Single malt Scotch whisky creator Gordon & MacPhail is releasing two decanters as part of its ‘Private Collection’, single cask releases personally selected by members of the family that owns the company.

The ‘twin’ whiskies – the oldest Longmorn single malts ever released – were selected for bottling by identical twin brothers Stuart and Richard Urquhart from stock originally laid down to mature by their grandfather George Urquhart in 1961.

Richard Urquhart’s whisky from the European Oak Cask 508 was bottled at 45% abv, while the whisky from American Oak Cask 512, selected by Stuart Urquhart, was bottled at 40.8% abv. Each individually numbered hand-blown decanter of Longmorn is beautifully presented in award-winning packaging, which includes a book written by renowned writer and rare whisky specialist, Jonny McCormick, along with a personally signed certificate of authenticity from each brother.

The Longmorn twin casks offer a unique opportunity to explore the effects of different oak types on spirit during maturation. The whisky selected by Richard Urquhart, nurtured in European Oak, is mahogany with red highlights; it has a rich, abundant nose, with complex aromatic flavours and perfumed top notes. The whisky selected by Stuart Urquhart is slightly lighter in colour, rich chestnut with ruby and amber highlights. Matured in American Oak, it is sweeter on the nose and fruity on the palate with notes of black cherry, raspberry, and dried vanilla.

Sold as a pair, only 97 sets of twin decanters are available worldwide with a UK sales tag in the region of £30,000. Both single malts were matured in first fill Sherry hogsheads and bottled at cask strength.