THE WORLD’S OLDEST SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY:
The Generations 80-Years-Old from Glenlivet Distillery
Originally Laid Down in 1940 by Gordon & MacPhail
Designed by architect and designer Sir David Adjaye OBE, Decanter #1 of the Gordon & MacPhail Generations 80-Years-Old to be offered by Sotheby’s in Hong Kong this October
LONDON, 2 September 2021 – Today at Sotheby’s in London, whisky creators Gordon & MacPhail unveiled the oldest single malt Scotch whisky ever bottled – an 80-year-old from Glenlivet Distillery matured in an oak cask originally laid down in 1940. To house this most precious of whiskies, Gordon & MacPhail, founded in 1895, commissioned internationally acclaimed architect and designer, Sir David Adjaye OBE to design a unique decanter and oak case around the theme ‘Artistry in Oak’ – a fitting tribute to this landmark moment for the industry, the longest-matured ‘expression’ ever to be released featuring spirit from a Scottish distillery.
Next month in Hong Kong, on 7 October, Sotheby’s will offer Decanter #1 of the Gordon & MacPhail Generations 80-Years-Old release with an estimate of HK$800,000-1,500,000 (US$100,000-200,000 / £80,000-140,000). This special lot will include a singular whisky tasting experience for four in London, conducted by Gordon & MacPhail’s Director of Prestige, Stephen Rankin and attended by Sir David Adjaye, in addition to the framed original cask head of Cask 340 which cradled the spirit for eight decades, and a one-of-one signed lithograph of Sir David’s original, concept drawings.
As part of their release of 250 decanters, Gordon & MacPhail is supporting a local charity, Trees for Life whose mission is to rewild the Caledonian forest. Proceeds from the sale of Decanter #1 will be donated to resource the Trees for Life nursery which grows 100,000 rare, native trees, including oaks, from seed each year.
Sir David Adjaye, OBE, said: “When collaborating, I am looking for like-minded partners in terms of their craft, beliefs and traditions. I loved Gordon & MacPhail’s rigour and obsession with their products and their craft – a romantic commitment that enables one to do exceptional things. Our partnership felt so organic.”
Ewen Mackintosh, Managing Director at Gordon & MacPhail, commented: “Maturing a single malt Scotch over eight decades is an art, similar in many ways to architecture where you are creating something that needs to stand the test of time. Both Sir David and Gordon & MacPhail share a commitment to invest in the future. We both see the significance of creating something exceptional; leaving a legacy for future generations.”
Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s Spirits Specialist, said: “Joining forces with Gordon & MacPhail to auction the first 80-year-old whisky is a very special moment for us. It is an incredible feat to have matured a whisky in oak for 80 years and appropriate that it is a Glenlivet cask from Scotland’s first licensed distillery. As such, it feels only fitting that two companies with such long histories are collaborating to present the world’s oldest whisky.”
February 3rd 1940 was to become a landmark day in Scotland’s liquid history, when George Urquhart – from the second generation to own the company – had the foresight and vision to lay down spirit from Glenlivet Distillery in a bespoke Gordon & MacPhail oak cask to be enjoyed after his lifetime by future generations. When the tree harvested to make Cask 340 started its life, Queen Victoria was a newlywed, Tsar Nicholas I ruled Russia, and Abraham Lincoln was a young lawyer practising out of Springfield, Illinois. The cask reached Scottish shores in 1940, as World War Two raged in Europe, having initially held freshly pressed grape juice, then newly fermented wine, before being emptied and filled with mature Sherry for bottling in the UK.
Urquhart passionately believed that each cask needed to be left to reach its full potential, and only when the whisky was deemed ready should it be shared. The optimum time for Cask 340 was to be 80 years – longer than any other Scotch whisky in history. Adding an extra layer of rarity to this release, in 1940 the Ministry of Food cut malt whisky distilling by one third to ration barley for the war effort, and production of Glenlivet fell by two thirds. On 5 February 2020, the decision was taken to bottle the cask’s bounty, which had been nurtured over eight decades by four generations of the Urquhart family.
Integral to the whisky-making process, oak is also the traditional symbol for celebrating an 80-year anniversary and was therefore a fitting choice of material for the case. In his own words, Sir David Adjaye’s design “pays tribute to the role oak plays in transforming liquid into an elixir with almost magical properties” and brings the narrative full circle – the light refracted through the pavilion-like enclosure when the casing is opened recreates sunlight as its shines through oak trees within a natural forest setting.
About Sotheby’s Wine
Established in 1744, Sotheby’s is the world’s premier destination for art and luxury. Sotheby’s promotes access, connoisseurship and preservation of fine art and rare objects through auctions and buy-now channels including private sales, e-commerce and retail. Our trusted global marketplace is supported by an industry-leading technology platform and a network of specialists spanning 40 countries and 50 categories, which include Contemporary Art, Modern and Impressionist Art, Old Masters, Chinese Works of Art, Jewelry, Watches, Wine and Spirits, and Interiors, among many others.
Sotheby’s Wine’s annual worldwide auction sales of wine and spirits totaled an outstanding $92 million in 2020, with over 15,000 lots sold across 41 sales – a nearly 50% increase in the number of auctions held in 2019. Over $60 million of wine and spirits were sold to online bidders in 2020 versus $28 million in 2019, with 85% of all lots offered finding online buyers. Demonstrating continued strength in Asia, Sotheby’s led the market in the region for the third consecutive year, with over 70% of the total bid amount in all Wine and Spirits sales attributed to collectors in Asia.
Sotheby’s Wine’s has had the privilege of auctioning numerous record-breaking wines and spirits in recent years, with 2020 alone witnessing new world auction records for any bottle of Japanese whisky, any bottle of whisky produced by the Dalmore Distillery, as well as any bottle of Cognac. Sotheby’s Wine currently holds the world records for any whisky collection ever sold at auction, any private wine collection ever sold at auction, the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold at auction and the most expensive bottle of spirits ever sold at auction.
Sotheby’s Wine launched its retail business in 2010. With a retail store located in Sotheby’s New York headquarters and e-commerce at www.sothebyswine.com, Sotheby’s Wine offers a carefully curated selection of wines from the world’s most prestigious producers and important regions, with prices beginning at $13.95. Expertly assembled by our experienced specialists, the ever-evolving selection is built upon lasting relationships with winemakers from across the globe, with bottles that are ready for immediate consumption, in addition to investment-worthy wines from highly sought-after vintages. Each bottle selected by Sotheby’s specialists must pass the brand’s signature “three-glass” tasting guideline: they must enjoy the wine enough to want to drink three glasses, or the standard amount consumed when sharing a bottle. A second retail location opened in Sotheby’s Hong Kong galleries in 2014.
*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium. Prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer’s premium and are net of any fees paid to the purchaser where the purchaser provided an irrevocable bid.
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About Gordon & MacPhail Generations Range
For more than 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 has matched its own bespoke casks with spirit from over 100 Scottish distilleries. Managing a portfolio of casks is a complex level of expertise which Gordon & MacPhail has honed to fully understand cask maturation matched to different styles of spirit. It is this cask curation that allows Gordon & MacPhail to consistently deliver a range of perfectly matured whiskies. Their expert maturation management creates unique, complex but perfectly balanced single malts found nowhere else. At the very heart of business lies the sample room – an exceptional liquid library spanning more than a century of Scotch whiskies featuring a wide range of age profiles and character. But these exceptional snapshots in time are not heirlooms there to impress, they exist to help inform and shape future decision-making and provide an invaluable guide for generations to come.
The name ‘Generations’ signifies the many decades these whiskies have been left to mature and the four generations of company ownership by the same family. Gordon & MacPhail’s Generations range presents some of the longest-matured single malt Scotch whisky ever to be bottled representing iconic moments of Scotland’s liquid history. Previous ‘Generations’ releases include: Generations 70 Years Old from Mortlach Distillery; Generations 70 Years Old from Glenlivet Distillery; Generations 70 Years Old from Glenlivet Distillery (release two); Generations 75 Years Old from Mortlach Distillery.
About Sir David Adjaye OBE
Sir David Adjaye OBE is an award-winning Ghanaian-British architect known to infuse his artistic sensibilities and ethos for community-driven projects. His ingenious use of materials, bespoke designs and visionary sensibilities have set him apart as one of the leading architects of his generation. In 2000, David founded his own practice, Adjaye Associates, which today operates globally, with studios in Accra, London, and New York taking on projects that span the globe. The firm’s work ranges from private houses, bespoke furniture collections, product design, exhibitions, and temporary pavilions to major arts centres, civic buildings, and master plans. His largest project to date, The National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington, DC opened on the National Mall in Washington DC in 2016 and was named Cultural Event of the Year by The New York Times. In 2017, Adjaye was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and was recognised as one of the 100 most influential people of the year by TIME Magazine. He is the recipient of the 2021 RIBA Royal Gold Medal. Approved personally by Her Majesty the Queen, the Royal Gold Medal is considered one of the highest honours in British architecture for significant contribution to the field internationally. Sir Adjaye is also the recipient of the World Economic Forum’s 27th Annual Crystal Award, which recognises his “leadership in serving communities, cities and the environment.”
About Trees for Life
Founded in 1993, Trees for Life is an award-winning charity with a vision of a revitalised wild forest in the Scottish Highlands, providing space for wildlife to flourish and communities to thrive. “It is our passionate belief that rewilding can help us achieve this vision,” says chief executive, Steve Makeweight. “It enriches the landscapes, wildlife and people who call these places home. Rewilding is about working with nature, natural processes and seeing human activity as part of an intricate system in which everything is connected.” The Gordon & MacPhail partnership with Trees for Life is a commitment to both the wild Caledonian Forest and to future generations. An initial 250 oak trees planted in Glen Affric on behalf of Gordon & MacPhail have the potential to live for more than 500 years, as well as providing a vital seed source, ensuring a lasting legacy for centuries.
