Gordon & MacPhail was founded in 1895 by James Gordon and John Alexander MacPhail. Both shared a taste for fine flavours and their Speyside grocery shop in Elgin soon became a beacon for quality produce, including Scotch whisky. In the first year of trading a young apprentice, John Urquhart, joined the business. After John MacPhail’s retirement and James Gordon’s passing, both in 1915, John Urquhart became Senior Partner and in 1933 John was joined by his son, George. Throughout his tenure, George developed a deep understanding of Scotch whisky, especially the unique interaction that occurs over time between spirit and cask. He understood the benefits of long-term thinking and continued to lay down whiskies to be matured for decades. More recently, members of the third and fourth generations of the Urquhart family have continued to apply a century of experience to the whisky-making process, perfectly matching spirit from over 100 Scottish distilleries to oak casks made to their exacting specifications. Each cask is then matured to its full potential, creating exceptional single malt Scotch whiskies enjoyed by discerning drinkers around the world.
