1957 Gordon & Macphail Mr George Legacy Second Edition Glen Grant 64 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

The second edition of 'Mr George Legacy' celebrates his long-term approach to maturation and his emphasis on matching the whisky to the ideal cask wood. Like the previous release, the quality here will be predictably high. As Serge Valentin at whiskyfun.com notes, "There are whiskies you don't even need to taste to form your opinion, provided you've got a little experience up your sleeves. I mean, under your belt. That's certainly the case with some 1950s Glen Grant by Gordon & MacPhail, all you need to know about is the colour, maybe the A.B.V %, and presto, you could do your own mental cinema and align descriptors as if on parade, while only wondering a bit about the relative weights of the main clusters. Meatier or fruitier? More 'marmalade' or more 'raisins'? Oh and closer to 90 or closer to 95? The rest is just for sport". You can read his full review below.

This incredible malt was filled into single first-fill ex-Sherry butt #3483 on 10th October 1957 and bottled at cask strength in 2021 with an outturn of just 298 bottles. Laid down while ‘Mr George’, as he was known to those who knew him best, was at the helm of the business, according to Stuart Urquhart, grandson of Mr George and Gordon & MacPhail’s Operations Director, “my grandfather had a particular affinity for the Glen Grant distillery.”

Glen Grant is one of Speyside's most recognised producers, built in 1839 by James and John Grant. Its size increased exponentially in the hands of John's son, John "The Major" Grant (who also built the short-lived Caperdonich next-door), and twice in the 1970s following the merger with The Glenlivet Distillers and its subsequent takeover by Seagram. Glen Grant was bottled as a single malt as early as the late-19th century, and developed a global export market. None perhaps as important as in Italy, where their agent in the 1960s, Armando Giovinetti, turned it into the nation's favourite whisky, after discovering the palate preferences of his countrymen for very young single malts. So loved is Glen Grant in Italy, that the distillery is now owned by Gruppo Campari, who bought it from Pernod Ricard in 2006. Glen Grant licensed its brand to a number of bottlers in the mid to late 20th century, the most prominent of which was Gordon & MacPhail. This good standing with the distillery furnished the Elgin-based independent firm with a steady supply of high quality casks, and subsequently, high quality releases. The preference of the Italian parent firm at the distillery today for its younger output, often means that Gordon & MacPhail are given access to some impressively aged casks. One bottle only available.

Other reviews... Without further ceremony… Colour: brown amber. Nose: I'm not sure we've ever been this close to very old armagnac. Starts with some wonderful chocolate and ganache, gianduja, gradually moves towards mocha and macchiato, with also wee whiffs of coconut water, goes then towards Schwarzwald cake (cherries, chocolate) and juts black tea and cigars, but never, ever gets meaty. There, we've already got an answer to our virtual questions. With water: indeed, very few meaty tones (perhaps Grisons meat, since we've been to Switzerland?) rather tar, cigars, and simply even more chocolate. Perhaps a drop of smoky 'whiskey' sauce. Crushed pine needles. Mouth (neat): oh, thin mints! Plus maracuja coulis over chocolate fondant and prunes. Or there, prunes in old armagnac. Pine resin, caraway and cloves in the background. This one's pretty tight and focused this far, to say the least. With water: oranges and more piney things popping out. I know there is some kind of short-drink where you would blend triple-sec with crème de menthe. Curiously refreshing. A tiny touch of fresher oak – they may have changed the bung recently (ha!) Finish: rather long, more on spicy marmalade, quince jam, a little pepper and juniper (oude genever), while some raw chocolate and a little coconut cream would sing in the aftertaste. Comments: assertively immaculate, without the tiniest flaw and with a very well-behaved oakiness. 92 points - whiskyfun.com