Gordon & MacPhail has released a 39-year-old single malt Scotch whisky from Talisker Distillery, marking the last time the Talisker name will feature on a Gordon & MacPhail label. The whisky forms part of the independent bottler’s Connoisseurs Choice Heritage Range and is limited to 451 bottles worldwide.
The single cask expression was distilled on 3 March 1987 and matured for 39 years in a refill Sherry butt.
It was bottled at a cask strength of 51.4% ABV on 30 April 2026, and the retail price is £1,250 per bottle. It is one of the distillery’s oldest expressions ever released.
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READ THE STORYThe launch honors the vision of George Urquhart, described by whisky writer Charles MacLean as “the father of single malt.” Urquhart launched the Connoisseurs Choice range in 1968 to give enthusiasts the chance to discover whiskies from distilleries seldom seen as single malts. The range has since featured more than 2,000 bottlings from almost 100 Scottish distilleries.
To mark the release, Gordon & MacPhail has revived the original black label design used on the earliest Connoisseurs Choice bottlings.
“This release marks a poignant moment for us, as after several decades where bottlings from Talisker Distillery have been absent from our Connoisseurs Choice range, we are now releasing a final single cask bottling from this top distillery,” said Stuart Urquhart, operations director at Gordon & MacPhail. “Thirty-nine years in a refill Sherry butt has given this whisky exceptional depth without ever losing Talisker’s signature character. For collectors and whisky enthusiasts alike, this is a rare opportunity to own the final piece of our history with this distillery.”
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Whisky critic Serge Valentin called the release “yet another marvel.”
“It is rather splendid to see the old black CC labels again, the ones in use during the 1970s,” Valentin said. “I also find that there is something exceedingly chic about releasing malts at 39 years of age, rather than waiting a few more months in order to display ’40’.”
According to the brand’s official tasting notes, the nose opens with “fragrant raisin and clove spice,” followed by tangerine zest, walnut, and prunes. The palate offers “jammy figs” with strawberries and cracked black pepper, while the finish is “full and spicy with lingering citrus and a hint of ash.”
The bottling follows the earlier release of the Connoisseurs Choice Heritage 1968 from Longmorn Distillery, a 57-year-old single malt.
Talisker Distillery, Distilled 1987 is available to purchase from gordonandmacphail.com.
