GORDON & MACPHAIL
SPEYMALT FROM MACALLAN
SCOTLAND
Why Buy: While The Macallan’s 25-Year Old commands $2,500 a bottle, Gordon & MacPhail’s equally stunning 25-Year Old Speymalt delivers all the richness, complexity, and craftsmanship at an astounding value — just under $500. Add in their extraordinary, high-octane 19 Year Old and 21 Year Old, and you have another legendary set of whiskies from the much-revered icon Gordon & MacPhail.
The Brand: This is a house that doesn't just bottle whisky – they're custodians of what Forbes calls "a veritable Fort Knox of Scotland's golden nectar." For more than 125 years, they've been setting the standard for independent bottling, pioneering the art of matching spirit to wood — and doing it, magically, at a whopping quarter of the price of the big boys.
What They're Saying: Forbes calls Gordon & MacPhail "more than just a specialty bottler," noting that "their warehouse is literally a liquid history of Scotch whisky." Their Connoisseurs Choice range, which revolutionized single malt bottlings in the 1960s, was "well ahead of its time," helping establish the single malt category we know and love today.
Our Tasting Notes: These three expressions offer up a fascinating study in maturation. The 19 Year presents dark gold in the glass, leading with stewed plum and cocoa powder before opening into bright notes of strawberry jam and orange oil, and then closing on a fresh and welcome hint of garden mint. The 21 Year shows greater density, with stewed fruits, exotic cinnamon, and dark chocolate making up its deep, rich core; as the palate unfurls, you’re treated to wonderful tastes of raspberry compote and mixed nuts, leading to a savory, characterful finish. The 25 Year reaches startlingly profound depths – dark forest berries and ginger spice evolve into Seville orange and aniseed, finishing with mature oak and rich notes of fruitcake.
The Story: In 1895, in the heart of Speyside, James Gordon and John Alexander MacPhail established what would one day become one of Scotland's — indeed, the world’s — most important whisky houses. When young John Urquhart joined the brand as an apprentice, little did anyone envision the transformation that was to come, not just for Gordon & MacPhail, but for the industry as a whole. Urquhart had an extraordinary gift for matching spirit to oak, and it was not long before this expertise of “cask curation” became the house’s calling card, the one quality that separated it from a slew of competitors. His son George – "Mr. George," to all who knew him – was no less a transformative character. He is credited with revolutionizing the single malt category with the Connoisseurs Choice range in 1968, bottling distinctive malts at a time when most were relegated to blends.
The Specs: The 19 Year (2004) matured in a first-fill sherry hogshead; the 21 Year (2002) aged in a refill sherry puncheon, one of just 555 bottles released globally; the 25 Year (1998) developed in a first-fill sherry hogshead.
ABV: 19 Year, 60.1% (120.2 proof); 21 Year, 60.4% (120.8 proof); 25 Year, 52.8% (105.6 proof).
Fun Fact: The original Gordon & MacPhail grocery shop still stands at 58-60 South Street in Elgin, and though it remains a grocery store, its whisky selection would put every other grocer to shame.
Our Guarantee: As always, we source directly from the distiller to ensure pristine provenance. Secure yours today!