Collectible Whisky 16
Gordon & MacPhail Unveils A Rather Special Whisky
Rare 1950s Single Malt Whisky from Linkwood Distillery
An exceptionally rare single cask from the 1950s has been unveiled as one of the oldest Linkwood single malt whiskies ever bottled.
Leading single malt whisky specialist Gordon & MacPhail today announced the release of Private Collection from Linkwood Distillery 1956 by Gordon & MacPhail. This is the last 1950s cask from Linkwood Distillery in Gordon & MacPhail’s unrivalled inventory; it is believed to be the final remaining 1950s cask globally.
Just 53 decanters of the 60-Year-Old single malt whisky have been released for sale worldwide with a UK RRP of £22,000.
Mahogany and chestnut brown in colour, Private Collection from Linkwood Distillery 1956 by Gordon & MacPhail is an intricately layered whisky. Rich, warm aromas lend to a sweet full-bodied experience with highlights of blueberry, fruitcake, and dark chocolate. This ultra-aged single malt, a testament to the knowledge and expertise curated over four generations, culminates in a resoundingly rich finish.
Filled at the Linkwood Distillery on the 3rd January 1956, Cask 20 is from a defining period in the company’s history. It was one of the last casks laid down by John Urquhart, first generation member of the family that owns Gordon & MacPhail, before he retired the following month. Cask 20 matured for six decades under the watchful eyes of John’s son, George, and subsequent generations until the decision to bottle was made by the fourth generation of the Urquhart family.
Founded in 1895 in Elgin, Scotland, Gordon & MacPhail is the curator of many of the oldest and rarest single malt whiskies in the world with an unrivalled stock inventory. For over 120 years, generations of the Urquhart family have matched new-make spirit from distilleries across Scotland with carefully selected oak casks, patiently maturing these to achieve the perfect harmony between the spirit and oak.
Stephen Rankin, Director of Prestige and fourth generation member of the Urquhart family, said: “Private Collection from Linkwood Distillery 1956 by Gordon & MacPhailencapsulates the company’s dedication to the art of single malt whisky maturation and tireless pursuit of perfection. This incredible whisky is the culmination of the unrivalled knowledge and skills passed down and strengthened, over the decades, through four generations of my family.
“It is the deep understanding of the relationship between the oak and the spirit that has allowed Gordon & MacPhail to nurture this cask for six decades while retaining the unique distillery character.”
Private Collection from Linkwood Distillery 1956 by Gordon & MacPhail is the second of four exclusive single casks unveiled as part of the ‘Private Collection’ range. The first, Private Collection Glenlivet 1943 by Gordon & MacPhail, a rare wartime cask, was released in October 2017.
Beautifully packaged using an award-winning design, the landscape surrounding the Linkwood Distillery inspires the unique contours etched into the gold base and stopper of each bespoke decanter. All 53 decanters are hand-blown and individually numbered with a certificate of authenticity signed by Stephen Rankin.
Whisky writer and rare whisky specialist Jonny McCormick, author of the commemorative book that accompanies each bespoke decanter, said: “Amidst an exalted world of luxury and prestige, Gordon & MacPhail commands the one inherent quality that every whisky connoisseur desires: rarity.
“As this remarkable cask completes its journey, this alluring Linkwood whisky is exquisitely presented in a manner that does justice to the craftsmanship of the whisky makers and the custodianship of the Urquhart family. In the years to come, opportunities to experience world-class whisky exhibiting this maturity and complexity from the Fifties will be very scarce indeed.”
Private Collection from Linkwood Distillery 1956 by Gordon & MacPhail was matured in a first fill Sherry hogshead for sixty years. Only 53 decanters, bottled at cask strength (49.4% ABV), have been released for sale worldwide. A number of decanters are available for purchase directly from the company’s ‘spiritual home’, the South Street retail shop in Elgin at an RRP of £22,000. Prices may differ in international markets due to local taxes and duty.
For more information, please visit www.gordonandmacphail.com.
#tastethehistory
Whisky Directory Listings – Spirits By Post
Specialist Whisky Retailer – Spirits by Post
Spirits by Post is a small business founded in 2012, The Purveyor of the World’s Finest Whisky and other spirits. Serving satisfied and enthusiastic customers worldwide each day.
Since the beginning Spirits by Post has continued to gradually grow and develop a strong following of customers and become one of the main retailers online in the UK offering spirits of all types and ages. Improving our service in every aspect of the business to become a well-oiled machine, continuing to make improvements based on customer feedback and satisfaction.
We believe in excellent customer service and strive to provide this with responsive assistance to customers whether they are a newcomer, an enthusiast or a connoisseur. With a variety of diversities and requirements we aim to meet our customers’ needs with our ever-increasing experience and knowledge.
Always looking for new and interesting lines of spirits to add to our catalogue of whisky, champagne, vodka, rum and more – Spirits by Post endeavour to offer the highest quality of product variety to our loyal followers and intrigued newcomers.
Our company may be smaller than some of the bigger guys in our field, however we are always injecting new ideas including website functionality improvements, advanced packaging methods, great customer service, organising interesting events and of course providing the world’s best spirits.
Bonhams Catalogue Now Online
The Whisky Sale, Edinburgh
On Wednesday 07th March, Bonhams plays host to The Whisky Sale in Edinburgh. With a number of exceptional whiskies going under the hammer including The Macallan, Bowmore and Talisker this really is a rare opportunity to acquire some truly iconic and collectible whiskies.
Liquid Gold
Macallan Single Malt Cask Sold for £242,200 at Whisky-Online Auctions
After an epic bidding battle that lasted over four hours past the scheduled finish, a cask of Macallan single malt whisky distilled in 1989 sold for an astounding £242,200 ($336,512) in our February auction. We reckon this is a world record for a cask of 1989 whisky!
As you’ll know if you’ve been following our previous blogposts, Cask 1248 is a refill sherry hogshead that has been maturing in one of the distillery’s official bonded warehouses since being filled in January 1989. It’s the ninth Macallan cask we’ve auctioned and the oldest one we’ve had so far.
The regauging done in December on this cask showed that it now holds approximately 257 standard 70cl bottles of whisky at a strength of 52.75% abv, with the hammer price equating to over £942 per bottle before commission, duty and bottling costs are added. The incredible price comfortably beats our previous records from last month when a 1990 Macallan of the same cask type fetched £135,100 at an equivalent bottle price of around £560. A larger cask of Macallan 1996 sold in the same auction for £168,300 (around £320 per bottle).
The price achieved by the Macallan 1989 represents a remarkable surge in value for casks from the distillery. A similar hogshead cask from the 1995 vintage sold for £52,100 only three months ago in November 2017. The sale is an astonishing return on investment for the previous owner of Cask 1248, who paid £2,700 for the cask in 1994 when the whisky was just five years old.
Our own Wayne Ormerod, founder of Whisky-Online Auctions, commented: “This was a superb sale. Macallan is a blue chip distillery known for its sherry casks, so it’s ideal for auctions like ours that specialise in the best quality older whiskies. It is great to see this level of demand for bonded casks of single malt from serious auction buyers. There were multiple bidders who were determined to secure Cask 1248, which is why the auction kept extending and the cask ended up going for such a fantastic price.
“We’ve been auctioning rare bottles of whisky for several years, so when the opportunity to start auctioning casks came along it seemed like a natural progression. It’s fair to say we’ve been very pleasantly surprised by just how successful it’s been.”
It’s amazing how quickly the prices of these casks has escalated – we only began selling bonded casks last July but the opportunity to own and bottle a ‘private’ cask has clearly been a big hit with our buyers. As well as the high-profile Macallan casks, we’ve also seen plenty of interest in casks of maturing whisky from distilleries including Isle of Jura, Tullibardine, Arran and even a 1990 vintage cask from Littlemill, a distillery which was closed and dismantled over twenty years ago.
“A cask of aged Macallan is an increasingly historic and valuable asset and will always fetch high prices, particularly as the old Macallan distillery will be closing later this year after production is switched to the new facility. That makes these casks representing the distillery’s golden era even more special,” said Wayne.
“The whisky is a great example of 1980s Macallan and the good news is that although it’s drinking very well now, it’ll definitely keep until its thirtieth birthday next year – if the buyer can wait that long to bottle it.
“This is a new and rapidly-growing part of our business and we expect these extraordinary prices will attract many other cask-owners keen to find out how much their own liquid gold could achieve at auction.”
The Whisky Market Limited
Single Malt Investment
Founded in April 2014 and listed in Malt Marketing’s whisky directory, The Whisky Market Limited has grown from a modest private client base and now has over £2,000,000.00 of single malt Scottish whisky casks under management. The decline in global markets and alternatives in general forced many people to look elsewhere for value and a tax efficient hold.
Over the last 3 years, The Whisky Market Limited has been working with a very unique type of asset for a select clientele allowing them to access a piece of Scotch history by owning casks of Single Malt Premium Scotch Whisky.
Current independent reports are showing typical returns are around 7 – 12% per annum for holding Scotch whisky casks over the last 9 years.
On top of growing demand and great returns, Whiskies held in casks are exempt from both VAT and more importantly, Capital Gains Tax, ensuring all profit from cask ownership will be yours to keep!
