Glen Grant 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 70cl

Product Information

On that note, I’ve never heard Glen Grant be the talk of the town until their 18 year old was named by Jim Murray as one of his top 3 whiskeys a few years ago. Think about it. Underdog brands like Glendronach, Kilkerran and Arran never really won any of the heavily publicized awards, yet they are more appreciated now. This is very different from the last Glen Grant 12 I had. Is batch variance to blame for this? Or has my palate changed since the last time?

On the nose: Sharper and more acidic compared to the other three. A somewhat British image of tea with a slice of lemon and honey comes to mind. After it comes a creaminess like what I sometimes get with Cragganmore 12. A medium and lasting aroma of lemon square comes out, too. In between, there are very subtle aromas of melons, sapodilla, honey, butterscotch and orange peel oils. Glen Grant itself was one of the first whisky brands. You could find Glen Grant in Africa, Australia and the US in the late 19th century, a brand before the term had been invented. By 1872, the founders of Glen Grant Distillery had died. Young James ‘The Major’ Grant, born in 1847, had always taken a keen interest in the distillery and having inherited the business and the title ‘Glengrant’ from his uncle John Grant, he was to prove himself a worthy successor. [4] Glen Grant Distillery I only sensed a small amount of sherry influence in this. Aside from the burst of PX-like aromas, the sherry characteristics in this are subtle. This doesn’t seem to be that different from the Major’s Reserve in that it’s mostly refill ex-bourbon casks. I say so because I think the fruity flavors come from the distillate’s character, rather than the influence of the oak. The sherry influence has added an extra layer of flavor, but I also feel like it took away some flavors. On the other hand, this could just be a Major’s Reserve finished in ex-sherry casks. The light sherry influence makes it taste generic, but I get that this was probably made to cater to contemporary preferences for ex-wine influence in spirits. In the mouth: Now the image of lemon tea with cream on top comes to mind. It’s quite peppery, too. The consistency and persistence of these notes amazes me. In between them are subtle and random appearances of toffee, butterscotch, honey, green apples, banana liqueur, oleo saccharum and melons. Conclusions:When Pernod Ricard took over Seagram’s whisky arm in 2001, Glen Grant was deemed legally surplus and in 2006 it was snapped up by Gruppo Campari. This is appropriate, as Glen Grant was the largest selling whisky (including blends) in the 1960s and the country remains the malt’s most significant market. With the Italian market focussing on young, light expressions, older bottlings have long been handled by Gordon & MacPhail. This cookie is set by Rubicon Project to control synchronization of user identification and exchange of user data between various ad services. A diminutive man who loved shooting large beasts in Africa, small birds and deer in Scotland and catching salmon in the Spey, he installed the first electric light seen in the area powered by turbines in the distillery, and is claimed to have had the first motor car in the Highlands.

Glen Grant is something of a Jekyll and Hyde of Scotch whisky. On one hand, there’s the brand’s swathe of entry-level whiskies that are incredibly popular overseas, particularly in France, Italy and Spain. These easy-drinking drams are mild and light in flavour, making them a hit with newcomers to the world of whisky.DM: Our signature flavor profile – singularly aromatic with delicately fruity floral and nutty notes – is delivered in part by maturation in the best bourbon barrels, and we will continue to stay true to who we are. That said, The Glen Grant does mature beautifully in Sherry and other types of casks, which is why we use them for select releases. Also, many of our older whiskies were aged in ex-Sherry barrels, so it’s an influence we often see in our older releases. In the mouth: A bit of heat on the first sip. Like the nose, this is bursting with fruits. The heat comes out again but persists all to the end this time. I get light notes of kiwi, orange candy, starfruit, oleo saccharum and melon. After that are even lighter and shorter notes of tea, toffee and chocolate strawberries. Conclusions: JM: You are the third-generation member of your family to be involved with the Scotch whisky industry and have now spent more than 60 years making whisky. What is your most significant accomplishment over your tenure at The Glan Grant? Is it just me, or has the popularity of awards made some brands forever connected to certain awards, and vice versa? In 2006, Campari acquired Glen Grant, its only whisky, when Allied Domecq was acquired by Pernod Ricard. To this day, Glen Grant continues to be one of the biggest selling single malts worldwide.

The 21 YO is the first Sherry-influenced expression added to the core range in recent years. Rumor has it that there is a lot of Sherry matured whisky in the bottling queue at The Glen Grant. What Sherry, either cask finished or matured, expressions can we expect from The Glen Grant in the future? In recent years, we’ve seen increased interest from whisky drinkers in premium single malt Scotch whiskies across a variety of flavor profiles and age statements. With this in mind, and with support from Campari, we have started to build a more varied portfolio of expressions – all of which capture the signature aromatic and evocative taste profile at the heart of our whiskies, which delivers delicately fruity, floral, and nutty notes in every drop. Is this good? Yes. Is this good enough to be a top three whisky for one of the whisky industry’s most known awards? Not for me. On some days, I might prefer the 12 year, as it’s just easier to appreciate. Score: 7/10All in all, a decent whisky. Due to the sherry influence, I can’t see it as a highball, but I could see it as a session whisky. Score: 5/10 DM: My remit all my life has been to make the best, most consistent single malt I can. As a Master Distiller, of course, you look after the whisky production. After many decades I have an incredible team of experts to help me. Now the role becomes even more than that. You start to look at the way forward and help envision the distillery’s and whiskies' future.