Gordon & MacPhail

George House
Boroughbriggs Road
Elgin
Highland
IV30 1JY
Scotland

Telephone: 01343 545 111
Fax: 01343 540 155
Web: http://www.gordonandmacphail.com
Email: retial@gordonandmacphail.com

Whiskies from 'Gordon & MacPhail'

• Connoisseur's Choice Ardbeg 1974

Less boisterous than The Young One. The calm of maturity permits all the nuances to be experienced.

• Connoisseur's Choice Ardbeg 1990

The palate seemed almost disappointingly cosy, but the wildness of Islay was recalled in the finish.

• Connoisseur's Choice Arran 1989

• Connoisseur's Choice BenRiach 1981

The bourbon cask inflluence is obvious. A refreshing dram but simplistic. Water ruins it.

• Connoisseur's Choice Bladnoch 1986, Gordon & MacPhail

The light touch of sherry helps bring out the soft, fruity, flavours.

• Connoisseur's Choice Caol Ila 1988

Caol Ila can be a little gin-like. This bottling could be served like a Pimms. Mind you, no gin has such a long finish.

• Connoisseur's Choice Clynelish 1991

Well-balanced and complex as a Clynelish should be. a good, solid after-dinner dram.

• Connoisseur's Choice Dailuaine 1975

Characterful. Individualistic.

• Connoisseur's Choice Glenesk 1984

• Connoisseur's Choice Glenlossie 1975

Again, rather dried out. Lacks roundness and structure.

• Connoisseur's Choice Lochside 1991

Never a classic, but the closure of a distillery is a loss. Lochside was a pleasant whisky, and now it is a collector's item.

• Connoisseur's Choice Mosstowie 1979

A nostalgic reminder of the Lomond still, though I had forgotten it could produce such sweet whisky.

• Connoisseur's Choice Port Ellen 1982

• Connoisseur's Choice Rosebank 1988, Gordon and MacPhail

A deft balance between the whisky's own character and the sherry.

• Connoisseur's Choice Rosebank 1990

• Connoisseur's Choice Scapa 1993

• Connoisseur's Choice Secret Stills 1986

• Connoisseur's Choice Strathisla, 25 Years Old

• Connoisseur's Choice Teaninich 1991

• Connoisseur's Choice Tullibardine 1994

• Gordon & MacPhail Aberfeldy 1978

Delicate but not bland. Real subtlety. Very mature, but not a hint of wood. A Highlander, but blindfold I would have placed it as a Speysider.

• Gordon & MacPhail Ardmore 1985

I have always thought of Ardmore as having a rather bluff character, but on this occasion I found it both welcoming and comforting.

• Gordon & MacPhail Ardmore 1987

Very elegant and fragrant. As an apéritif with melon, basil and Parma ham.

• Gordon & MacPhail Ardmore 1990

A pleasant dram, especially with a slash of water but lacks nerve and buoyancy.

• Gordon & MacPhail Ardmore 1990 Cask Strength

Starts slowly, and seems uncertain as to where it is going.

• Gordon & MacPhail Ardmore 1990 Cask Strength

• Gordon & MacPhail Ardmore 1990, Cask Strength

A hidden complexity on the palate. A malt to give you a tender kick on “one of those days, you know…�

• Gordon & MacPhail Ardmore 1991

• Gordon & MacPhail Avonside 8 Years Old

• Gordon & MacPhail Balblair 1966

The nose is rich and harmonious. The palate not so lavish, somewhat dulled by wood dominating. It would have shown better at a higher strength.

• Gordon & MacPhail Balblair 1966

• Gordon & MacPhail Benromach 18 Years Old

The best Benromach I have tasted. I wonder what she should expect in a few years from the new stillhouse.

• Gordon & MacPhail Benromach 1973

After a weekend walk in the country? Mid to late afternoon. Who needs tea? Just a slice of fruit pie and a generous dram of Benromach.

• Gordon & MacPhail Benromach 1974

I have always found Benromach assertively flowery, herbal, almost cedary. Will this highly distinctive character prevail in the new, smaller, stills introduced since the change of ownership? Tastings on a recent visit suggest that it might.

• Gordon & MacPhail Benromach 1980

A wake up dram. Not a great deal of complexity but an enjoyable fruitiness to make you think of springtime.

• Gordon & MacPhail Benromach 22 Years Old, Port Wood Finish

Should the pink tangerine blush of this whisky hint at Bacchus? He may have glanced at the cask, but I can’t find him in the glass.

• Gordon & MacPhail Benromach Peat Smoke

Once the middle fills out will be a lovely addition to the range.

• Gordon & MacPhail Benromach Sassicaia Wood Finish

A success.

• Gordon & MacPhail Bladnoch 1991

The nose is unusual, closer to a sour Chinese broth than a whisky! But the palate restores an expected floral Lowland freshness.

• Gordon & MacPhail Bowmore 25 Years Old

Old age has completely integrated peat and smoke. Oak overpowers the marine character. A splash of water does not help.

• Gordon & MacPhail Bunnahabhain 1989

A breakfast whisky for the truly decadent.

• Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila 1969

Surprisingly, the distillery character resists in this oldie. And peat “revisits� the aromatic palette. Integration again but no fusion.

• Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila 1981

A beautifully balanced, rounded, example of this distinctive malt.

• Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila 1990

Very decent example of Caol Ila, nothing jars here.

• Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila 1991

What you nose is what you get. A beautiful uncompromising version of Caol Ila. More enjoyable when neat.

• Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila 1994 Cask Strength

• Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila Cask Strength 1995

• Gordon & MacPhail Clynelish 1995 Cask Strength

• Gordon & MacPhail Glen Calder

On the sweet side, although the finish brings out a more assertive note. A good winter warmer.

• Gordon & MacPhail Glen Grant 1948

1948? Amazing. Has retained a refined almost raffish air and though frail is not overwooded.

• Gordon & MacPhail Glen Grant 1968

A ghost-like dram almost too elusive to grasp.

• Gordon & MacPhail Glen Mhor 1979

A hearty fellow, warming and expressive. A hip flask dram for a wet day.

• Gordon & MacPhail Glen Scotia 1992 Cask Strength

Far from the best Glen Scotia, but I have always entertained a sneaky respect for this distillery.

• Gordon & MacPhail Glenburgie 10 Years Old

• Gordon & MacPhail Glenlivet 1973

A dash of water is perfect. Skip the pudding and enjoy your dram with a shortbread.

• Gordon & MacPhail Glenlivet 1973 Cask Strength

Some of the older Smith’s Glenlivets are too woody for me, but this one is a delight.

• Gordon & MacPhail Glentauchers 1990

Sherry influence calls the tune. Water calms the flavours down.

• Gordon & MacPhail Glenugie 1968, 43 Years Old

Oak is not as prevailing on the nose as on the palate. An exotic profile. Reminds me of Irish whiskey. Interesting richness. Avoid water.

• Gordon & MacPhail Inverleven 1985

Not much complexity, but an unusually summery whisky.

• Gordon & MacPhail Inverleven 1986

Light, straightforward. Delicacy without mannerism. Keep it for a romantic candlelit dinner.

• Gordon & MacPhail Inverleven 1990, 40 Years Old

The nose is appealing but the palate far tougher. Water eases the release of grassy notes. But the aromatic profile keeps shallow.

• Gordon & MacPhail Linkwood 15 Years Old

That malt could easily be thrown in a calvados blind tasting, with aged oaky individuals.

• Gordon & MacPhail Linkwood 1969

Linkwood is a lovely whisky, especially in its older incarnations.

• Gordon & MacPhail Linkwood 1972

A luxurious after-dinner malt.

• Gordon & MacPhail Linkwood, 15 Years Old

• Gordon & MacPhail Longmorn-Glenlivet 12 Years Old

The most honeyed Longmorn I have tasted. A breakfast malt.

• Gordon & MacPhail Miltonduff 1968

Remarkably scenty. Very clean indeed. Delicate for my tastes but if you like an elegant malt.....

• Gordon & MacPhail Miltonduff 1993

Lusty, voluptuous. Finishes with a bang.

• Gordon & MacPhail Mortlach 1938, 60 Years Old

A great age, but it has matured beautifully.

• Gordon & MacPhail Mortlach 1951

After dinner. Or with a re-run of Inspector Morse.

• Gordon & MacPhail Mortlach 1980

A lovely digestif whisky.

• Gordon & MacPhail Old Pulteney 1990

The hug of sherry is soporific; the saltiness a stinging reviver. A morning run in Wick; a gale in John O’Groats.

• Gordon & MacPhail Old Pulteney 1990 Cask Strength

So sherry… Dark Oloroso wipes out all maltiness. Unbalanced but sherry fanatics will love it.

• Gordon & MacPhail Old Pulteney 8 Years Old

Tastes like Manzanilla to me. I don't speak for anyone else.

• Gordon & MacPhail Port Ellen 1982

A restrained example of this fine malt, but the silent still is almost out of stock. There will be few further opportunities to buy.

• Gordon & MacPhail Pride of Islay 12 Years Old

More Islay character on the nose than on the palate. A good appetite-teaser.

• Gordon & MacPhail Pride of Orkney 12 Years Old

Very fragrant on the nose but more restrained in the mouth. Needs time to perk up.

• Gordon & MacPhail Pride of Orkney 12 Years Old

• Gordon & MacPhail Pride of Strathspey 12 Years Old

Good introduction to Speyside’s generosity. Especially if served with a crème brûlée.

• Gordon & MacPhail Pride of the Lowlands 12 Years Old

Disappointingly on the wood side. For those who like it oaky!

• Gordon & MacPhail Rare Vintage Smith's, Glenlivet 1974

Somewhat lifeless and one-dimensional. Not the best old Glenlivet I've tasted.

• Gordon & MacPhail Rosebank 1990 Cask Strength

• Gordon & MacPhail Scapa 1987

A complex, delicate, well-balanced vintage.

• Gordon & MacPhail Scapa 1988

I am not sure about that sulphur. Is it from the cask, or is it seaweedy? I usually like seaweed, but am not convinced by this bottling.

• Gordon & MacPhail Scapa 1993

• Gordon & MacPhail St Magdalene 1975

Typically lowland, with a nice progression of sensation: sweet, malty then zingy.

• Gordon & MacPhail Strathisla 1960

Strathisla has its own distinct, rather dry style-and this is a good example.

• Gordon & MacPhail Tamdhu 1981 Reserve

No, I don't think I was being suggestible. An unusually complex Tamdhu.

• Gordon & MacPhail Teaninich 1983

Well worth sampling, but don't expect anything fancy. This is a workaday malt.

• Gordon & MacPhail The Glenrothes 1965

Classic Speyside. Confident. Aristocratic.

• Gordon & MacPhail The Macallan 1993 Speymalt

Another unusual Macallan. Well-balanced. No sherry overload. Second-or third-fill maybe. Or a fino cask?

• Gordon & MacPhail Traditional

This one really does have subtlety. A lovely, delicate aperitif.

• Gordon's Dram The Arran Malt

A gentle and sweet farewell to one of the gentlest and sweetest men in the industry. Farewell Gordon, we’ll miss you.

• MacPhail's Collection Bunnahabhain 1990

• MacPhail's Collection Bunnahabhain 1991

• MacPhail's Collection Highland Park 30 Years Old

More robust and less sophisticated than the distillery bottlings.

• MacPhail's Collection Highland Park 8 Years Old

Only 8 Years Old, but a seasoned sea-salt. A return to form for the independent youngster.

• MacPhail's Collection Highland Park 8 Years Old

• MacPhail's Collection Old Pulteney, 15 Years Old

• MacPhail's Collection Tamdhu 30 Years Old

Tamdhu is a pleasant, polite, whisky. Does it really have the stamina for such a marathon maturation?

• MacPhail's Collection The Glenrothes 30 Years Old

• Private Collection Balblair 1973

Elegant and uncomplicated. Refreshing and appetising. Hides its 50% ABV very well.

• Private Collection Caol Ila 1969

After a few of these, the rebel leader (played by Anthony Quinn) toasts freedom, and we start firing our carbines in the air.

• Private Collection Caol Ila 1969

• Private Collection Caol Ila 1988 Cognac Finish

All the action is in that finish. A clear points victory for the whisky, with brandy going the distance.

• Private Collection Caol Ila 1988 Sherry Wood Finish

Less complex, with the distillery character coming through much more strongly.

• Private Collection Caol Ila 1990 Demarara Rum Finish

A bit puzzling at start. Seems somewhat austere and restrained. Then releases sweet notes. Is it an effect of the rum finish?

• Private Collection Caol Ila 1990 Port Wood Finish

No contest, the Inner Hebrides quickly overwhelms the Duoro.

• Private Collection Caol Ila 1990 Vintage Rum Finish

Hang on! Is that a single malt with a rum finish or a good rum matured in a bourbon cask? An exemplary phagocytosis or a magical trick. But we wanted whisky!

• Private Collection Caol Ila 1998 Calvados

The Calvados character is almost overwhelming but Caol Ila comes surging through in the finish.

• Private Collection Caol Ila 1998 Claret Finish

The least characterful of the three Caol Ila wood finishes

• Private Collection Clynelish 1969

A hint of sulphur in the nose had me dismissing this whisky. It seemed young, immature, callow – but we finishing up flirting.

• Private Collection Glenlivet 1943

The Glenlivet is another whisky that I have encountered at great ages, often past their best. This shows its age only in its raffish, extrovert, confidence.

• Private Collection Imperial 1990 Calvados Finish

As with the Caol Ila wood finishes reviewed in the last issue, the calvados is a powerful influence but the whisky does fight back-makes for an interesting combination.

• Private Collection Imperial 1990 Claret Finish

The wine seems to have made common cause with the juicy sweetness, and the two have overwhelmed the cereal-grain and peat smoke that usually make this a more robust malt. This version would be a good dessert though.

• Private Collection Imperial 1990 Cognac Finish

Cognac finishes seem to have achieved results that are, at best, mixed. In this instance, the contribution is less than obvious.

• Private Collection Imperial 1990 Sherry Finish

The flavours hang together better in this version, and I favour it over the port finish (not featured here), but by too narrow a margin to score.

• Private Collection Imperial 1991 Port Wood Finish

More Imperial than Port. With or without Port, I would like to see more Imperial.

• Rare Old Glenlochy 1965

A breakfast whisky?

• Rare Old Glenury Royal 1972

• Rare Old Highland Park 1970

Disappointing. Where is the richness, and especially the island character?

• Rare Old Inchmurrin 1973

Maturity improves it. Still needs rounding out, but less gauche than the distillery bottling.

• Rare Old Ledaig 1976

• Rare Old St Magdalene 1975

• Rare Old St Magdalene 1975

• Rare Old St Magdalene 1982

Livelier, fresher, less "difficult" flavours than in most bottlings.

Articles about 'Gordon & MacPhail'

• The Italian job

  Gavin D Smith heads to Speyside to discover what's going on at Glen Grant.
  Found in issue 71 (whisky matters)

• War on whisky fakers

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  Found in issue 70 (News Analysis)

• Small but perfectly formed

  Joe Bates looks at the delightful London City airport..
  Found in issue 69 (Travel retail)

• The red carpet treatment

  Whisky tourism continues apace and discerning enthusiasts continue to demand something special from their visit.Dominic Roskrow reports.
  Found in issue 67 (Whisky Tours)

• A grievous loss (Rosebank)

  In the latest of our series Gavin D Smith looks at the history behind Rosebank.
  Found in issue 65 (Lost distilleries)

• Highland survivor (Millburn)

  In the latest of our series Gavin D Smith investigates another gem.
  Found in issue 64 (Lost distilleries)

• Casting off with Benromach

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  Found in issue 62 (Whisky News)

• Raising the bar (Gordon & McPhail)

  Gordon & McPhail is something of a ‘one stop shop’f or whisky enthusiasts. As it celebrates 10 years as a distillery owner our man looks at why it continues to surprise and delight.
  Found in issue 62 (Whisky Spotlight)

• Inverness and beyond

  We look at the region of Speyside round about Inverness.
  Found in issue 61 (Visitor guides)

• New Classics

  The autumn is always an exciting time for whisky collectors and connoisseurs. There are generally a number of exciting limited edition releases,targeted at the gift market,and this year is no exception..
  Found in issue 60 (Limited editions)

• Ask the expert

  John Rose answers another selection of our readers’ letters.
  Found in issue 60 (Whisky Questions)

• A captivating cocktail

  Ian Wisniewski looks at the Atholl Brose.
  Found in issue 56 (Whisky cocktails)

• Russians seek out a taste of luxury

  A new elite in Russia is demanding the world’s very best products, quality single malt among them. Marcin Miller reports.
  Found in issue 53 (Whisky Destinations)

• Mixing the grain with the grape

  Ian Wisniewski looks at wine finishes.
  Found in issue 51 (Whisky Production)

• The state of independents

  How good are the independent bottling companies? We decided to find out in our biggest ever tasting – more than 175 entrants in 24 categories,judged by nine judges over seven weeks. Dominic Roskrow reports.
  Found in issue 50 (Independent bottlers challenge)