Gordon & MacPhail recently concluded its Mr. George Legacy Series with a remarkable 70-year-old single malt, the fifth and final installment in a collection honoring the long-term vision of George Urquhart, one of scotch whisky’s most influential figures. Once, such a release might have seemed unimaginable. Today, however, it feels almost inevitable.
In the world of rare scotch, age has always signaled prestige. But the latest 70-year-old release from Gordon & MacPhail isn’t just turning heads, it’s shifting expectations.
A decade ago, a 50-year-old whisky stood as the pinnacle of patience and craft. Today, however, we’re witnessing a new era, where 70, 75, and even 80-year-old single malts are setting the bar for ultra-aged excellence.
These whiskies are historic. Each one has survived wars, economic upheavals, and decades of evaporation to emerge, intact, as a liquid time capsule. And while their numbers remain vanishingly small, their presence signals a profound change in how we define rarity and value in the scotch world.
This guide is your definitive reference to every known scotch whisky aged 70 years or more. Whether you’re a collector, enthusiast, or simply curious about the rarest whiskies ever bottled, this is the one resource to bookmark, return to, and explore in full.
The Rarity Factor: Why So Few 70+ Year Old Whiskies Exist
Ultra-aged scotch whiskies, the name I’m giving to those matured for 70 years or more, are astonishingly rare—and for good reason. The first barrier is nature itself. Over decades in the barrel, whisky evaporates steadily in what’s poetically called the angel’s share. In practical terms, that can mean a cask loses up to 2% of its contents every year. After 70 years, what remains is often just a fraction of the original liquid, sometimes barely enough to fill a handful of decanters.
Then there’s the gamble of time. While age can bring depth and complexity, it can just as easily tip into over-oaked or unbalanced territory. Maturation isn’t a guarantee of quality; it’s a balancing act. Only the best casks survive long enough to be bottled as 70-, 75-, or 80-year-old whisky, and even fewer emerge with elegance intact.
Historically, very few distilleries laid down spirit with the intention of waiting seven decades to bottle it. In the 1930s and 1940s, Scotland was still reeling from war and economic depression. Stocks were built to be used, not preserved for future generations. That these whiskies exist at all is thanks to a handful of forward-thinking producers and, in many cases, independent bottlers.
Among them, Gordon & MacPhail stands apart. For over a century, they’ve matured spirit under their own stewardship, often for far longer than the distilleries themselves ever intended. Macallan also deserves credit for releasing official bottlings that have pushed the very boundaries of long-term maturation.
The result is a small but extraordinary list of whiskies that have not only endured the decades, but defined what’s possible in scotch whisky.
Every Ultra-Aged Scotch Whisky Ever Released (70 Years and Older)
What follows is a curated, definitive list of every known scotch whisky aged 70 years or more, including both official distillery bottlings and independent releases. These whiskies represent the rarest tier of single malt, with maturation periods that stretch back to the 1930s and 1940s.
Organized by distillery and year of release, each entry includes the whisky’s age, bottler, original retail price, number of bottles produced, and a concise narrative that captures its significance. From Gordon & MacPhail’s pioneering “Generations” series to the Macallan’s sculptural masterpieces, this catalog charts the evolution of ultra-aged scotch and offers a visual archive of some of the most exclusive spirits ever made.
Mortlach 70 Year Old (2010)
Price: £10,000 | Bottles: 54 full-size + 162 miniatures | Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail
This Speyside single malt made history as the world’s oldest bottled whisky when it launched in March 2010. Distilled in 1938 and matured in a first-fill sherry hogshead for seven decades, the Mortlach survived World War II and emerged at 46.1% ABV with its character intact. Presented in a teardrop-shaped crystal decanter with a silver stopper and wooden box, it set a new standard for ultra-aged whisky presentation and helped establish Gordon & MacPhail’s Generations series as a byword for long-term maturation.
Glenlivet 70 Year Old (2011 & 2012)
Price: £13,000 | Bottles: ~200 total across two releases | Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail
Distilled in February 1940 and matured in a first-fill sherry butt, this 70-year-old Glenlivet was bottled at 45.9% ABV and released in two phases. The first, in 2011, offered 100 crystal decanters and 175 miniatures. A second release followed in 2012, with a final outturn of approximately 100 more decanters. Like its Mortlach predecessor, it came in a teardrop decanter with silver base, offering collectors a rare taste of Glenlivet as it was in the pre-war era.
Glen Grant 70 Year Old (2019)
Price: £17,500 | Bottles: 210 | Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail
Distilled on 11 June 1948 and aged for 70 years in a first-fill sherry butt (cask #2154), this Glen Grant was bottled at 48.6% ABV under the Private Collection label. It was the oldest Glen Grant ever bottled and was presented in a hand-blown crystal decanter housed in an elegant oak box. The outturn of 210 decanters was modest by any standard, and the release was praised for its balance, strength, and rarity.
Mortlach 75 Year Old (2015)
Price: £20,000 | Bottles: 100 | Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail
Distilled in 1939 and aged for 75 years in a first-fill sherry butt, this Mortlach was bottled at 44.4% ABV. Launched at a black-tie gala at the Royal Opera House in London, it was described as the “Ingrid Bergman of malts” – elegant, poised, and timeless. The 75-facet crystal decanter (one facet for each year) was accompanied by two glasses and a leather-bound book, making this release a full sensory experience.
Glen Grant 72 Year Old (2020)
Price: £50,000 | Bottles: 290 | Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail (Premier Whisky HK)
Distilled in 1948 and matured in an American oak sherry cask (cask #440), this 72-year-old Glen Grant was bottled at a remarkable 52.6% ABV. Initially offered to Premier Whisky clients in Asia, the final 50 bottles were sold globally in 2022. Its quality was widely recognized, earning 97.5/100 in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2022, and its presentation, featuring a crystal decanter and oak case, reinforced its status as one of the finest long-aged whiskies ever released.
Glenlivet 80 Year Old (2021)
Price: ~£80,000+ (est.) | Bottles: 250 | Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail
The oldest scotch ever bottled at the time of its release, this Glenlivet was distilled on 3 February 1940 and aged in a first-fill sherry butt (cask #340). Bottled in 2020 at 44.9% ABV, it was unveiled in September 2021 in a striking decanter designed by Sir David Adjaye. With just 250 decanters produced, it exemplified long-term cask management, architectural artistry, and the legacy of Gordon & MacPhail as custodians of time.
The Macallan 72 Year Old “Genesis Decanter” (2018)
Price: $ 60,000 (USD) | Bottles: 600 | Bottler: Official Release
Released to mark the opening of Macallan’s new Speyside distillery, this 72-year-old expression was bottled at 42% ABV and presented in a Lalique crystal decanter housed within a bespoke wooden case inspired by the distillery’s architecture. Distilled in the 1940s and drawn from sherry-seasoned casks, it was the oldest official Macallan ever released at the time and remains one of its most design-led bottlings.
The Macallan Red Collection: 71, 74, 77 & 78 Year Old (2020–2022)
Price: £58,500–£87,000 | Bottles: Very limited | Bottler: Official Release
The Red Collection is a masterclass in ultra-aged scotch, released over 2020–2022 and including:
- 71 Year Old (2020): Bottled at 41.6% ABV, distilled c.1949–1950, priced at £58,500.
- 74 Year Old (2020): Bottled at natural cask strength, priced at £61,500.
- 77 Year Old (2022): Distilled in 1945, bottled at 43.2% ABV, priced at £73,000.
- 78 Year Old (2020): The oldest Macallan at the time, bottled at over 42% ABV, priced at £65,500.
Each bottle was released in classic red-label livery with natural presentation boxes, making the series a focal point for collectors. Together, they offered a vertical tasting experience spanning nearly a century of Macallan’s production history.
The Macallan 71 Year Old “Tales of The Macallan Vol. I” (2021)
Price: £60,000 | Bottles: 350 | Bottler: Official Release
Distilled in 1950 and bottled at 44.6% ABV, this expression launched a new series celebrating Macallan’s pioneers. It came housed in a Lalique crystal decanter hidden inside an 800-page, leather-bound book telling the story of Captain John Grant. With just 350 bottles made, it was as much a storytelling artefact as a whisky, positioned squarely at the intersection of luxury and heritage.
The Macallan 81 Year Old “The Reach” (2022)
Price: £92,000 | Bottles: 288 | Bottler: Official Release
Distilled in 1940 and matured in a single sherry cask for 81 years, The Reach was released in 2022. Bottled at 41.6% ABV, it came in a hand-blown decanter cradled by a bronze sculpture of three hands, representing distillery workers, owners, and makers. The cabinet was crafted from wood felled in 1940, the year of distillation. With only 288 decanters produced, it stands as a monumental release in whisky history.
The Macallan 84 Year Old “TIME : SPACE” (2024)
Price: $ 190,000 (USD) | Bottles: 200 | Bottler: Official Release
Unveiled in 2024 to commemorate The Macallan’s 200th anniversary, this 84-year-old single malt stands as the distillery’s oldest release to date. Distilled on January 1, 1940 it matured in two casks: a first-fill American oak butt and a second-fill European oak butt, both seasoned with sherry from Jerez de la Frontera. Bottled at 43.4% ABV, the whisky is presented in a groundbreaking dual-chamber decanter. The outer chamber houses the 1940 vintage, symbolizing the past, while the inner chamber contains a 5-year-old whisky distilled in 2018, representing the future. Encased in a sculptural oak vessel adorned with 200 spikes, each signifying a year of The Macallan’s history, this release epitomizes the brand’s dedication to craftsmanship and innovation.
| Whisky Name | Distillery | Age | Year Released | Bottler | Original RRP | Bottles Produced |
| Mortlach 70 Year Old | Mortlach | 70 | 2010 | Gordon & MacPhail | £10,000 | 54 full-size + 162 miniatures |
| Glenlivet 70 Year Old (R1) | Glenlivet | 70 | 2011 | Gordon & MacPhail | £13,000 | 100×70cl + 175×20cl |
| Glenlivet 70 Year Old (R2) | Glenlivet | 70 | 2012 | Gordon & MacPhail | £13,000 (est.) | ~100×70cl |
| Glen Grant 70 Year Old | Glen Grant | 70 | 2019 | Gordon & MacPhail | £17,500 | 210 decanters |
| Mortlach 75 Year Old | Mortlach | 75 | 2015 | Gordon & MacPhail | £20,000 | 100 decanters |
| Glen Grant 72 Year Old | Glen Grant | 72 | 2020 | G&M / Premier Whisky HK | £50,000 | 290 bottles |
| Glenlivet 80 Year Old | Glenlivet | 80 | 2021 | Gordon & MacPhail | £80,000+ (est.) | 250 decanters |
| Macallan 72 Year Old “Genesis Decanter” | Macallan | 72 | 2018 | Official | $ 60,000 (USD) | 600 decanters |
| Macallan 71 Year Old – Red Collection | Macallan | 71 | 2020 | Official | £58,500 | Limited release |
| Macallan 74 Year Old – Red Collection | Macallan | 74 | 2020 | Official | £61,500 | Limited release |
| Macallan 78 Year Old – Red Collection | Macallan | 78 | 2020 | Official | £65,500 | Limited release |
| Macallan 77 Year Old – Red Collection | Macallan | 77 | 2022 | Official | £73,000 | Limited release |
| Macallan 71 Year Old – Tales of the Macallan Vol. I | Macallan | 71 | 2021 | Official | £60,000 | 350 bottles |
| Macallan 81 Year Old – The Reach | Macallan | 81 | 2022 | Official | £92,000 | 288 decanters |
| Macallan 84 Year Old – TIME : SPACE | Macallan | 84 | 2024 | Official | $ 190,000 (USD) | 200 decanters |
Releasing a whisky aged for 70 years or more is not simply an act of commercial ambition. It’s a feat of craftsmanship, patience, and foresight. These bottlings represent the pinnacle of long-term cask management, where generations of custodians have nurtured a single spirit through decades of evaporation, risk, and restraint. To bring a whisky to such an age with elegance intact requires more than luck. It demands vision, discipline, and trust in the long arc of time.
Beyond the liquid, these releases are triumphs of visual storytelling. From crystal decanters hand-cut with symbolic facets to sculptural vessels cradled by bronze hands or encased in 800-page books, the presentation of ultra-aged whiskies transforms them into works of art. These aren’t just whiskies. They’re narratives in glass and wood.
Culturally, they occupy a unique space where heritage meets modern luxury. For collectors and investors, they offer scarcity, provenance, and prestige. For whisky lovers, they offer a rare connection to a distant past, a dram that predates modern whisky as we know it.
Ultimately, each bottle is a liquid time capsule: one cask, one story, one era, captured forever. In an age of fast consumption and fleeting trends, these whiskies are enduring monuments to the long game.
Conclusion: The Last Great Age Statement?
With 70 now seemingly within reach for the world’s most patient producers, the question lingers. Have we reached the limit, or is this just the new benchmark? The release of the Macallan 84 Year Old suggests the ceiling is still rising, and whispers of future 85 or even 90-year-old bottlings no longer seem outlandish.
Yet these expressions are more than just age statements. They represent the outer edge of what’s possible in whisky maturation, achieved only by the few willing to wait and able to afford the risks. While the broader market embraces no-age-statement releases, cask finishing, and experimentation, ultra-aged whiskies stand apart as monuments to time and tradition.
Because in the end, time is whisky’s greatest and most elusive ingredient. These bottlings don’t just measure age in years. They measure it in eras. And for those who value rarity, heritage, and craftsmanship, that remains priceless.
Read the full article at The Ultimate Guide to 70+ Year Old Scotch Whisky: Every Ultra-Aged Expression Ever Released
