I guess even Gordon & MacPhail sometimes runs out of whisky. Granted, running out of Glen Grant 1959 is incomparable to the many small independents struggling to replenish their stock. But still. Gordon & MacPhail’s last cask of Glen Grant 1959 was bottled for the third instalment of the ‘Mr George Legacy’ series.
The Mr George in question is George Urquhart, referred to by whisky writer Charlie MacLean as ‘the father of single malt.’ He joined the family business 90 years ago this year and became an advocate for single malt at a time when blending whisky was very much en vogue. He would’ve been responsible for the company at the time this particular Glen Grant 1959, now bottled after 63 years of maturation, was laid down.
Cask #3665 was a first-fill sherry butt with an outturn of 368 bottles. The first edition in this series, which I reviewed here, came from a similar cask type, but almost couldn’t be more different.
Glen Grant 1959 63 Years ‘Mr George Legacy’ (56.5%, Gordon & MacPhail, C#3665)
Nose: Surprisingly fresh with touches of sandalwood, but also nectarines, apricots and peaches. There’s a gentle waxiness accompanied by sultanas, pineapple, and a touch of crushed mint leaves. Also some limonene. Just a hint of resin, as well as pine, buried somewhere in the background.
Taste: Love the oily mouthfeel. It gives this single malt just such a powerful, rich personality. Lots of beeswax, mango, and papaya. There are similarities with the some of the undisclosed Speyside malts from the 1970s, except there’s just a sliver of peat and cigar boxes hiding in here. Also just a pinch of pepper.
Finish: Long. Touches of resin, mint and beeswax, but also a soft herbacious element.
Sample provided by Gordon & MacPhail
