Gordon & MacPhail has unveiled a 72 Year Old Glen Grant single malt Scotch. The rare Whisky from the iconic independent bottler is set to debut at a Bonhams Hong Kong auction later this month.
Bottled at 56.2% ABV, the Gordon & MacPhail 72 Year Old was distilled by Glen Grant in 1948. The Speyside Whisky matured in an American oak ex-Sherry cask and has been packaged in a Dartington Crystal decanter that features a design to represent the age of the cask and is inspired by a tree’s annual growth rings. Each was made using traditional glass-blowing techniques by one of the few crystal brands still operational in the UK. Just 290 of the decanters have been made and come housed in an American black walnut presentation box.
On the nose, the Whisky offers aromas of Christmas cake moistened with Oloroso Sherry, with a slightly burned base. The palate delivers “a sweet taste at the start and a tannic, dry kick to finish with a surprising punch of spice, whispers of espresso and deep dark chocolate.”
“I am generally sceptical about very old malts because they lose vitality and tend to become fragile and flat. Not in this case,” saif Charles MacLean, Whisky expert and Master of the Quaich. “It’s great age adds value to the experience of tasting it, conjuring images of what the world was like in 1948. I can honestly say that this is one of the finest malts I have tasted in 40 years of professional exploration. It is outstanding.”
Bottle 88 of the Gordon & MacPhail 72 Year Old Glen Grant will debut at Bonhams’ Hong Kong auction on January 29, 2021. It is expected to fetch between $38,700 and $49,000.
“There’s been numerous new records set for whisky sold at Bonhams in 2020,” noted Daniel Lam, wine and whisky specialist at Bonhams. “We anticipate collectors’ desire and determination to acquire the market’s best whiskies to continue into 2021. With the Gordon & MacPhail 72YO’s stunning decanter design on the front cover our whisky catalogue, we expect some new records to be set for Scotch whisky at our upcoming auction. The desirable bottle number 88 will surely become a legacy piece at the event.”
In December, Gordon & MacPhail unveiled the fourth commemorative Whisky in its 125th anniversary collection, a 1975 Glencraig from Glenburgie Distillery. The new offering is the final Scotch in the independent bottler’s celebratory series.
