Gordon & MacPhail Port Ellen Whisky Spearheads Latest Recollection Series

Whisky creator Gordon & MacPhail has unveiled this year’s Recollection Series, which features a 1981 Port Ellen whisky, the oldest ever to be sold by the company.

A total of 18 single cask whiskies from closed or long-silent Scottish distilleries are available, including exceptionally rare whiskies from Banff Distillery in Aberdeenshire and Glen Mhor Distillery near Inverness, which both fell silent in 1983.

The annual collection, which this year spans 15 distilleries, offers a unique opportunity for whisky enthusiasts and collectors to enjoy forgotten masterpieces that have lying in wait in the Gordon & MacPhail warehouse, maturing in casks commissioned to their exact specifications.

The Gordon & MacPhail 1981 from Port Ellen Distillery (RSP £10,000), the Gordon & MacPhail 1973 from Glen Mhor Distillery (RSP £6,000) and the Gordon & MacPhail 1976 from Banff Distillery (RSP £4,300) are all available worldwide, with other releases in the series available in select international markets.

To celebrate the launch, Gordon & MacPhail has partnered with acclaimed French illustrator, Tom Haugomat, to explore and revive the character of Port Ellen, Banff and Glen Mhor distilleries through a series of digital artworks and animations.

To capture each whisky’s taste and history, Tom’s artwork has been inspired by nature, the outdoors and the backstory of each distillery, using light as a specific tool to pick out details.

Stephen Rankin, Director of Prestige at Gordon & MacPhail, said: “The whiskies released in our Recollection Series are some of the rarest single malts we have in our liquid library – including our oldest ever Port Ellen. This creates a unique opportunity for whisky enthusiasts to experience liquid from distilleries that haven't operated for decades and are rarely seen in the market today; a true window into Scotland's complex and colourful whisky history."

Tom Haugomat said: “The brief from Gordon & MacPhail was to echo the theme of last year’s inaugural series portraying the whiskies as ‘forgotten masterpieces’ or ‘lost works of art’. The animations of my artwork aim to bring the distilleries back to life, highlighting that, through these releases, the memories stay alive.

“Working with Gordon & MacPhail on this commission has been a truly inspiring experience. I thoroughly enjoyed the process of reinterpreting vintage distillery photographs and researching colour palettes that reflect the intricate and diverse flavours of whisky.”

For more information on Gordon & MacPhail or the Recollection series, visit www.gordonandmacphail.com