Gordon & MacPhail introduced the first Rare Old releases in the mid-1990s. As the name implies, the series was designed to show off some of the older casks and rarer distilleries in the company’s amazingly diverse inventory, and the Rare Old series soon came to be dominated by releases from closed distilleries.

By its very nature, the Rare Old range featured limited edition bottlings, with most releases from single casks or very small batches. The standard bottling strength was increased from 40% to 43% in 2005 and raised again to 46% in 2012 in line with the Connoisseurs Choice range. 

The last Rare Old bottlings appeared in 2016, after which the series was superseded by the expanded Connoisseurs Choice and Private Collection range. However, over the course of its twenty year bottling history the iconic Rare Old collection featured some of Gordon & MacPhail’s most famous whiskies. A string of superb releases from silent distilleries including Port Ellen, Rosebank, Convalmore, Lochside, Brora and St. Magdalene ensures that G&M’s Rare Old series will remain well-known and highly sought-after by whisky fans for many generations to come.