Glenlivet 64 Years Old Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection Cask 1412 41% 1954

Professional reviews

BOW (91)

Whiskynotes.be

Nose: delicate but very good with lots of tiny nuances. Waxed papers, stewed pears, orange peel, with cedar wood and an ever so light smoky undertone. Lots of beehive notes (honey, pollen, beeswax). Some mentholated notes, cinnamon, tobacco leaves and whiffs of women’s powder. Really nice.

Mouth: very silky. You get herbal teas, marmalade and slightly nutty notes. Mid-palate there is a nice burst of fruity notes (apricots, plums) followed by a slightly hoppy / marihuana note. Goes on towards ginger, leather and a funny ‘battery’ feeling (placing your tongue on a 9V, you know).

Finish: medium long, with crushed peppercorns, liquorice, pine wood and mint.

A prestigious old whisky and a pleasure to try as it’s not overoaked. It does get a little herbal in the end with typical old oak aromatics. In terms of sheer balance, the Caol Ila 1968 was more to my liking. The price underscores its rare nature of course.

Serge Valentin (90)

Indeed this very rare old one is brand new and, just like the fantastic Caol Ila we had yesterday, comes in a rather wonderful decanter that’s really not as kitsch as other extravaganzas that may be encountered elsewhere in Scotland (never forget your sunglasses). I’d add that we have good hopes here, despite the low strength, as I fondly remember a 1954/2010 from the previous inception of G&M’s Private Collection (WF 91).

Colour: only pale gold, which is quite astonishing.

Nose: bingo, honeys and menthol-driven herbs and teas. A perfect combo when balance is right! Smaller elements here would gather pine resins, pollens and beeswax, sesame oil, dried figs, a wee touch of amaretto, and an old empty cigar box. Lovely, but at 41% vol., it’s the palate that’ll play the justice of the peace (so to speak). Of course, no water to be added here.

Mouth: bingo again, no excessive old black tea (from an old teapot), no greenish tannins, and no bone-dry black chocolate, rather an arrival on marmalade and roasted coffee beans, then cassata, kougelhopf ice-cream, glazed chestnuts and good old rhum agricole. Some pecan pie too, and never a single weakness despite the low strength.

Finish: the resins and the marmalade are back, with a little liquorice and black chocolate. A fresh, slightly mentholy aftertaste.

Comments: let’s say it, with old whiskies when you find this much menthol and resins in any nose, that’s usually bad news w.r.t. the palate that’ll often have become too drying. Not the case at all here, this old baby still has the fire.

OTHER (91)

Words of Whisky

The complexity on the nose is what makeWords of Whisky

Nose

Somewhat waxy with hints of honey, but also apricots and Demerara sugar, while a slightly more acidic note (lemon peel, orange zest) hides in the background. Surprisingly, it has a somewhat farm-y element to it, which is then further enhanced by a touch of menthol and cigar tobacco.

Taste

Quite tannic, with a good amount of menthol, and some fair notes of sweet oranges. There's also juicy plums and stewed pears, with a hint of tawny port. Somewhat herbal too, with hints of almonds and macadamia nuts.

Finish
Medium in length, with some brown sugar and pine leaves.s the Caol Ila especially stunning. There's just so much going on.
Nose
Very subtle whiffs of peat smoke, rubber soles, and whispers of hospital hallways. I'm not suggesting any iodine here, but like that antiseptic quality that just lives inside hospitals. And in this case I mean it as a good thing. There's touches of soy and mushrooms too, while there's also some fennel and aniseed, as well as vanilla, oranges and sultanas. And all supremely balanced.
Taste
The peat smoke is subtle, yet still fairly intense considering the advanced age of this whisky. Quite salty too, and a fair amount of charcoal and tar, as well as smoked cod. I love the sweet orange marmalade, and caramel glazed apples. Obviously very mature, yet the oak manages to restrain itself.
Finish
Lingering oak tannins, with embers and peat. Long.