Glen Grant 18 Year Old Rare Edition Single Malt Speyside Scotch Whisky, 70 cl

Product Information

The winners list is much more than just the top four. The bible covers whisky from across the world and Jim sometimes uncovers a hidden gem, as well as reaffirming his (and, in a lot of cases, our) favourites. He taught me that you have to take care of the people first because, without your team, you have nothing. I hope to give my successor this advice because it is at the heart of what makes The Glen Grant what it is today. We may, but are not under any obligation, to release new functionalities and tools or other features for the Service every now and then. Any new functionalities, tools and features shall be part of and governed by the Terms from the moment they are launched and/or available. Further, we reserve the right to modify, change, discontinue the Service, add or remove features, update the Service, change its appearance, temporarily and permanently, at any time, in whole or any part thereof. Whiskybase B.V. (“Whiskybase”, “we” or “us”, company details below) offers a whisky enthusiasts online platform that provides its members access to the most comprehensive, transparent and trusted resource of whisky bottles and allows and stimulates its members to contribute information about whisky bottles to the platform (“Service”). 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? Despite the expected presence of some of last year’s Buffalo Trace Antique Collection in the line-up, this is still an interesting selection. Glen Grant 1959 & 1960 GM Special Vatting to commemorate marriage of Prince Andrew to Miss Sarah Ferguson Unless mandatory applicable law provides otherwise, your use of and membership to the Service are exclusively governed by Dutch law. We shall first try to settle any dispute over a dram of whisky. Disputes that cannot be settled over multiple drams of whisky shall be solely submitted to the court of Amsterdam, The Netherlands unless mandatory applicable law provides otherwise. The taste of the Glen Grant 18 Years is the best part of the whisky and if the nose and palate delivered at that same level it’d be ringing in around a B+ for me. The overarching character of the whisky is light, fruity and comes across the senses crisply, cleanly and feels like a whisky that doesn’t like to get its hands dirty – but it should. It’s definitely an improvement over the 12-year-old, but it needs something to help balance out the sweetness a bit.

The colour is a pale yellow (surprisingly light for an 18-year-old). Super-fruity on the nose with banana, papaya, strawberries-and-cream with a light maltiness running through. Lemon curd, vanilla bean and macadamia nut round things out. Subtle oak as well, with light spice. A drop of water adds a hint of wood smoke. Beautifully done, very elegant. The Distillers Editions are core expressions from a handful of Diageo-owned distilleries that undergo a cask finish in, typically, a sweet/fortified wine cask. Each year brings a new version and, often, a new set of distilleries. The Cragganmore was finished in a Port cask, while the Glenkinchie was finished in an Amontillado Sherry cask. A visit to The Glen Grant is never complete without a walk through our ‘Garden of Splendours,' our 27-acre Victorian garden cultivated with eclectic plants from the Major’s adventures around the world. It is the only garden of its kind in Scotland.

Glen Grant was the first distillery in Rothes, established in 1840 by James and John Grant. In 1872, James' son (also James, but known as "The Major") took over and was apparently quite the character (as legend has it but who knows). Seagrams bought it in 1977, then Pernod Ricard in 2001, then Campari in 2006 (which makes sense as Glen Grant is huge in Italy). Deeply layered and complex, this rich and vibrant whisky delivers beautifully intricate flavours of malted caramel, vanilla, and raisins and lingers with a long, sweet, and pleasantly spicy finish.” The long finish is mouth-drying with lemon pepper, walnut skins and toasted oak. Really stunning single malt in the purest Speyside style. Jim Murray is a huge fan, awarding it Single Malt of the Year (Multiple Casks) and for once I kind of agree with him. 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.DM: The Glen Grant continues to be one of the best-selling single malt brands in Italy, France, and Australia – and we find that the golden color and vanilla creamy notes typical of a bourbon cask are still beloved in many parts of the world. The style is lighter in color with a delicate profile but still quite rich and aromatic. In 1972, the Glenlivet and Glen Grant Distilleries Ltd amalgamated with the blending concerns of Hill, Thomson and Co.Ltd and Longmorn Distilleries Ltd to become The Glenlivet Distillers Ltd. The original family interest in the distilleries was maintained, with two substantial outside shareholders: Courage Ltd, the brewing concern and Suntory Ltd, the Japanese distilling company. Each and every Member must be of legal drinking age in its country of residence to be allowed to use the Service. If no such law exists in a Member’s country of residence, the Member has to be over 21 years old to use the Service. We have the right to ask you to provide proof of your age and/or to provide further identification to prevent underage usage and/or for any other legal or legitimate purpose. By using the Service, and by creating an account you represent, warrant and confirm that you are of legal age. A whisky with a lasting body that’s easy to drink. I had to let this breathe for around 30 minutes. Initially, it was just a big punch of acidity and green apples. With the creation of the 21-Year-Old, as an example, we were seeking a specific flavor profile achieved by the marriage of ex-bourbon and specific ex-Sherry casks. The use of ex-bourbon and ex-Sherry casks has long been in the DNA of The Glen Grant.

JM: The new 21-YO expression is the longest-matured whisky in The Glen Grant range. Can we expect more examples of premiumization from The Glen Grant? Will these premium expressions offer older whiskies or more complex maturation protocols? I get more layers and complexity in this pour, probably due to more oak influence via longer aging, and perhaps also due to a higher ratio of less used ex-bourbon casks. These factors result in the whisky being fairly full on the nose and in the mouth. There are no dull moments with this whisky. The flavors aren’t intense, but there’s something to keep you company and satisfied all the way. Medium finish of buttery toffee, fruit, graham and tootsie rolls that fades to an alkaline minerality. Much of our older inventory has seen further maturing in ex-Sherry casks, so it’s an influence we’ve seen in special releases in the past, and you’ll continue to see it in older expressions. With that in mind, we continue to experiment with casks that may enhance the signature flavor profile from The Glen Grant. Watch this space for more news in the future. The Omar range – bourbon- and sherry-cask single malts – are well-balanced and tasty whiskies, but it’s the single casks where the distillery really shines. Hopefully, this nod from Jim will lead to more of them making their way to the UK. The Winners 2020

ABV:

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. JM: The Glen Grant matures particularly well in Sherry casks. Maturation in Sherry butts was typical of The Glen Grant in the past. Over the last half-century, however, the distillery has generally opted to release ex-bourbon cask matured expressions. Most of the Sherry cask expressions have been released by independent bottlers. Whiskybase B.V. is the Dutch private limited liability company, having its statutory seat in Rotterdam, The Netherlands and its office at Zwaanshals 530, 3035 KS Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Whiskybase B.V. is registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce under no. 52072819. Was Campari just focused on their other brands? Did they emphasize other markets I knew less about? What factors do we not know of that resulted in a delay of their expanding markets? Regardless, it seems that their 18 year old’s place in Jim Murray’s top three whiskeys for consecutive years did wonders for their exposure. This resulted in the brand increasing in visibility… even in Manila, where the Scotch scene can be underwhelming.