The prestigious malt-whisky specialist is one of the world’s oldest family-run businesses of its kind. For its milestone limited-edition new release Artistry in Oak, the company has commissioned an equally extraordinary decanter.
It’s often said that good things come in small packages. But perhaps the more accurate adage is that such things come in extravagant packages. That is to say, that how something is presented can be just as impactful as what’s inside. Half the fun of our current “unboxing” obsession, after all, is the box itself.
For its new limited-edition release, single-malt whisky specialists Gordon & MacPhail has called upon the talents of American architect Jeanne Gang to produce something truly special.
Artistry in Oak is a unique, sculptural decanter that envelops G&M’s history-making new release, an 85-year-old single malt Scotch – the oldest of its kind ever bottled. Cask 336 had previously held mature sherry before being refilled with spirit on 3 February 1940 at the Glenlivet Distillery. Over the course of nearly nine decades, the long maturation process has created a deep, complex flavour profile with notes of aged leather, apricot, cinnamon and vanilla, with smoky undertones.
‘We’re the first to mature a whisky for 85 years,’ explains Stephen Rankin, director of prestige at Gordon & MacPhail, a fourth-generation member of the family-owned business. ‘Every year that goes by is a year into the unknown. We have to appreciate we’re always dealing with mother nature, so the key traits of this process are patience and trust.’
This new release surpasses Gordon & MacPhail’s own record, following the company’s release of an 80-year-old single malt from The Glenlivet Distillery in 2021.
Artistry in Oak is limited to just 125 pieces
Founded in Elgin in Scotland’s Speyside region in 1895, Gordon & MacPhail is a unique and respected name in the world of whisky. As one of the oldest family-run businesses of its kind, the company specialises in long-term maturation, with unrivalled control over the ageing process and close relationships with niche and hard-to-access distilleries.
Artistry in Oak is limited to just 125 decanters, each retailing at an eye-watering £125,000. The handblown glass and bronze structure cradles the precious whisky like thorned branches standing ‘tall and strong’, explains architect Jeanne Gang.
‘Patinated bronze entwines the vessel, suspending it while revealing the amber colour of the whisky within,’ she continues. ‘Together, the elements depend on and complement each other, in a reciprocal dance whose form, like the whisky it holds, is a product of both natural growth and the nature of its materiality.’
The 125 decanters are now available for a select few, but Decanter #1 will be put up for auction at Christie’s on Friday 7 November 2025, with proceeds donated to the American Forests, a leader in forest restoration and the oldest national nonprofit conservation organisation in the US.
Like the whisky it protects, Artistry in Oak is a masterpiece shaped by time, patience and nature. A fitting testament to Gordon & MacPhail’s enduring pursuit of perfection.
Register your interest at gordonandmacphail.com
