Back in 1961, George Urquhart, the owner of the second generation of well-known whiskey makers Gordon & MacPhail, filled two sherry barrels with an identical new distillate from the Longmorn distillery.
It is interesting to see how these “whiskey twins” mature in slightly different wooded environments, so Cask # 512 was made from American oak, while Cask # 508 was made of European oak.
By chance, George became a proud grandfather of identical twins twenty years later, both of whom joined the family business. Richard Urquhart became international sales manager in Asia and America, while Stewart, his younger brother, is now an associate director of whiskey supplies.
Just as the twin brothers grew up over the decades, so did the two whiskeys, standing next to each other at the Gordon & MacPhail warehouse, maturing. Visions were exposed to the environment and location and thus developed their individuality. Interesting about their alter-ego in the form of beverages, Richard and Stuart decided to bottle these beverages on February 2, 2018, within Gordon & MacPhail’s private collection of rarities from cult distilleries, with Richard, who chose Cask # 508, while Stewart chose Cask # 512.
As twin brothers, each of the two whiskeys, although having the same DNA, matured differently, and yet each barrel had a slightly subtle similarity with the brother who chose it. Richard # 508 is stronger and slightly more robust, while Stuart Cask # 512 is drier, with a spicy subtone which may reflect his sense of humor.
Focusing exclusively on whiskey, Cask # 508 exudes a greater influence of sherry, which is intertwined with shades of rose, apricot and peach, while Cask # 512 carries more light, more earthy and floral notes of oak with a hint of citrus.
Presented in hand-smoked identical double crystal decanters, only 97 individually numbered sets are available, each at a price of $ 13,000.
Each set of two decanteres, containing whiskey from the barrel # 508 and # 512, was accompanied by an informative book written by Whiskey Specialist Johnny McCormick along with a certificate of authenticity signed by the brothers.
In response to their complexity, they should be allowed to stagger at least half an hour after pouring, in order to open up a whole range of their tastes.
