Historic blender Gordon & MacPhail has has released some of its rarest-ever whiskies in a one-off collection with a recommended selling price of £100,000.
Described as "the ultimate Christmas present for one very lucky whisky enthusiast", the set includes 17 20cl bottles from the Elgin-based company's private collection. Presented in a bespoke Scottish oak cabinet, the collection includes several single malts from "lost" distilleries including St Magdalene in Linlithgow, Dallas Dhu and Caperdonich in Speyside, and Glen Albyn from the Highlands.
The only showcase available is on display at the shop in Elgin where Gordon & McPhail was founded n 1895. The hand-crafted cabinet has been designed and created by family-owned bespoke furniture maker Method Studios.
Inside the cabinet, each single malt in the collection is recessed into a solid oak block crafted from one of the original whisky casks that cradled the spirit. The cabinet itself is lined in soft oatmeal leather from Andrew Muirhead & Son in Dalmarnock.
The release of the collection - which includes many whiskies that will never again be available to purchase - comes the day after new figures revealed increased sales and profits at Gordon & McPhail in its most recent financial year. Pre-tax profits during the 12 months to the end of February rose to £13.9 million from £9.8m previously.
The collection was curated by Stephen Rankin, director of Gordon & McPhail's luxury Prestige division and a fourth-generation member of the company’s owning family.
“Guided by similar philosophies of dedication, passion and attention to detail, we found a kindred spirit in Method Studios when searching for a partner for this truly unique project," Mr Rankin said.
“The cabinet is unlike anything we have done before and is a chance to own a piece of Scotland’s whisky history. It’s a labour of love, from the meticulous process of our whisky experts pairing the spirit with the cask to the precision and talent of the cabinet makers, each built up over decades of experience."
Halfords gears up profit outlook ahead of Christmas
Halfords has boosted its annual forecast after half-year earnings held strongly above pre-pandemic levels, with the UK's largest cycling retailer betting on sales of kids bikes and e-bikes to drive earnings through Christmas.
The company, which also sells car parts, reported sales growth across its business despite persistent supply chain issues, including production constraints, raw materials inflation, freight disruption and driver shortages.
"Moving anything around the globe over the last six months has been particularly challenging," the company said, adding that freight costs have at times reached 10 times the normal rate, partly owing to a shortage of lorry drivers in the UK.
The company, which has benefited from a surge in cycling during the COVID-19 pandemic, said it now expects earnings in its 2022 financial year to be between £80m and £90m, up from a previous forecast of £75m.
New boss for island Scotch whisky distillery
ISLE of Arran Distillers has appointed a whisky and beer veteran to run its Lochranza Distillery team.
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