Gordon & MacPhail 130th anniversary
Neil Urquhart Chairman Gordon & MacPhail
From humble beginnings in Elgin, Gordon & MacPhail has grown significantly to be a purveyor of the finest and rarest Scotch whiskies enjoyed around the world. The company was established on 24th May 1895 by James Gordon and John Alexander MacPhail as a family grocer selling the finest teas, coffees, meats, cheeses, wines, spirits and Scotch whisky. In their first year of trading, they were joined by John Urquhart to assist with the whisky side of the business. John’s son George then joined the business in 1933 and, together, father and son forged strong relationships with distilleries around the area, began to put new-make spirit into specially chosen casks and build reserves of Scotch whisky destined to mature for long periods of time. “Our future is shaped by what we do today and today reveals what we did in the past.”
working in the business and the company’s products are enjoyed in more than 40 international markets. Gordon & MacPhail enjoys the benefits of the long-term approach adopted through four generations of family ownership; an unwavering commitment to quality, long-term thinking, investment for future prosperity and the value of relationships underpin the company’s long history and will continue to drive the business into the future. For a full version of Gordon & MacPhail’s story, written by Chairman Neil Urquhart, scan the QR code:
Whilst the industry focused on blended Scotch whisky, John, and George, went against the grain, choosing to bottle whisky as single malt and leaving casks to mature for longer than was the norm. This philosophy has been adopted by future generations of the family. Gordon & MacPhail’s range of rare old single malts is unparallelled, having won great acclaim and many awards through the years. The company has grown over the years, as George’s children joined the business. The purchase and opening of the Benromach Distillery in 1998 by HRH Prince Charles was a major achievement for the business, as was the opening of the company’s second distillery, The Cairn, in 2022.
Today, members of the fouth generation of the Urquhart family are
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