Glen Grant Distillery releases the Mr George Legacy 1959

The latest whisky in Glen Grant's annual series to celebrate the legacy of George Urquhart – Gordon & MacPhail's last-ever cask from 1959 launched this week.

Matured in a Gordon & MacPhail cask for over six decades, the Mr George Legacy 1959 from Glen Grant Distillery features a genealogy chart on the label, box and certificate, highlighting the importance of guiding principles handed down from one generation to the next. 

After he joined the family business ninety years ago in 1933, George Urquhart ‘Mr George’ became a key advocate of single malt whisky when most whiskies were blended. Renowned whisky writer Charlie MacLean refers to him as ‘the father of single malt’.

A limited release of just 368 bottles, the whisky was matured in cask no. 3665, a first-fill Sherry butt at a cask strength of 56.5% ABV, providing a rich and complex character and retaining a subtle smokiness not found in modern Speyside whiskies.

Distilled on Thursday, 15^th October 1959, this 63-Year-Old edition of the Legacy Series has an RRP of $11,999*. 

Fragrant autumnal spice aromas on the nose intertwine with sweet, dried fruit and demerara sugar. To taste, stewed red fruit flavours lead to Seville orange with a hint of garden mint. Tart raspberry notes then develop, accompanied by cocoa powder and mature oak, before giving way to a full finish with lingering notes of cinnamon and forest fruits.

Stuart Urquhart, the grandson of Mr George and Gordon & MacPhail's Operations Director, said:“Ninety years ago, my grandfather, Mr George, joined Gordon & MacPhail as an apprentice to his father, John, and his philosophy and principles live on through the business today. 

"Mr George's attention to detail and unwavering commitment to quality remains the foundation of our business, along with a forward-looking approach and refusal to bow to convention. This greatly aged single malt whisky is a fitting tribute to this ethos."

Charlie MacLean remarked:“A magnificent old whisky, wonderfully complex, but still lively in notwithstanding its advanced age. Another worthy tribute to Mr George Urquhart, the man who put malt whisky on the map.”

Celebrating its 125^th anniversary in 2020, Gordon & MacPhail has built up an impressive collection of whiskies from over 100 distilleries maturing in its warehouses, from the close relationships forged with Scotland’s distilleries over many decades.

*Prices in international markets may vary due to local taxes and import duties.