Private

Collection 1943

from Glenlivet Distillery

Rarity

exemplified

Private Collection 1943 from Glenlivet Distillery is quite simply one of the rarest Scotch whiskies ever bottled.

This whisky was distilled at the Glenlivet Distillery during at the height of the Second World War when only a handful of distilleries in Scotland produced whisky. On the 14th January 1943, Cask 121, a first fill Sherry hogshead selected by John and George Urquhart, was filled with new-make spirit and carefully stowed at the distillery.

With great patience the whisky matured for over seventy years; the first twenty-four years Cask 121 rested at the distillery before being transferred, in 1967, to Gordon & MacPhail’s warehouses in Elgin. Forty-six years later, the cask, selected by Stephen Rankin, John Urquhart's great-grandson, was emptied and the rare elixir finally bottled on the 11^th June 2013.

The meandering River Spey provides a unique closure to the handcrafted wooden box. Hand blown and bespoke, the decanter’s base and stopper are adorned with gold engravings of the land contours surrounding the Glenlivet Distillery.

Every detail of Private Collection 1943 from Glenlivet Distillery alludes to the decades of experience and patience poured into nurturing the whisky to maturation.

Cask Type

First fill Sherry hogshead; Cask 121

DISTILLATION DATE

14th January 1943

AGE

70 years old

MOVED FROM GLENLIVET DISTILLERY TO ELGIN

2nd February 1967

BOTTLING DATE

11th June 2013

NUMBER OF DECANTERS

STRENGTH

49.1% ABV

COLOUR

A rich chestnut brown with russet tints

Take your time. There’s no need to rush.

Tasting note by Stephen Rankin

NOSE

This dram conjures up an image of luxurious comfy leather armchairs: rich, warming, and so approachable. The nose is subtle and encourages a further plunge into a concoction of coffee, milk chocolate, wood spices and burnt orange. Heavy and sweet initially, a beautiful perfume, and then, deep rich notes emerge, changing the tone of the conversation completely.

PALATE

It is a beautiful experience tasting wonderfully old whiskies; the initial taste, the mouthfeel, is incredible. This dram delivers everything I expect and more. Its full-bodied viscous texture coats the mouth. The feeling is luxurious, the depth of flavours, stunning! The chocolate aromas have manifested a bitter edge entwined with the wood spices and charred notes. The sweet notes – perfectly balanced treacle and burnt caramel – mingle with a subtle orange essence that is almost, but not quite, overpowered by rich Sherry notes. A slight drying nuttiness through the mid and back of the palate adds a final layer to this beautiful melody of flavour.

FINISH

Long and lingering, with subtle coffee, burnt caramel, Sherry, and stewed fruit melded in harmony with a soft, drying, nutty bitterness.

WITH WATER

The merest droplet opens this capsule of time to deliver a flash of citrus. It has softened; the water has opened the gate for more wood flavours to come through. The dark caramels, coffee, and Sherry still dance on the palate.