Glen Grant 1954 70 Years ‘Mr George Legacy’ (Gordon & MacPhail)

The fifth and final installment of Gordon & MacPhail’s Mr George Legacy Series has arrived. The oldest in the range, this Glen Grant 1954 matured in a first-fill sherry puncheon for 70 years. Yeah, that’s right, seven (!) decades.

“Age just tells you how long [a whisky] has been in a cask, not how good it is.”

That’s a quote from Dave Broom. He’s absolutely right too. I too have argued previously age is but a number. It’s important, but maybe less than you think. Age is a single indicator, but because it is often the most visible an unusually high importance is attached to it. Instead, age is just one element of many, all of which contribute to the quality of whisky.

However, there comes a point when time in the cask is a leading, if not THE leading factor in a whisky’s flavour profile. At what stage during maturation do we reach that point? I’m not sure if there’s a right answer, but I’m confident that 70 years in a cask is more than sufficient.

I don’t have evidence, except anecdotal. For example, if you’ve been lucky enough to taste different types of long-aged spirits – such as decades old rum, cognac, armagnac and whisky – you might agree that the longer they age, the more similarities they start to showcase, despite the difference in raw materials.

Without getting too far ahead of myself, the Mr George Legacy Series 1954 from Glen Grant shared some DNA with high-quality, very old cognac. Certainly not exactly the same, but there was something familiar about it. Anyway, that was a long-winded way of saying maturation and age is not such a black-and-white topic, as rarely anything is – but 70 years in a cask does carry major significance.

Historically too. This whisky is an homage to one of the pioneers of single malt whisky. The ‘Mr George’ in question is George Urquhart, a second-generation member of the family that owns Gordon & MacPhail. He had the foresight to fill casks with an eye on extended maturation, launching the Connoisseurs Choice range in the late 1960s. The range exists to this day.

It’s also because of his foresight Gordon & MacPhail (or other parties) continue to be able to release some of the oldest whisky ever bottled. A few of which we’ve tasted on this blog, including this 74-year-old Glenlivet and a the other releases from the Mr George Legacy Series. Now his legacy continues with the Glen Grant 1954 70 Years.

Glen Grant 1954 70 Years ‘Mr George Legacy’ (50.5%, Gordon & MacPhail, C#1823)

Nose: Hints of mahogany, beeswax, tobacco and furniture polish, as well as some mushroom, figs and dried apricots alongside muscat grapes. There’s a touch of fennel too, could be aniseed as well, followed by prunes and blueberry muffins. Then some light ristretto notes, as well as damp oak and pinesap. It’s all superbly concentrated yet vibrant and very expressive.
Taste: All these old, dark, dunnage notes but then with a surprising medley of lively fruits as well. Hints of passion fruit, stewed peaches and plums, for example. Yet also a whisper of lychee, earthy tea, some bitter chocolate and cedarwood. Finally toasted bread, roasted coffee beans, some orange zest and tobacco, as well as dark caramel.
Finish: Long. Chocolate and marmalade with cloves and tobacco, as well as a slight hint of ashes.

Sample provided by Gordon & MacPhail