STATUS SPIRITS

Beyond single malt Scotch, rare Irish whiskey, cognac and armagnac are commanding ever-increasing prices

- NICOLAS STECHER

This beautiful level of whiskies play a hugely important role, because what they’re doing is bringing depth to the category, as well as intrigue and desirability. At this top level what you’re playing with is rarity and uniqueness,” posits Gordon & MacPhail’s Stephen Rankin from his home in Elgin, Scotland. “In the same way as limited edition Ferraris or Bugattis—why does one need to exist? You can’t drive it on the open road, it goes too fast. But like a car, the difference with this whisky, as opposed to coins or whatever other stock investment, is it is something you can experience, you can drink it.”

As Director of Prestige at the esteemed family-owned whisky label, it is literally Rankin’s job to guide the growth and release of their treasured casks. Founded in 1895 as an elevated shop for luxury goods, Gordon & MacPhail soon started buying whisky from nearby distilleries, casking it themselves in ex-sherry and bourbon American oak, and meticulously shepherding the aging process. They were the first to offer single estate, or single malt, bottles, and even today still only sell whisky which they’ve completely aged themselves.

“It’s an incredible honor to work with such liquid. Imagine sitting on the shoulder of Leonardo DaVinci while he paints the Mona Lisa and then saying to people decades later, Oh I saw him paint that!” he says. “It does feel that we’re often exploring very much uncharted waters with a lot of these releases, because nobody’s ever done something with this age before.”