Gordon & MacPhail Releases 70-Year Whisky Commemorating Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee

Whisky creators Gordon & MacPhail just introduced a special single malt whisky made to honor the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection 1952 from Glen Grant Distillery spent the past 70 years maturing in a first fill Sherry butt, the same amount of time that the Queen has been on the throne.

It was bottled on Feb. 6th, the date of the Queen’s accession, and looks to serve as what’s described as a tribute to how character, patience and wisdom can mature over decades to deliver on its legacy.

Whisky creators Gordon & MacPhail just introduced a special single malt whisky made to honor the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. (image via Gordon & MacPhail)

And in support of the Queen’s “green canopy” initiative and build on the 2021 partnership with Scottish charity Trees for Life, Gordon & MacPhail plans to donate £20,000 from the proceeds of this rare whisky release.

In a prepared statement from the whisky maker, Ewen Mackintosh, Gordon & MacPhail’s managing director, said it is an honor to release this single malt whisky to commemorate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

“Matured over seven decades in our own casks, this single malt provides an opportunity to enjoy a style of Speyside whisky which is distinctly different to those created today,” he said. “Our approach to ensuring our casks, made from the highest quality wood to our exact specifications, is one which sits right at the heart of our business. We want to do our bit to support The Queen’s ‘Green Canopy’ initiative by continuing our successful partnership with Trees for Life.”

The funds donated from this release will provide funding for their nursery, which grows 100,000 rare and native trees, including oaks, from seed each year.

“It’s fitting that this whisky will provide a legacy that will last for generations,” Mackintosh said.

Only 256 bottles of the rare commemorative whisky are available worldwide from the single cask laid down in 1952, some of the oldest Glen Grant whisky ever released from Gordon & MacPhail’s warehouse in Elgin.

Distilled on Jan. 26th, 1952, and spending its entire maturation in cask no. 381, a first-fill Sherry butt, the Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection 1952 from Glen Grant Distillery was bottled this February at a cask strength of 52.3% ABV.

The Private Collection 1952 has a suggested retail price of £20,000.

The distiller’s notes for the Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection 1952 from Glen Grant Distillery:

• Color – Dark Gold.
• Aroma – Notes of beeswax polish give way to honeyed ripe fig aromas, toffee and orange zest. Aged leather complements rum and raisin.
• Taste – Stewed blackberry compote, sweet clementine and milk chocolate flavors followed by dried tobacco leaf and a menthol undertone.
• Finish – A long finish with a touch of smoke and a hint of pepper.

For more information, you can check out www.gordonandmacphail.com.