Gordon & MacPhail MacPhail’s 21yo

Gordon & MacPhail MacPhail’s 21yo

Region: Speyside

ABV: 40.0%

Price: £100.00 

We don’t have a lot of information on today’s whisky. What we do know is that it’s a 21-year-old single malt Scotch whisky from an undisclosed Speyside distillery, bottled by Gordon & MacPhail under the MacPhail’s range. It’s been matured in Gordon & MacPhail’s own hand-selected first-fill and refill sherry casks and bottled at 40% ABV. No official outturn has been stated.

Nose

Palate

The palate opens with notes of caramel, honey and Caramac. Some Stroopwafel, orange juice and vanilla ice cream appear on the mid-palate, followed by whipped cream on the finish. For 40% ABV, the mouthfeel is really good. There’s plenty of sweetness and just a hint of peppery spice on the good-length finish.

Nose (with water)

With water, the nose has taken on many of the notes we found on the palate, such as stroopwafel. There’s also now a hint of orange peel coming through, along with marshmallows and fudge.

Palate (with water)

With water, the palate has disappointingly gone a little flat. Sugar cubes and vanilla ice cream are now the dominant notes, making it feel noticeably more one-dimensional. The mouthfeel has held up well to the dilution, and the finish remains a good length. There’s also a touch of dark chocolate bitterness on the finish.

Conclusion

“Generic 40% Speyside” was what was going through our minds before we tried this, but we were completely wrong. There’s an interesting mix of aromas and flavours across the nose and palate. Even though this is bottled at 40%, we can’t find much to complain about with the mouthfeel. A really solid whisky that would make a great session dram.

Score: 7/10

Value

A few more percentage points on the ABV would have been nice here, but if we’re honest, you’ll struggle to find a 21-year-old malt for less than this.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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