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1940 Gordon & MacPhail Generations Glenlivet 70 Year Old (Release 2) Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

Speyside, Highlands, SCOTLAND
$29999. 00
Bottle
$359988.00 Dozen
ABV: 45.9%
Reputedly the oldest commercially available Scottish Malt Whisky in the World.

That title was previously held by another Gordon & MacPhail Generations release of Mortlach, which is now finished, leaving this as the oldest.

Distilled by Glenlivet on 3rd February 1940 (one of the few distilleries permitted to continue distilling during the war years) the new spirit was filled into a First Fill Sherry Cask belonging to Gordon & MacPhail and left to sleep at the Glenlivet distillery for nearly 40 years. On the 10th January 1980 it was moved into the Gordon & MacPhail warehouse in Elgin to sit for the rest of its 70 years.  

Having reached a surprising cask strength of 45.9%, the resulting 100 bottles have been presented in exquisite custom made Glencairn decanters, the base and the caps made from hallmarked Sterling Silver.

To the best of this company’s knowledge, a 700ml bottle of this amazing national treasure has never been offered in Australia. Gordon & MacPhail have agreed to one bottle. N.B. We have been informed this offer will not be open indefinitely.
We were also fortunate enough to be supplied with a 10ml sample of this extraordinary liquid. Believe the hype.

Tasting note: [Taken from a 10ml sample] Bright amber gold showing excellent clarity. Exudes a floral delicacy and an astonishing sweetness that’s heady and thick to a near impossible degree. Drifts lazily out of the glass like ancient rum as the second pass releases cedar wood, incense, rancio, caramelised fig jam…all the while accompanied by a peppermint-lozenge freshness that defies belief. Five minutes in the glass builds the intensity and shifts the accent towards kumquat / quince paste. Still further air contact releases orange cake and biscuity malt. The list goes on… Utterly profound in the mouth and far from drained of sweetness or vitality. Covers the tongue with a slow motion wave of quince paste and biscuity malt; is there a whisper of peat too? Expands as the oak eclipses the mid palate, drying momentarily, only to resurge with an exquisitely delicate aftertaste of rum-like sugars and sweet cedary oak. Finishes super fine and prolonged - less than 5ml takes you well beyond the 20 second mark. After 30 minutes the residue in the glass is still brimming with life as stewed orchard fruits develop yet another stage of amazing complexity. If all else has failed you in life (except your bank account) rest assured there is one thing in the world that will still raise both corners of your mouth and leave a song in your heart. This is it. 45.9% Alc./Vol.

Other reviews... This whisky seemingly defies nature...For the lucky ones among us, it is a unique journey of a lifetime.
95.5 points - Jim Murrays Whisky Bible