Gordon & MacPhail has unveiled its 2023 Recollection Series releases – crowned by a bottling of Port Ellen which will be the oldest ever sold by the company.
This year's release comprises 18 single casks from 15 closed or long-silent Scottish distilleries, including Banff Distillery in Aberdeenshire and Glen Mor near Inverness, which both stopped production in 1983. Alongside them is a cask from the legendary Port Ellen, which was distilled in 1981.
Stephen Rankin, director of prestige at Gordon & MacPhail, said: “The whiskies released in our Recollection Series are some of the rarest single malts we have in our liquid library – including our oldest ever Port Ellen. This creates a unique opportunity for whisky enthusiasts to experience liquid from distilleries that haven't operated for decades and are rarely seen in the market today; a true window into Scotland's complex and colourful whisky history.”
To celebrate the launch of this year's collection, Gordon & MacPhail has partnered with French illustrator Tom Haugomat to recreate the characters of Port Ellen, Banff and Glen Mor distilleries through digital artworks and animations.
“The brief from Gordon & MacPhail was to echo the theme of last year’s inaugural series portraying the whiskies as ‘forgotten masterpieces’ or ‘lost works of art’. The animations of my artwork aim to bring the distilleries back to life, highlighting that, through these releases, the memories stay alive,” Haugomat said, adding that working with Gordon & MacPhail had been a “truly inspiring” experience.
The Gordon & MacPhail 1981 from Port Ellen Distillery (RSP £10,000), the Gordon & MacPhail 1973 from Glen Mhor Distillery (RSP £6,000) and the Gordon & MacPhail 1976 from Banff Distillery (RSP £4,300) are all available worldwide, with other releases in the series available in select international markets.
