When it comes to Scotch (and lots of other whiskies), old age seems to reign supreme, even if an elevated age statement can often be a misdirect. In the bourbon world, for instance, many whiskeys older than 25 or 30 years can and will be undrinkable. However, thanks to its malted barley mashbills (rather than corn and rye), single malts can age a whole lot longer, and often better.
Last year, the Macallan raised eyebrows with its stunning 84-year-old single malt called Time: Space. The Macallan is easily the most iconic name in the Scotch world, and one of the most expensive, so this release was exciting but not surprising per se. But now, another distillery is about to take the Old Man crown from the Macallan, and it might not be one you’d expect.
Not Who You’d Expect
You might see a bottle of the Glenlivet 12-Year on many bar shelves. It’s a popular “well” single malt Scotch because of its complex flavor profile at such an incredible entry point — Total Wine currently sells bottles of the whisky for about $30!
Nevertheless, Glenlivet does have some older whiskies in its catalog, including a 14-, 18-, and even 21-year single malts. But until now, they’ve never even kinda come close to anything as old as the 85-year-old whisky soon to be released.
The Whisky
Fans of the 200-year-old distillery should know, however, that this nearly-a-century-aged dram won’t bear the Glenlivet label. Instead, independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail, known for curating and releasing superb whiskies, will handle the task.
For this release, they’ve culled a Glenlivet cask that began its aging process way back in 1940 by legend George Urquhart — known for popularizing single malt Scotch and a 2nd-generation member of the family that still currently owns G&M. Aging for these 85 years inside an American oak sherry cask, the Glenlivet whisky was emptied to fill 125 bottles at 43.7% ABV.
While it won’t be revealed until October, the decanter housing the liquid will be remarkable as well, designed by American architect Jeanne Gang and inspired by an “Artistry in Oak” motif that focuses on how material affects flavor.
This whisky will come from the same 15-cask batch used for the Gordon & MacPhail Generations Glenlivet 70 released back in 2011, although it’s not from the same barrel. Tasting notes should also be revealed in the near future.
Spec Sheet
Distillery: The Glenlivet
Producer: Gordon & MacPhail
Type: Single Malt
Age Statement: 85 years
ABV: 43.7%
Tasting Notes: TBA
Limited Edition?: Yes, 125 bottles
Pricing & Availability
There’s not much known about the Gordon & MacPhail 85-year Glenlivet release as of yet, but we’ll get more info in the coming months. Decanter #1 will be auctioned off via Christie’s New York this November, with proceeds donated to the American Forest organization.
Recap
Gordon & MacPhail 85-Year Glenlivet Single Malt
Gordon & MacPhail is readying to release the oldest single malt Scotch ever, with this single cask from Glenlivet, known for its affordable Scotch.
