Gordon & MacPhail Shatters Records with World's Oldest Whisky

Saturday, 04 October 2025 at 08:01Gordon and MacPhail

Gordon and MacPhail 85 Year Old Glenlivet whisky

Imagine: a whisky that matures for 85 years, as the world changes and wars come and go. Gordon & MacPhail turned this dream into reality by bottling the oldest single malt Scotch whisky ever: the 85-Year-Old Glenlivet.

FAQ

How old is the oldest whisky in the world?
85 years old. It was distilled in 1940.

Which distillery does the oldest whisky in the world come from?
From The Glenlivet Distillery.

How much does the oldest whisky in the world cost?
125,000 pounds per bottle.

Gordon & MacPhail's new whisky was announced a while ago, but at that time there was nothing more than a photo of a cask and the possibility that this could become the oldest whisky in the world. Now, we finally know what was in that Gordon & MacPhail cask.

What is the Gordon & MacPhail 85-Year-Old Glenlivet whisky?

At The Glenlivet Distillery, cask number 336 was filled in 1940. The cask once contained sherry and housed the new make spirit from the Scottish distillery. When independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail came along, the cask was purchased and stored in one of the bottler's many warehouses.

No one knew at that time that this would become the oldest whisky in the world. The whisky in the cask has survived multiple wars and is now, after 85 years of maturation, being bottled. Thereby, Gordon & MacPhail knocks The Macallan 84 Year Old Time: Space off the throne.

Stephen Rankin, director of prestige at Gordon & MacPhail, says that ageing the whisky was an incredibly large challenge.

‘Each passing year is a year in the unknown. We must realize that we are always dealing with Mother Nature, so the most important traits in this process are patience and trust.’

- Stephen Ranking

Gordon and MacPhail 85 Year Old Glenlivet whisky (1)

A special decanter for the oldest whisky ever

Now that the whisky has been extracted from the cask, it was decided not to just put it into any bottle. The expertise of Jeanne Gang, an American architect who designed a true work of art, was called upon.

The collaboration between Gordon & MacPhail and Jeanne Gang was born out of shared values: respect for time, nature, and craftsmanship. The decanter consists of four bronze limbs that support the hand-blown glass barrel, just as the oakwood cask cradled the spirit for nearly nine decades.

Gang's design highlights the symbiosis between whisky and the cask: the patina of bronze reflects the slowly developing color and complexity of the whisky itself.

How does the oldest whisky in the world taste?

Only 125 decanters were filled, but how does the whisky in that decanter taste? Gordon & MacPhail provides an answer through a flavor profile.

The single malt whisky is described as a deep complex whisky with notes of soft leather, apricot compote, cinnamon, vanilla, sultanas, and a subtle smoke hint. The taste is lively and smooth with black pepper, dried tobacco, Seville orange peel, and Morello cherry, rounded off with a long, spicy finish.

Where is the Gordon & MacPhail 85 Year Old Glenlivet available?

The first decanter of the whisky will be auctioned by Christie's from November 7 to 21, 2025. The proceeds (minus costs) will go to American Forests in support of sustainable forestry.

The remaining bottles will be sold with a price tag of 125,000 pounds. Where they will be sold has not been announced.