World's oldest malt released at £10,000

Published: 12 March, 2010

Whisky specialist, Gordon & MacPhail has unvieled the world's oldest single malt whisky.

At a special ceremony in Edinburgh Castle's Queen Anne Room, Harpers Wine and Spirit along with other guests were invited to taste the 70-year-old Speyside single malt which will be selling for a mere snip at £10,000 per 70cl, and £2,500 for the 20cl.

Only 54 standard bottles will be released worldwide and 162, 20cl of the Gordon & MacPhail's 'Generations' brand, Mortlach 70 Years Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky, which was filled into a Spanish oak, ex-bodega sherry hogshead cask on October 15, 1938.

Founded in 1895, Gordon & MacPhail is known the world over as the custodian of some of the oldest and rarest single malts available in the current market and is now run by the third and fourth generations of the Urquhart family.

Joint managing directors, David and Michael Urquhart, said: "This is a very special day for us, one we've literally been anticipating for generations. Our family has been in the whisky business for a long time, with each generation building and handing on a lifetime's expertise to the next.

"We believe Mortlach 70 Years Old is a malt without comparison. If the reaction of those lucky enough to enjoy a dram today is anything to go by, whisky fans and people wishing to own a unique piece of Scotland's liquid history will be very excited about it."

Well known whisky writer Charles MacLean,described it as "a delicate, fresh, vital, fruity whisky, with unusual attributes of waxiness and smokiness."

It is the first in a series of extremely rare malt whiskies to be released by Gordon & MacPhail under its 'Generations' brand.

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