This year marks the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, and what better way to toast such a milestone than with a fine whisky of similar vintage. Gordon & MacPhail, the Elgin based and family-run single malt specialist, has released just 85 bottles of the £7,995 ($12,660) Glen Grant 60 Years Old Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Whisky. The 60-year-old malt from Glen Grant was originally distilled on 2 February 1952, just four days before the Queen acceded the throne.
The Jubilee Whisky is presented in a pyramid shaped crystal decanter adorned with a diamond shaped stopper. Each decanter is expertly engraved (the script in-filled with silver) and uniquely numbered. The decanter carries an engraved crown with a sparking Swarovski crystal, set at the meeting point of the crowns two arches. A silver collar, placed around the neck of the decanter completes the presentation.
The decanter is packaged in a hand-crafted box made of Scottish Elm, felled a short distance from Holyrood House, the Queen’s official Scottish residence. The decanter nestles in the box lined with luxurious, purple Harris Tweed and a dust jacket made from the same material protects the box and the precious contents.
Now, for those who want to imagine what it would be like to taste, and I assume that’s most of us, it is described as having aromas of Cox’s Pippins and Granny Smith apples mingling with cinnamon and ginger. On the palate, it shows characteristics of burnt fruit, and spice such as white pepper.
The limited edition bottles is sure to become a collector’s item almost immediately. [Gordon & MacPhail]