The famed Scotch independent bottling house Gordon & MacPhail (G&M) is ready to take the crown once again as it prepares to unveil what will soon be the world's oldest single malt Scotch whisky - the Generations 85 Year Old from Glenlivet Distillery. The whisky was distilled in 1940, and then matured for a continuous 85 years in a single American oak cask, Cask #336.

The whisky was drawn from its cask on 5 February 2025, with only 125 decanters (at 43.7% ABV) to be made available worldwide, set to be released in October 2025. 2-3 bottles of the Generations 85 Year Old Glenlivet will make its way to Singapore where it will be available exclusive via private sale through La Maison du Whisky (LMDW), who is the long standing Asia Pacific partner of G&M.

The legendary Mr George Urquhart of Gordon & MacPhail.

The whisky itself comes with an incredible story, having been laid down in a custom cask at the G&M's Elgin warehouse by George Urquhart himself and his father John Urquhart, the first and second generation of the Urquhart family to helm the house, on 3 February 1940. The cask was never made to be immediately released, having been kept as heirloom for each generation to take care of it and pass it down to the next.

To celebrate the release, G&M has also partnered with renowned American architect Jeanne Gang to create a bespoke decanter themed Artistry in Oak - the final design will be unveiled in October 2025. Decanter #1 of the Generations 85 Years Old Glenlivet will also be auctioned by Christie's in New York in November 2025, with proceeds going towards the United States' oldest national conservation organisation American Forests, marking a full circle moment of this high profile release.

Collectors and trade clients may register interest through their dedicated LMDW representative, or via customersupport@whisky.sg 

To find out more about this incredible launch, we've spoken to Stephen Rankin, the fourth generation to lead the G&M house, as well as La Maison du Whisky APAC's Managing Director, Diego Araud.

Stephen Rankin, Director of Prestige, Gordon & MacPhail

[88 Bamboo] Congratulations Stephen on this incredible landmark achievement! We’d last spoke to you October 2024, and got to learn so much about your life in one of Scotch whisky’s most illustrious houses, as well as the very art of creating remarkably long lived whiskies, as well as keeping alive the very spirit of distilleries of a bygone era. 

And now we have this momentous occasion where you’re not debuting the oldest whisky till date - an 85 Year Old Glenlivet, that was filled in cask in 1940, by your grandfather George Urquhart and his father (your great-grandfather) John Urquhart. This further extends the G&M’s Generations series which last saw an 80 Year Old Glenlivet that was released in 2020 (with also previously a 75 Year Old Mortlach in 2015, a second 70 Year Old Glenlivet in 2012, the first 70 year Old Glenlivet in 2011 and a 70 Year Old Mortlach in 2010) - numerous of these releases have taken the title of world’s oldest bottled Single Malt Scotch Whisky, and amazingly with subsequent releases overtaking that mantle from past releases of the same series. 

Today we’re honoured to find out more about the 85 Year Old Glenlivet - now once again the world’s oldest bottled Single Malt Scotch Whisky! 

[88 Bamboo] Given that this Glenlivet has been laying asleep in its American oak cask for the past 85 years, what tipped you off that this was the right time to finally take it out of its slumber and bottle it? As you’ve emphasised, the goal with G&M has always been to pursue the highest quality and with intent. And so conversely, as the cask (together with the reins to the G&M house) was passed down from generation to generation over many decades, we’re curious if there was a particular instruction that was set for this specific cask, and if so what were they? 

[Stephen Rankin]: Throughout the life of this, and all our casks, they are regularly monitored. Comparisons are made with past samples from similar casks to assess the rate of maturation, evolution and quality, as well as looking forward to assessing how the future of the cask may turn out. The skills in assessing maturing whisky have been passed down through four generations of the company (family and colleagues) as we continue to evolve and build our understanding of maturing whisky.

We give every cask we lay down a notional “destiny”. During the maturation of the whisky that may have to be reassessed as we are dealing with Mother Nature in the form of natural oak casks. However, we mitigate this as best as possible by using the finest casks from trusted partners whom we have worked with for multiple generations.

For this cask, a transport Sherry Butt, its destiny was for longer term ageing. John Urquahart, my great grandfather, had 45 years of experience when this cask was filled, and his son, George, already had seven years, even though he was only 21 in 1940. Knowing each cask’s backstory is so important. When George had trained up his sons, he would have been highlighting this and other casks that had been laid down before they were born. John knew he would not see the cask bottled in his lifetime. George would have monitored the maturation and come to the same conclusion. They would all be exceptionally proud of this whisky. 

[88 Bamboo] You’ve also mentioned that this 85 Year Old Glenlivet comes with remarkable history and a unique maturation process, could you tell us more about what went into this particular cask? What was it about this whisky (or the cask) that made generations of your family confident that the whisky could age with such longevity? Was there any particularly unique or deliberate efforts made to ensure it could withstand such long ageing? 

[Stephen Rankin]: The history of this cask starts at least 100 years before 1940 and the filling of spirit from the Glenlivet Distillery with the oak tree the cask was made from. It takes over 80 years for an oak tree to reach maturity.

Wood from mature American Oak (Quercus Alba) were exported to Spain where trusted coopers transformed it with great skill into a thick staved transport cask. The tightness of the grain in the American oak species makes it ideal for long-term ageing. The size of the cask, a butt, is the largest size made. Being big means you have a slower rate of maturation due to the ratio of spirit to oak. The cask was then passed to Williams & Humbert Sherry producers in Jerez, Spain. The cask was then filled with wonderful rich Oloroso Sherry and when deemed approaching bottling quality, it was sent to their friends and business customers in Elgin, Gordon & MacPhail.

The robustness of the cask made it ideal to withstand the long journey on ships, trains, and trucks as it travelled to North-East Scotland. In Elgin, the sherry would have been decanted and bottled, then sold in our historic shop and through our wholesale channels. The wonderful cask was then passed to family friends and business acquaintances, Captain Bill Smith Grant at the Glenlivet Distillery. Here, it was filled with new-make spirit and then rolled into one of the on-site warehouses for storage and monitoring. These casks were transferred around the mid-late 60s to our warehouse in Elgin. In the Elgin warehouses, we have always seemed to achieve the most remarkable results when it comes to volume, strength, and flavour. This balance is often put down to the magical properties of the warehouse. 

Cask #336.

[88 Bamboo] Could you also tell us something about this particular Cask 336 that would surprise us? Or perhaps something interesting your family has talked about to do with this Cask 336? We also note that as part of this landmark release, G&M is also collaborating with American architect Jeanne Gang to design the decanter that will house the Generations 85 Glenlivet.

[Stephen Rankin]: As a family, Stuart and I have often talked about this cask in relation to others we have bottled, like the 80 year old, 75 year old, the remarkable Private Collection 1943 Glenlivet from 2018 or the amazing 1949 Glenlivet and Glen Grant. Asking, “how is this one comparing to these others?”, “Why are we seeing such nuanced differences?” Tasting the samples together, it’s like catching up with friends to find out how they are doing and how their parents and children are! 

The concept for this whisky and the last 80 year old – also the older single malt Scotch whisky when it was released, is “Artistry in Oak”. We often refer to maturation as more art than science, as a clear new-make spirit magically transforms over the decades, developing complex depth and flavours that are unique to each cask. Artistry in Oak was the brief to our creative partner for the product design of this release. Jeanne Gang, an architect of world renown and founding principal of Studio Gang based in Chicago. Jeanne’s designs are directly influenced by a deep reverence for nature and she shares our values around the importance of leaving positive legacies for future generations. This made her the perfect partner and she has created a truly stunning design befitting of the whisky which will be revealed to the world on 2nd October. In November, decanter #1 will be auctioned off by Christie’s with proceeds minus costs being donated to American Forests, a non-profit company dedicated to reforestation in the United States. This completes the circle of oak being used to make casks to create whisky, and then replenished for future generations to enjoy.

The Generations 85 Years Old Glenlivet will also see the collaboration with American architect Jeanne Gang and an auction at Christie's with proceeds directed towards American Forests.

[88 Bamboo] In 1940 - when this cask of Glenlivet was first laid down by your grandfather and great-grandfather, the world was still very much gripped by World War II, whilst on a brighter note, this was also the year that the Disney classic Pinocchio was first released, and so was the world about to get a taste of MacDonald’s - to you, Stephen, as the fourth-generation of the Urquhart family, what does this release mean to you? 

[Stephen Rankin]: This whisky is incredibly special. The spirit was made with barley grown in the last peace time harvest and last harvest of the 1930s (in 1939). It talks of enduring relationships between businesses and friends, between father and sons, grandfather, and grandsons, and it celebrates human spirit. In particular, with everything that has happened since this whisky has been laid down – the good and the challenging times, three attributes have shone through for me. The first is patience. We never succumbed to pressure to just bottle or sell this cask (and the others that have been greatly aged). The second is trust. The team trusted their skills and those of the coopers to have the confidence to say, “not yet”. The third can be described as love or dedication. A love of whisky and of their jobs and a dedication to the whisky, relationships, and to only releasing the whisky when it is of an exceptional quality and a wonderful example of the spirit from the distillery. 

[88 Bamboo] And finally just to tackle the elephant in the room that’s on everyone’s mind - does G&M have plans to one day release a 100 Year Old bottled Single Malt Scotch? 

[Stephen Rankin]: It’s perhaps the ultimate challenge for whisky maturation. Is it possible to retain the quality of whisky for an entire century? Whether one of our whiskies will reach that age and be of the necessary quality to release, well, we shall have to be patient and wait and see. 

[88 Bamboo]: Thank you so much Stephen! It's great hearing from you, and massive congratulations on this landmark achievement!

Diego Araud, Managing Director for La Maison du Whisky APAC

Congratulations on bringing this landmark release to Singapore! This is once again testament to LMDW's incredible presence in the region as the foremost spirits distributor and bottler.

[88 Bamboo] Having partnered closely with G&M for many years now and helping the house plant its flag in Asia Pacific, what does having a house like G&M in LMDW’s portfolio signify about the positioning of LMDW’s offerings and presence to the regional market in Asia Pacific? 

[Diego Araud]: Gordon & MacPhail is one of the world’s oldest and most respected independent bottlers. Their mastery lies in selecting casks and nurturing spirit through time, wood, and patience. At LMDW, our expertise is in curation, education, and brand building. Together, the partnership is very natural: G&M creates benchmark liquids, and we create the environment for people to truly appreciate them.

For us, it comes back to passion. We are whisky lovers first, and our role is to put the best whiskies in front of people in this region. G&M represents some of the very best in whisky, and their presence in our portfolio reflects exactly what LMDW stands for – curating the most authentic and exceptional spirits for Asia Pacific. And while whisky is at the heart of this, the same ethos applies to the way we represent fine spirits more broadly. 

La Maison du Whisky Singapore's retail and bar.

[88 Bamboo] Through the G&M house, how does - and in what direction - LMDW look to push forward fine spirits appreciation in Asia Pacific? What does LMDW want to shape the Asia Pacific fine spirits consumer to be? 

[Diego Araud]: For nearly two decades, LMDW has been shaping an audience in APAC that looks beyond bottles and labels – they value depth, authenticity, and craftsmanship. That’s why G&M is such a vital partner. Their stocks represent one of the most remarkable libraries of whisky in existence, not just in age, but in sheer breadth of styles, distilleries, and cask maturations.

At LMDW, we see ourselves as librarians of flavour. Our role is to curate, showcase, and give people access to the widest possible range of the best whiskies and spirits. Because of G&M’s history and stocks, their collection is simply unparalleled in its variety and quality, spanning distilleries, vintages, and maturation styles, from bourbon to sherry to wine casks.

That range opens up countless stories to be told, and storytelling is at the heart of what we do. It’s not just about placing a rare whisky on a pedestal, it’s about creating experiences where people can taste, learn, and connect. Passion is what we aim to transmit, and it’s through those stories that curiosity becomes appreciation, and appreciation matures into connoisseurship. 

[88 Bamboo] With incredibly historic releases such as the Generations 85 Glenlivet, how does LMDW see the Asia Pacific market shaping up for such styles of fine spirits? 

[Diego Araud]: Asia has always had a high capacity and understanding of heritage and provenance. With G&M’s rare, long-aged stocks and LMDW’s ability to position and narrate them for this market, we can offer releases that carry both rarity and credibility. These are not just bottles, they’re distilled history, and APAC remains one of the most engaged audiences for spirits with that level of significance. 

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team