Gordon & MacPhail release commemorative whisky for King Charles’ coronation

The special single malt from 1948, King Charles III’s birth year, is steeped in history and will be released to commemorate his historic coronation at Westminster Abbey in May.  

The Private Collection 1948 from Glen Grant Distillery was filled into a first-fill Sherry cask on April 10, 1948. Only 281 bottles of this ultra-rare release will be available, which was bottled on December 15, the anniversary of His Majesty’s christening.

Stephen Rankin, Director of Prestige at Gordon & MacPhail, said the rare release is suitable for King Charles III, who officially reopened Gordon & MacPhail’s Benromach Distillery in 1998.

“This exceptional whisky is a fitting tribute to His Majesty, who has continually promoted and protected British tradition and excellence over many decades. 

“This release has been carefully nurtured for over seventy years and is testament to great patience, long term thinking and commitment to creating high quality products; principles that have been handed down through generations of people working for our family business,” he said. 

To celebrate the release of The King Charles III Coronation Edition, a donation of £25,000 will be made by Gordon & MacPhail to The Prince’s Foundation, a charity that runs a diverse programme of education and training for all ages and backgrounds, including traditional arts and heritage craft skills, horticulture, wellbeing and hospitality, as well as regeneration projects to support communities.

“For more than 50 years, King Charles has placed a firm focus on sustainability and supporting communities. Our donation to The Prince’s Foundation will support his vision of a more sustainable world and aims to help create future legacies,” said Rankin. 

Priced at £25,000, the whisky retains a remarkable cask strength of 50.4% after over seven decades of maturation. The result is a vibrant and fragrant single malt packed with festive spices, mulled berries, a hint of raisin and lemon zest. 

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