The latest whisky in the annual series to celebrate the legacy of George Urquhart – Gordon & MacPhail’s last ever cask from 1959 – has been launched this week.
Matured in a Gordon & MacPhail cask for more than six decades, the Mr George Legacy 1959 from Glen Grant Distillery features a genealogy chart on the label, box and certificate, highlighting the importance of guiding principles handed down from one generation to the next.
‘Mr George’ as he was known, joined his father, John, at the family business ninety years ago in 1933 and became a key advocate of single malt whisky at a time when most whisky was used for blending purposes. Referred to by renowned whisky writer Charlie MacLean as ‘the father of single malt’, George Urquhart was a firm believer in fairness, understanding, the importance of community and planning, guiding principles that are honoured at Gordon & MacPhail to this day.
The whisky was matured in cask no. 3665, a first-fill Sherry butt. Just 368 bottles are available at a remarkable cask strength of 56.5% ABV, providing a rich and complex dram that retains a subtle smokiness not found in modern Speyside whiskies.
Distilled on Thursday 15th October 1959, this 63-Year-Old edition of the Legacy Series – the third – has an RSP of £6,499*.
On the nose, fragrant autumnal spice aromas intertwine with sweet, dried fruit and demerara sugar. To taste, stewed red fruit flavours lead to Seville orange with a hint of garden mint. Tart raspberry notes then develop, accompanied by cocoa powder and mature oak, before giving way to a full finish with lingering notes of cinnamon and forest fruits.
Stuart Urquhart, grandson of Mr George and Gordon & MacPhail’s Operations Director, said:“Ninety years ago, my grandfather, Mr George, joined Gordon & MacPhail as an apprentice to his father, John, and his philosophy and principles live on through the business today.
“Mr George’s attention to detail and unwavering commitment to quality remain the foundation stones of our business, along with a forward-looking approach and refusal to bow to convention. This greatly aged single malt whisky is a fitting tribute to this ethos.”
Charlie MacLean, whisky expert, remarked: “A magnificent old whisky, wonderfully complex, but still lively in notwithstanding its advanced age. Another worthy tribute to Mr George Urquhart, the man who put malt whisky on the map.”
Celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2020, Gordon & MacPhail has built up an impressive collection of whiskies from over 100 distilleries maturing in its warehouses, a testament to the close relationships forged with Scotland’s distilleries over many decades.
For more information, visit www.gordonandmacphail.com
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Gordon & MacPhail Mr George Legacy 1959 from Glen Grant Distillery
Glen Grant 1959
56.5% ABV
Filled: 15 October 1959
Bottled: 02 November 2022
Age: 63
Cask Type/ Number: First-Fill Sherry Cask, 3665
Outturn of 368 bottles
Tasting notes:
Aroma
Fragrant autumnal spice aromas intertwine with sweet, dried fruit and demerara sugar. Soft citrus zest comes to the fore alongside beeswax polish and walnut.
Palate
Finish
A full finish with lingering cinnamon and forest fruits.
Disclaimer: This press release has been sent to me without charge or obligation to publish. I’m posting this as it is genuinely interesting to me, is a distillery whose journey I’ve been enjoying, and is not a promotion.
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