Monday marks the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, and what better way to toast such a milestone than with a fine whisky of similar vintage.
A rare 60-year-old single malt Scotch is being unveiled in honour of the occasion, but one imagines it won’t be for everyone.
Retailing for about CDN$13,000, just 85 bottles of Glen Grant 60 Years Old are being released, giving collectors and investors something special to add to their collection.
“Glen Grant 60 Years Old is a rare single malt whisky and we are delighted to be releasing it to mark the celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee,” said Gordon and MacPhail managing director Michael Urquhart.
“With whisky of this quality and rarity – each bottle comes with a certificate of authenticity – we expect considerable interest, not just in the UK, but from the international marketplace where recent export figures have shown we have an avid consumer following.
“In producing the packaging for this remarkable Single Malt we worked with Scottish craftsmen, allowing us to showcase some of the finest talent in the country.”
I have had the prized opportunity to sample a rare bottling from Gordon & MacPhail, their Generations 70-year-old, and it’s hard to imagine anyone else up to the challenge of creating a whisky for such a special occasion.
The whisky was distilled on Feb. 6, 1952 and bottled just last Thursday at cask strength.
Now, for those who want to imagine what it would be like to taste, and I assume that’s most of us, it is described as having aromas of Cox’s Pippins and Granny Smith apples mingling with cinnamon and ginger.
On the palate, it shows characteristics of burnt fruit, and spice such as white pepper.
But it’s not just a feast for the tastebuds, as one would expect with a bottling from Gordon & MacPhail.
The Single Malt is presented in a pyramid shaped crystal decanter adorned with a diamond shaped stopper. Each decanter is expertly engraved – the script in-filled with silver – and uniquely numbered.
The decanter carries an engraved crown with a sparking Swarovski crystal, set at the meeting point of the crowns two arches. A silver collar, placed around the neck of the decanter completes the presentation.
The decanter is packaged in a hand-crafted box made of Scottish Elm, felled a short distance from Holyrood House, the Queen’s official Scottish residence. The decanter nestles in the box lined with luxurious, purple Harris Tweed and a dust jacket made from the same material protects the box and the precious contents.
We wish Her Majesty all the best and congratulate her on such a long reign.
Slainte.
Tags: Diamond Jubilee, gordon, macphail, Queen Elizabeth, scotch, single malt, whisky