Got a spare £22,000? Then a decanter of a rare single malt could be yours

Gordon & Macphail unveil new expression from the last cask of Linkwood, a Speyside whisky matured for 60 years

Aleading single malt whisky specialist has released a rare single bottling from what is believed to be the last remaining 1950s cask from a popular Speyside distillery.

Gordon & Macphail unveiled the new release yesterday, with this latest expressionfromtheelgin-basedindependent bottler thought to be one of the oldest Linkwood single malt whiskies ever bottled. The Private Collection from Linkwood Distillery 1956 is the last 1950s cask from Linkwood Distillery in Gordon & Macphail’s vast inventory.

With just 53 decanters of the exceptionally rare 60-year-old whisky released (at 49.4 per cent abv) for sale worldwide, whisky fans can expect to pay around £22,000 if they want to own one.

Filled at the Linkwood Distillery on 3 January 1956, the whisky firm says Cask 20 is from a defining period in the company’s history. It was one of the last casks laid down by John Urquhart, first generation member of the family that owns Gordon & Macphail, before he retired the following month. Maturing for six decades in a first fill sherry hogshead under the watchful eyes of John’s son, George, and subsequent generations, the decision to bottle was eventually made by the current fourth generation of the Urquhart family.

Stephen Rankin, director of prestige and fourth generation member of the Urquhart family, said: “Private Collection from Linkwood Distillery 1956 by Gordon & Macphail encapsulates the company’s dedication to the art of single malt whisky maturation and tireless pursuit of perfection.

“This incredible whisky is the culmination of the unrivalled knowledge and skills passed down and strengthened, over the decades, through four generations of my family.

“It is the deep understanding of the relationship between the oak and the spirit that has allowed Gordon & Macphail to nurture this cask for six decades while retaining the unique distillery character.”

Private Collection from Linkwood Distillery 1956 by Gordon & Macphail is the second of four exclusive single casks unveiled as part of the Private Collection range.

The first, Private Collection Glenlivet 1943 by Gordon & Macphail, a rare wartime cask, was released in October 2017.

0 The rare Private Collection