Decanter No. 1 of Gordon & MacPhail Generations 80-Years-Old

Auctioned by Sotheby’s in Hong Kong for HK$1.5 million

A decanter housing spirit from the Glenlivet Distillery, distilled and laid down in 1940 in a bespoke oak cask by luxury grocer Gordon & MacPhail, became the longest-aged whisky to be auctioned.

Its decanter and accompanying oak case were created by architect Sir David Adjaye OBE along the theme of Artistry in Oak. The highest bidder – a European private collector new to Sotheby’s – also won a whisky tasting experience conducted by Gordon & MacPhail’s director of prestige Stephen Rankin. Proceeds from the sale go to Trees for Life, a nursery dedicated to rewilding the Caledonian forest in Scotland.