GORDON & MACPHAIL UNVEILS ‘FORGOTTEN MASTERPIECES’ IN THIRD RECOLLECTION SERIES
Latest edition of annual series features six rare whiskies from closed or long time silent distilleries including Rosebank and Port Ellen.
Gordon & MacPhail has unveiled this year’s Recollection Series, featuring a selection of unique and rare single cask whiskies from closed or long time-silent Scottish distilleries.
These remarkably rare releases include single malts from Rosebank, Glenlochy Convalmore, Imperial, North Port, and Port Ellen distilleries. The art theme, reflected in bold new packaging, positions the whiskies as ‘forgotten masterpieces’ and ‘lost works of art’, with the distilleries’ spirit revived using stunning illustrations from Emmy-award winning artist, Bruno Mangyoku.
The vanishingly rare whiskies, each bottled at cask strength, have been maturing in the Gordon & MacPhail warehouse from 32 years for the Rosebank release and up to 44 years in the case of the release from Glenlochy distillery.
It’s thanks to Gordon & MacPhail’s close relationships forged decades ago with now closed or silent distilleries that drinkers now have the opportunity to sample these snapshots of Scotland’s whisky history.
Stuart Urquhart, Operations Director at Gordon & MacPhail, said: “This year marks our third Recollection Series, which again brings a carefully chosen selection of rare and unique whiskies to enthusiasts worldwide. We’re fortunate enough to have access to a liquid library which is testament to the relationships we’ve nurtured with whisky distillers for almost 130 years.
“We’re proud to be able to revive the spirit of these historic distilleries, bringing their stories back into the present day.”
To celebrate the launch, Gordon & MacPhail has partnered with renowned Emmy award-winning animation director and illustrator, Bruno Mangyoku, who has captured the distilleries in all their former glory in his own unique style.
Bruno’s artwork can be seen on the Recollection Series’ new packaging, as well as being available to purchase separately.
Bruno Mangyoku said: “The brief for the third Recollection Series from Gordon & MacPhail was to bring back to life the forgotten distilleries of this year’s chosen releases and revive their former glory through illustration. It was a fantastic opportunity to take a deep dive into the industry’s rich history.”
For more information on Gordon & MacPhail or the Recollection series, visit www.gordonandmacphail.com
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Full list of whiskies from this year’s Recollection Series:
- Rosebank 1991 – RRP £2,100
- Glenlochy 1979 – RRP £4,000
- Convalmore 1984 – RRP £2,300
- Imperial 1990 – RRP £1,650
- North Port 1981 – RRP £3,850
- Port Ellen 1981 – RRP £10,000
Tasting Notes:
Rosebank 1991
ABV: 51.2% RRP: £2,100
Nose: Fragrant gorse flower aromas intertwine with lime zest and a hint of milk chocolate. Dried banana notes come to the fore alongside an undertone of peanuts.
Taste: Sweet honeycomb flavours give way to subtle guava and passionfruit. Smooth poached pear leads to vanilla fudge.
Finish: A medium bodied finish with creamy apple and tropical fruit.
About the distillery
The history of Rosebank Distillery has been directly linked with the Forth & Clyde canal which sits in its shadow. The waterway linked Scotland’s west and east coasts, and therefore its two main cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh. A distillery called Rosebank was operating as early as 1817.From 1840, under the ownership of the Rankine family, Rosebank prospered. The canal, however, became neglected and the distillery eventually closed its doors in 1993. It was reopened under new ownership to great fanfare in 2024.This release, a lost work of art, is one of the oldest and rarest Rosebank single malts ever released.
Glenlochy 1979
ABV: 53.2% RRP: £4,000
Aromas: Orange oil aromas give way to pressed apple and a hint of ginger. Vibrant dried mango and honeycomb lead to an undertone of beeswax polish.
Taste: Sweet tropical fruit flavours; pineapple and banana combine with lemon sherbet. Strawberry compote and vanilla fudge are followed by notes of pecan.
Finish: A full and smooth finish with toasted almonds and oak.
About the distillery
Founded in 1898, on the banks of the River Nevis shortly after the completion of the West Highland Railway, Glenlochy was well positioned to transport its whisky to Glasgow. The bulk of spirit from its stills was destined for blends so any release featuring the distillery name is extremely rare. Glenlochy was eventually closed in 1983 and sold for redevelopment as a hotel in 1991. All of the original buildings have since been demolished apart from the kiln building, but within this single malt, its spirit endures.
Convalmore 1984
ABV: 51.1% RRP: £2,300
Nose: Rich treacle toffee aromas combine with cinnamon spice and subtle beeswax polish. Stewed raisin comes to the fore alongside soft and sweet butterscotch.
Taste: Clementine intertwines with stewed forest fruit and toasted hazelnut. Demerara sugar develops, accompanied by subtle coffee bean and a hint of dried banana.
Finish: A full finish with black pepper and grapefruit zest.
About the distillery
Opened as the fourth of Dufftown’s famed seven stills in the heart of Speyside in 1894, Convalmore’s waxy, fruity spirit has very rarely been seen as a single malt whisky. Dedicated almost entirely to blended whiskies, production was interrupted in 1909 by a fire. The distillery expanded in 1964 but was mothballed in 1985. The original buildings are still on the site but the production equipment has been removed. This 39 year old single malt, matured in a bespoke Gordon &MacPhail cask, is a forgotten masterpiece; a lost work of art that revives the spirit of a bygone era.
Imperial 1990
ABV: 52.7% RRP: £1,650
Nose: Rich orange oil aromas infuse with brown sugar and vibrant peanut brittle. Poached pear and clover honey lead to bright pineapple.
Taste: Sweet lime and cocoa powder flavours are balanced by cracked black pepper. Ripe green apple gives way to chilli spice and a herbal edge.
Finish: Full with tropical fruit and charred oak.
About the distillery
Built by Thomas MacKenzie in 1897 – the year of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee – Imperial Distillery was constructed in the heart of Speyside on a grand scale, the maltings capped by a cast iron crown. Mothballed in 1899, it reopened in 1919, fell silent for another 30 years then opened again, supplying spirit for blended whisky, only to close for the last time in 1998. In 2013, the buildings were demolished and Dalmunach Distillery now stands on the site. Single malt whiskies featuring the Imperial Distillery name are the epitome of rare. Their reputation continues to grow and this forgotten masterpiece was matured in a Gordon & MacPhail cask for more than three decades.
North Port 1981
ABV: 50.9% RRP: £3,850
Nose: Rich citrus aromas complement red apple and butterscotch. Apricot jam intertwines with fragrant walnut, giving way to subtle aged leather.
Taste: Sweet tangerine zest combines with desiccated coconut and soft ginger spice. Demerara sugar comes to the fore, leading to mature oak.
Finish: A medium bodied, dry finish with Brazil nut.
About the distillery
Single malts featuring the distillery’s original name, Brechin Distillery, are vanishingly rare. Founded in 1820 near Scotland’s east coast by three brothers, David, John and Alexander Guthrie, the distillery stood half a mile from the River Esk. It remained in family ownership for over a century, renamed North Port Distillery, before new owners closed its doors in 1928. It reopened after the Second World War only to fall silent again in 1983, with the site demolished in 1994.Whisky writer, Michael Jackson, described its spirit as ‘dry and fruity’ and this whisky, matured in a Gordon & MacPhail cask, is a forgotten masterpiece that revives the spirit of a bygone age.
Port Ellen 1981
ABV: 52.5% RRP: £10,000
Nose: Dark chocolate aromas complement ginger and cinnamon spice. Blackcurrant gives way to medjool dates and sweet vanilla pod.
Taste: Rich fruitcake flavours lead to baked apples and rich, sweet smoke. Peanut brittle comes to the fore alongside dark cherry and spicy pepper.
Finish: A long and full finish with lasting dried fruit and bonfire embers.
About the distillery
Founded in 1825 on the isle of Islay off Scotland’s west coast by Alexander MacKay, Port Ellen has a fabled reputation. John Ramsay took over the lease in 1836 and the site remained in his family’s hands until 1920 before falling silent in 1930. It reopened in 1967 but was mothballed again in 1983, with the stills dismantled and removed. Renowned for the subtle, distinctiveness and rarity of its spirit, Port Ellen single malts have long been revered by drinkers and collectors. In 2024 the distillery reopened its doors but lost works of art, such as this whisky matured in a Gordon & MacPhail’s cask, can never be replicated.
About Gordon & MacPhail Whiskies:
For over 125 years, Gordon & MacPhail has been driven by a simple mission: to create single malt Scotch whisky of exceptional quality.
Through four generations of family ownership, the company matched spirit from over 100 Scottish distilleries to its own bespoke casks.
It is this unique depth and breadth of experience that enabled Gordon & MacPhail to combine oak, spirit and time to create a portfolio of iconic whiskies found nowhere else in the world.
- ‘Discovery’ – This flavour-led range is the perfect introduction to our portfolio of quality single malt Scotch whiskies
- ‘Distillery Labels’ – A range celebrating our long-standing relationships with Scotland’s distilleries
- ‘Connoisseurs Choice’ – The heart of our portfolio. Always unique, these non-chill-filtered, natural coloured, small batch expressions are genuine one-offs.
- ‘Private Collection’ – Greatly-aged single malts from celebrated, little-known, or closed distilleries specially selected by members of the Urquhart family
- ‘Generations’ – A prestigious collection of old, rare, and exclusive masterpieces
About Bruno Mangyoku:
Educated in the craftsmanship of animated movies at the legendary Gobelins school in Paris, Bruno Mangyoku has pursued a career as both an illustrator and an animation director. A globally recognised creative, Bruno won an Emmy Award in 2019 for Outstanding Individual Achievement In Animation; awarded for Character Design on ‘Age of Sail’.
Fuelled by his passion for cinema, his illustrative process is also greatly influenced by American cartoonists. He often employs a limited colour palette in his work, comprising of bright and strikingly contrasted shades, whilst his primary focus is the character design and silhouettes, staged around simple yet cinematic backgrounds. The result is super stylish illustrations which ooze sophistication and refinement. Bruno’s more notable clients include Airbnb, Nike, GQ magazine, Mr Porter and Liverpool Football Club.
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