Gordon & MacPhail has picked up on an emerging trend with its Anniversary Series, namely the return of vintages in whisky.
It’s something The World of Fine Spirits touched on earlier this year: Scotch whisky drinkers, particularly at the luxury end, are on the hunt for vintage years to celebrate birthdays or significant moments.
A vintage must be composed only of whisky distilled in that particular year, and usually – but not always – comes as a single-cask bottling. Gordon & MacPhail is in a good place to take advantage of the trend. It has casks from every year back to 1948. And as its Anniversary Releases prove, some of them are particularly good ones.
The initial launch includes four whiskies spaced a decade apart – 1966, 1976, 1986 and 1996, or 60, 50, 40 and 30 years ago. The bottles are aimed at people celebrating corresponding milestones, such as a birthday or anniversary. All four are single casks, hand-selected by the Gordon & MacPhail team and bottled at cask strength, with between 30 and 100 bottles of each.
Each box and label is adorned with significant moments from that year, although we’re not sure the reference to England’s World Cup win in 1966 will go down well with G&M’s local customers. Other milestones, such as Braveheart storming the Oscars in 1996, may hold more appeal.
Stephen Rankin, director of prestige at Gordon & MacPhail, said: “Beginnings, birthdays, milestones and turning points are the moments that define a life. Each of these never-to-be-repeated single malt Scotch whiskies captures a moment in time.”
The rarest of the four is the Longmorn 1966, distilled in February of that year and aged in a first-fill sherry butt. Sixty years in first-fill is quite something, and it’s no surprise to see the tasting notes point to dark fruits, warming spice, and charred oak. Without having tried it ourselves, we’re confident it’s a full-bodied dram.
The Glen Grant 1976 is quite different. Aged in a refill American oak hogshead, it promises a hit of the Speyside distillery’s floral character, with tropical fruit and baked apple. The 1986 Miltonduff has been similarly aged, and offers golden syrup, butterscotch, and toasted almonds, with zesty citrus on the palate.
The youngest, and most available, is the 1996 Linkwood: 100 bottles from a refill sherry butt, with orange marmalade and warm spice.
The Anniversary Releases are priced from £496 ($665) to £6,966 ($9,320) and available from selected whisky retailers and online at gordonandmacphail.com. Orders are open now for delivery in time for Christmas.
