You are successfully subscribed.
You are successfully subscribed.

Mortlach 1938-1999 - 60 Year Old - Gordon & MacPhail - Crystal Decanter

LOT ID: 160


End Date : Dec 05 2012 08:00 PM


LOT DESCRIPTION

Mortlach 1938 - 1999. 60 Year Old. Bottled by Gordon & MacPhail. In bespoke lockable brass and wooden presentation box accompanied by glass stopper, matching miniature and certificate. 75cl. 40%. We’re very excited to present this extremely rare bottling of Mortlach 60 year old. Distilled on 20th October 1938, the spirit was matured in Cask 2657 – which had previously held a high-quality sherry – by Gordon & MacPhail before being bottled in 1999 at the grand old age of 60 years old. Gordon & MacPhail have a spectacular track record with Mortlach 1938 (not to mention 1936 and 1939!).  Bottlings from the 1938 vintage have been released from the Elgin-based bottler since the early 1980s, originally under the old white label and Connoisseurs Choice brands. In 1988, the first special presentation G&M Mortlach 1938 appeared as a 50yo bottled under the iconic ‘Book of Kells’ label. Everyone knows about the incredible Mortlach 1938 70 year old Gordon & MacPhail ‘Generations’ series that was the world’s oldest whisky at the time of release in 2008, but a lot of people aren’t quite so familiar with this particular Mortlach 1938 – a sister cask to the Generations – that was released at the turn of the century. There are a few possible reasons for this. Firstly, the whisky appeared in 1999, when every distillery and bottler in Scotland was churning out Millennium special editions, and every week saw unprecedented numbers of new releases on the market. Secondly, there were just 100 of these beautiful bottles released, and speaking of the bottle, many of you will have seen the elegant crystal decanter and noticed that it’s the same as the Dalmore 50 year old we auctioned last month! The beautiful copper presentation case, meanwhile was designed and made by Forsyth’s of Rothes, the distillery coppersmiths, in the style of a windowed wash still front using only burnished copper, wood and brass, as a tribute to the craftsmanship of the coppersmiths and the coopers. The brass lock, meanwhile, ‘recalls bygone times when glass-encased spirit safes were sealed and checked daily by excisemen’. The handmade nature of the case is reflected in the visible dimple marks from the coppersmith’s hammers. The case has a special drawer containing a crystal stopper and a separate miniature bottle of the same spirit with the more familiar Book of Kells-inspired label that many people will associate with previous bottlings of Mortlach 1938 and other Gordon & MacPhail prestige bottlings from the likes of Clynelish, Strathisla and Glen Grant. The miniature itself is highly prized, and has gone for as much as £260 at previous auctions.

CONDITION

Good.

DISCLAIMER

Although a condition report is normally included in the Lot description, this is not comprehensive and is based on a brief overview. Most items will be described as good or fair, this does not mean it will not exhibit wear or tear. We do recommend viewing/close inspection prior to placing any bids. If this is not an option and you have questions beyond the offered description and images, please use the form below "Ask A Question" to make specific enquiries or to receive a more in-depth condition report. Otherwise, Lots will be sold as seen.
Please note: due to the various ages of bottles, corks and their seals, condition of liquid is at the buyer's discretion. And no claim can be lodged against failure/leakage in any circumstance. All bottles are checked for authenticity by our whisky specialists Wayne & Harrison Ormerod prior to any auction. We do not auction opened bottles so therefore all items are sealed unless stated under certain circumstances where seals were never issued by the producer.
No item is deemed new and may exhibit wear or tear, however many items are generally in good condition. If an item has notable faults, we will make every effort to mention these in the description. The images supplied are of the actual item you will receive. If the filling level of the liquid is not visible in the images provided, we aim to indicate the current position in the description. If the filling level is impossible to determine, such as with ceramics decanters, we will provide an overall weight of the decanter in KG. Our filling level guideline can be on this page.
All information in this listing is provided to the best of our knowledge including when we chose to provide a condition report or date the age of a bottle. If you are unhappy with the listing or believe there is an error/discrepancy, you should not place a bid and notify us immediately and we will address the Lot accordingly. Placing a bid confirms you have checked the Lot and are satisfied.

ASK A QUESTION