Meet Mr. George: Gordon & MacPhail Honors ‘The Father of Single Malt Whisky’ With a 65 Year Old Scotch

Gordon and MacPhail unveiled Mr. George, a 65-year-old single malt. (Photo: Gordon & MacPhail)

Gordon & MacPhail unveiled a 65-year-old scotch whisky in April, marking the fourth expression in its series celebrating George Urquhart, or “Mr. George.” Three hundred and sixty-seven bottles of this whisky are available. It’s priced at £7,000 ($8,842).

The whisky was matured for over six decades in a first-fill sherry butt — cask no. 3818 — which was custom-made to Urquhart’s liking. The whisky was bottled in November 2023 at 56.5% ABV.

Urquhart, who died in 2001, was a prominent figure in the scotch industry, and whisky writer Charlie MacLean referred to him as “the father of single malt whisky.”

“This is an exceptionally fine old whisky, hugely complex, but still remarkably vivacious,” MacLean said in a news release. “Another worthy tribute to Mr George Urquhart, the man who put malt whisky on the map.”

Gordon & MacPhail claims the spirit is robustly bodied, with a sweetly spicy nose. The pour has notes of coffee bean, dark cherry and orange peel before it segues into a balanced smoky finish.

Stuart Urquhart, the grandson of George Urquhart, currently is the Operations Director at Gordon & MacPhail. He expressed his thoughts on this highly personal release in the following statement:

“Back in the 1950s, the spirit would have been slightly smoky due to floor maltings and a small level of peat being used, which is a style rarely seen in today’s modern Speyside whiskies, giving this whisky a charred oakiness, balanced by a long-term maturation in a Sherry cask made of European oak.”

“Mr George” made quite an impact on Gordon & MacPhail and the scotch whisky industry as a whole. He created the brand’s Connoisseurs Choice range in 1968, which was subversive for the time. VinePair reported that up until the 1960s, blended scotch whisky reigned supreme.

Many of the expression under the Speyside brand’s Connoisseurs Choice Line are well thought of, and we were particularly partial to the brand’s Connoisseurs Choice whisky from Scapa Distillery 1991. If you want to know what we thought about it, we’ve reviewed it here.

Gordon & MacPhail’s latest bottling features a single oak tree on the bottle, honoring Mr. George.

“His spirit lives on in this release and his legacy has provided knowledge that continues to provide a guiding light for future generations,” the brand said.

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