity on the palate and has not become an oaky, tannic, woody bomb.
Still, the liquid has been completely and inexorably transformed in certain ways, there’s no avoiding it after that long in a barrel. The Gordon & Macphail team claims that there is still some of the Glenlivet character present as you sip, but I found that to be impossible to really say. Aromas of fruit and leather greet you on the nose as you approach the glass, followed by notes of oak, licorice, menthol, caramel, bubblegum, cherry, grape, leather, and some pencil graphite on the palate. The whisky was bottled at 43.7 percent ABV, impressive after 85 years in wood—specifically, in Cask 336 which was previously used to mature sherry before it was filled on February 3, 1940.
It’s pretty remarkable that this whisky was distilled so long ago, a time when the United Kingdom was rationing food as World War II got underway. According to Gordon & MacPhail director of prestige and fourth-generation member of the family that owns the company, Stephen Rankin, barley supplies were limited for making whisky because they were needed for food, but some grain still managed to make it to the Glenlivet distillery. Another marker of the time is that there’s a faint whiff of smoke on the palate, although no peat was used during production. According to Rankin, that’s because peat probably was being used to fire the stills or as a heat source for other things in the surrounding environment, so the smoke could have permeated the whisky in the same way it would your hair if you were standing near a campfire.
Of course, the world’s oldest whisky is going to come with a hefty price tag and in very limited numbers—just 125 bottles are being released with a suggested retail price of £125,000 apiece (about $168,000). And these are not just any bottles. American architect Jeanne Gang designed what is essentially a sculpture to hold the glass decanter—four solid bronze branches suspend the bottle, a reference to the oak that held the whisky for 85 years. “One of the greatest challenges was that this has never been done before,” said Rankin in a statement. “We’re the first to mature a whisky for 85 years. Every year that goes by is a year into the unknown. We have to appreciate we’re always dealing with mother nature so the key traits of this process are patience and trust.”
The first bottle will be sold at auction by Christie’s, with bidding opening on November 7 and concluding on November 21. The proceeds from that sale will go to benefit the nonprofit group American Forests to support its mission of protecting trees and promoting forest restoration. The remaining bottles will be sold directly by Gordon & Macphail, and you an register your interest here.
