Speyside Distillery Private Cellar Glen Grant 1977 (30yr old) 43%
Bourbon/ Dist: 1977 Btl: 2007/ Tasted: Nov 2007
A mature nose. Very light with vanilla, earth, marzipan and some orange fruit. It’s a bit old, spirty and innocuous. The palate is pretty much like the nose, with no real depth of flavour. Frankly it was left in the cask way too long .
House of Macduff ’The Golden Cask’ Glen Grant 1993 (12 year old) 58.9%
Bourbon Cask 121924/ Dist: Oct 1993 Btl: Jun 2005/ Tasted: Jun 2006
Clean, youthful aromas of oily fruit and orange blossom. Quite light and floral with earth, pure root ginger and a hint of nuts.
Off-dry with a lovely purity of tangy malt, orange blossom, a touch of soft root ginger, nuts, and a slightly winey note. A drop of water brings out white peach/ pear plus creamy vanilla, marzipan and pure butter fudge. On the palate it brings forward the soft winey fruit and spices, lengthens the finish and emphasises the oily/ fudge/ vanilla notes on the finish.
House of Macduff ’The Golden Cask’ Glen Grant 1988 (14 year old) 56.1%
Re-Fill Sherry/ Dist 1988 Btl: 2002/ Tasted: Feb 2003
The nose is stunning. Initially fruity with a touch of sherry. It opens up to display a huge depth of luxurious vanilla oak but the spirit gives up its floral character. A very intense palate, big fruit and big oak collide. Malt, vanilla, marzipan and nut aromas everywhere. Very smooth and clean with hints of earth and spice in the finish.
Gordon & MacPhail Cask Strength Glen Grant 2008 (8 year old) 56.7%
First Fill Sherry Hogsheads 900011 & 900014/ Dist: Aug 2009 Btl: Jun 2017/ Tasted: Aug 2017
A huge nose of obvious first fill sherry! Loads of burnt coffee coated raisin, prune and fig. Lightly herbal with a touch of cold tea. A real sherry monster, but blemish free!
The palate displays sweet treacle, toffee and dried grape. Slightly herbal with building tannins and alcohol. The treacle just about offsets the alcohol. Very grapey and lightly coffee’d finish.
Water makes the nose simpler and possibly brings out a touch of orange/ tangerine. The palate is unfortunately a little vague, maybe there’s a touch more raisinated fruit and a little less overt treacle. Late wood smoke note on the finish.
Gordon & MacPhail ‘Distillery Label’ Glen Grant 15 year old 40%
Sherry/ Tasted: Mar 2005
A clean, intense nose of maturing Oloroso fruit – orange/ tangerine, herbs and earth. Although a bit of a monster some floral spirit does creep through. The palate opens with a touch of peat followed by the sherried fruit, smoke and earth. Slightly citrus middle leads into a distinctly smoky finish. Very long with a sooty after taste.
Duncan Taylor Rare Auld Glen Grant 1974 (34 year old) 54.4%
Bourbon Cask 16577/ Dist: Nov 1974 Btl: Apr 2009/ Tasted: Apr 2009
A deep, luscious nose with enormous dollops of rich honey and juicy, slightly perfumed fruit. There’s a hint of decaying rose petals and sugar candy (I’ve never noticed those marc like notes on Glen Grant before). Amazingly fruity, the aromas are fathomless.
The palate is somewhat disappointing. It’s very woody and mouth puckeringly drying. There a touch of liquid honey, fruit and rose petals before the alcohol wades in and wipes out the palate. Damn it’s woody!
A drop of water brings out linseed oil and a turpentine note. It’s creaking here and beginning to break down. The palate confirms this; it’s flat, unexciting and lifeless. Need I go on.
Duncan Taylor Rare Auld Glen Grant 1972 (36 year old) 46.2%
Bourbon Cask 8948/ Dist: Nov 1972 Btl: Feb 2009/ Tasted: Mar 2009
Seriously floral and perfumed with candied apricots and almonds followed by some light mature honey. It then becomes exceedingly herbal as the honey begins to assert itself. A wonderful dusty spice character emerges. Finally a touch of tropical guava, lime zest and buttery oak materialize It maybe light but it has a wonderful concentration. Even the earthy notes seem perfumed!
The palate is gloriously mellow, soft, perfumed and leads off with the oak, candied fruits. A slight oiliness leads into light honey. Amazing depth and purity, the spices zing and dance on the tongue. Light, elegant and belying it’s age. A long, feminine, perfumed (surprise!) finish. What a length. Definitely no need for water.
Duncan Taylor Rare Auld Glen Grant 1974 (36 year old) 52.4%
Sherry Cask 16560/ Dist: Nov 1974 Btl: May 2011/ Tasted: July 2011
Pungent, leafy and herbal to begin with followed by pure manure aromas! With time some dried grape and orange rind appears along with some spicy dark chocolate (in fact it reminds me of Green & Blacks Maya Gold!) Simply stunning, luscious and aromatic. Water makes the nose slightly more perfumed.
Soft, luscious and mature on the palate. A lovely complex mouthful of spicy dark chocolate and honey. Excellent intensity. A drop of water adds a dusting of brown sugar and tempers the alcohol. Mouth-watering finish with the dark chocolate notes lingering. Water brings out a slight herbal note. In conclusion: A beautiful, mature re-fill sherry malt.
Duncan Taylor Rare Auld Glen Grant 1970 (37 year old) 49.7%
Bourbon Cask 3490/ Dist: May 1970 Btl: Jun 2007/ Tasted: July 2007
A lovely nose of luxurious orange fruit and barley. Veryaromatic with a background of creamy/ buttery vanilla along with hints of grass, white fruits, flowers, soft spices and marzipan. The palate is superbly soft and perfectly integrated. Orange and barley notes are shot through with oodles of spice and although relatively low in alcohol it still livens up the middle. Very long with some late notes of white fruits, coffee and grass.
Water doesn’t change the nose very much yet on the palate it really brings out the sweet fruit. Oooh this is yummy! Gloriously mature with some late cinnamon spice drifting over the tongue.
Duncan Taylor Rare Auld Glen Grant 1970 (37 year old) 53.6%
Sherry Cask 818/ Dist: 1970 Btl: 2007/ Tasted: July 2007
Bloody Hell!! This is definitely from a first fill Oloroso Butt! Big, brash and very loud with no end of malty drama going on, but it’s the sherry cask which holds the high ground. But it’s a damn fine sherry cask! Endlessly deep, slightly floral and nutty with no off notes or sulphur blemish!
Like the nose the palate is laden with sherried orange fruit and loaded with intense coffee, spice and wood tannins. Superbly clean with an almost orgasmic array of rich, malty dried fruit.
Water brings out a very slight vegetal note and it’s now reminiscent of Madeira sponge cake. The palate is rounded and maybe not quite as tannic thus the balance is amazing. So mature, so good and so stunning!
Duncan Taylor Rare Auld Glen Grant 1970 (37 year old) 44.0%
Bourbon Cask 3496/ Dist: May 1970 Btl: Dec 2007/ Tasted: Jan 2008
A clean, lean, fighting machine! A veritable coffee overload, along with wood, dried mature orange fruit, old floor polish, beeswax, musty-ish dried spice, waxed, worn leather armchairs, old libraries! This is an amazing nose to fall into and just wallow in! I love it!
The palate is mellow, deliciously oily with coffee, dried fruit, old wooden spice boxes, wood tannins, cedar, a touch of violets, old cigar smoke and dusty leather. I need to get the smoking jacket and an extremely large Cuban to accompany this magnificent old dram and sit in an old library next to a roaring fire – I think you kind of get the picture. In all this maturity it still has a balancing lively edge to it, it ain’t dead yet! A great mix of good spirit and wood. Absolutely no need for any water!
Duncan Taylor Rare Auld Glen Grant 1970 (39 year old) 49.1%
Bourbon Cask 3492/ Dist: May 1970 Btl: Sept 2009/ Tasted: Oct 2009
The nose reeks of maturity. Dark hickory and chocolate combine with lush mature honey, crystalised fruit and dark spices. Later some rich tangerine/ Satsuma along with a sweet barley note appear as does a touch of heather.
The palate likewise reeks of age, opening with dark honey and chocolate. Oh my this is immense and woody, however that is balanced by some sharp citrus-barley and brittle honey on the middle. It fades beautifully into a chocolate coated orange, with chunky spices and orange zest. The finish envelops the mouth leaving a slight peat and heather conclusion. An engaging and entertaining dram!
Duncan Taylor ‘The Octave Cask’ Glen Grant 1972 (37 year old) 51.8%
Bourbon Cask 44486/ Dist: 1972 Btl: June 2010/ Tasted: Sept 2010
A big wow nose. A humongous oak impact – freshly sawn oak, sawdust and marzipan. Subtle it isn’t! There is some herbal honey, menthol and eucalyptus, but the reality is that take away all the fresh oak and the spirit beneath seems somewhat watery.
The oak bites hard to begin with, opening with a bitter salvo of oily sawn oak, the herbal honey fights back with the menthol and eucalyptus notes that were found on the nose and there is a brief cinnamon laced Armagnac-esue dried fruits, raisins, figs and a touch of black pepper on the middle. However the oak returns to crush all in its path and scream ‘look at me’. I think it’s hiding some tired spirit and I would imagine once some water is added we will really find out what is what.
With water the oak retreats on the nose as expected. To its credit the honey has a crisper, more brittle edge to it but it has exposed the creaking spirit which gives off notes of oily turpentine interwoven with burnt butter. The palate really suffers now. Watery and flat although the peppery spice tries its best to liven things up, but I fear rigor mortis has set in and this sprit expired some time ago.
As Mr Praline, might put it – “This whisky is no more! He has ceased to be! ‘E’s expired and gone to meet ‘is maker! ‘E’s a stiff! Bereft of life, ‘e rests in peace! ‘Is metabolic processes are now ‘istory! ‘E’s off the twig! ‘E’s kicked the bucket, ‘e’s shuffled off ‘is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin’ choir invisibile!! THIS IS AN EX-WHISKY!!”
£170 anyone?
Douglas Laing Old Particular Glen Grant 1995 (18 year old) 48.4%
Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OLD0089/ DL10283
Dist: Apr 1995 Btl: Mar 2014/ Tasted: Apr 2014
A lovely crisp nose of brittle barley and perfumed Turkish delight. Crisp green apple mingles with pear and a touch of smoke. With time the barley becomes a little sweeter and overall the nose becomes a little more perfumed.
The palate is fuller than the nose would suggest. Maltier but well endowed with plenty of gristy barley, and fleshy citrus. Quite mineral on the middle with some spritely citrus and green apple notes. Lovely length with hints of vanilla, honey and new world Sauvignon Blanc-esque grassy notes in the finish.
Douglas Laing Old Particular Glen Grant 1994 (20 year old) 51.5%
Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OLD0187/ DL10703
Dist: Oct 1994 Btl: Feb 2015/ Tasted: Apr 2015
Quite an apply nose with barley and dusty, fragrant, sweet spices. Showing a lovely maturity and freshness with a herbal, almost rye-like note with time.
The palate opens with sweetened grapefruit, barley, mocha and toffee’d oak. Quite malty with some granulated sugar on the middle. Good length with a lightly herbal finish. Feels quite young for 20 years old.
Douglas Laing Old Particular Glen Grant 1995 (21 year old) 51.5%
Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OLD0350/ DL11332
Dist: Jun 1998 Btl: Sept 2016/Tasted: Dec 2016
A mature but fresh and fragrant nose. Quite grassy with hints of lemon, lime, apricot and barley. Gently spiced with a touch of buttery oak and late sub-tropical fruit and toasty notes.
The palate is crisp, citric and mineral with dusty tannins, barley and a touch of buttery oak. The vibrant minerality keeps the sweet oak in check. Hints of coffee, gooseberry and lime come through and lead into a slightly austere but very minerally finish. A light sugar coated violet note comes out at the very end.
Douglas Laing Premier Barrel Glen Grant 1998 (12 year old) 46%
Bourbon/ Code: PBR0102/ Dist: Sept 1998 Btl: Aug 2011/ Tasted: Aug 2011
Quite a perfumed nose with a slight muskiness along with hints of wood shavings and crisp citrus fruit. The palate is pretty much all oak – light nutty, toffee’d caramel and alcohol. Not much of a mid palate or a finish to be honest. The nose was pretty enough but the oak had a strangle hold of the palate.
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Glen Grant 1993 (18 year old) 50%
Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OMC2143/ DL8006
Dist: Oct 1993 Btl: Jan 2012/ Tasted: Feb 2012
A surprisingly high toned nose. Lean but clean with a slight nuttiness and a slight marc-like note. It seems younger than 18 years old. Late hints of barley and toffee.
Soft and youthful on the palate. Like the nose, lean with a suggestion of citrus. Pleasant nutty, vanilla notes on the middle and a good spicy finish. However it’s still a bit lean with a distinct mentholated/ alcoholic finish.
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask Glen Grant 1975 ‘Brandy Cask Finish’ (36 year old) 50%
Bourbon/ Brandy Butt Finish
Code: OMC2117/ DL7820/ Dist: Apr 1975 Btl: Nov 2011/ Tasted: Dec 2011
An ever so slightly must start to the nose with some muted spicy, dried fruit, malt and liquorice. The mature bourbon oak comes through with some toffee’d, biscuity notes, but it seems to take awhile to find some rhythm and loose the mustiness, which I get the feeling comes from the finishing cask. With time the spirit begins to show its age with a botanical note creeping in.
Like the nose the palate is slightly musty with the dried spices trying to cover it. Dried grape mingles with malty liquorice and dark fruit building pleasantly with intensity as a wave of spices break over the tongue followed by more dried fruit and with no surprise some bitter oak on the finish, however to give it its dues the malty/ honeyed fruit just about balances that bitter note. A lovely length and finish…….. mustiness aside!
Dewar Rattray Glen Grant 1995 (11 year old) 59.9%
Bourbon Cask 142910/ Dist: Sept 1995 Btl: Oct 2006/ Tasted: Jan 2007
Another superb nose. Deep and silky with spicy orange fruit, dripping in oodles of natural honey and beeswax along with an earthy/ dunnage floors note. On the palate it is soft and honied as the nose suggests with earthy, spicy orange fruit. Not the most complex of malts (given its age) but the depth is exceptionally good, the orange fruit flavour last for ages and finishes with an estery, very spicy finish. A drop of water softens and melds it into a harmonious mouth full bringing out a light vanilla note.
Dewar Rattray Glen Grant 1995 (11 year old) 59.9%
Bourbon Cask 142919/ Dist: 1995 Btl: 2006/ Tasted: Sept 2007
A very appealing nose. Maybe a touch spirity with grassy, citrus orange and vanilla. Very herbal with a touch of earth and decaying vegetation. A drop of water emphasises the orange and decaying vegetation.
Clean and fruity on the palate with apricot and grass. A bit simple with the alcohol dominating. A drop of water softens and brings out the fruit character giving it a lovely sweetness and soft spice notes. Good length with a spicy cinnamon finish.
Dewar Rattray Glen Grant 1993 (17 year old) 55.6%
Bourbon Cask 121916/ Dist: 1993 Btl: 2011/ Tasted: Feb 2011
A soft, yet granity hard nose of botanical laced honey with plenty of crisp barley. The honey has a lovely depth and complexity (manuka and orange blossom?) but is bone hard, yet given time it starts to reveal a perfumed edge. The oak sits pleasantly in the background.
The palate is slightly sweet with a malty entry before the brittle barley and honeyarrives. Together with the piquant alcohol it does dry out the middle somewhat. Lovely length however with a herbal/ botanical feel. Again the oak is unobtrusive and sits in the background.
With water the nose has become possibly a touch more perfumed and a lovely nectarine note appears. It also emphasises the creaminess of the oak. The palate has become subtler or maybe a touch insubstantial but it is still pleasantly soft and more citrus in character. The oak has become slightly sawdusty now and some wood spicesare noticeable and the length is still good. In conclusion DewarRattray have bottled some very good mid-teens Glen Grant’s over the years and this is the most highland-esque granity one to date!
Dewar Rattray ‘Individual Cask Bottling’ Glen Grant 1985 (19 year old) 58.4%
Refill Bourbon Cask 16914/ Dist: Nov 1985 Btl: Sept 2005/ Tasted: Oct 2005
A lovely, deep nose. Marzipan coated rich orange/ tangerine fruit, slightly floral. Sumptuous, rich and lusciously nutty. Lovely complexity with vanilla, orange marmalade and wood spice notes. Off-dry, soft and smooth, very licour like with orange fruits and wood spices. Quite dry on the middle with the nutty/ marzipan flavours coming through. Lovely length with a soft, dusty finish.
Water emphasises the oily/ marzipan character and brings out dried apricot fruits and honey. It doesn’t detract from the intensity. This is a very good cask and the nutty wood spices last for ages – Great to drink while listening to Hawkwind!
Dewar Rattray ‘Individual Cask Bottling’ Glen Grant 1991 (20 year old) 55.3%
Bourbon Cask 130760/ Dist: 1991 Btl: Feb 2012/ Tasted: Feb 2012
Intense, gristy barley, sawdust and earth to start with a slight white vinegar note which shows everything is not ok here. A tad industrial with a hint of wood spices.
Soft on the palate, opening with some mature, herbal, granity honey and juicy macerated apricot fruit with hints of old tinned pineapple. Quite alcoholic and short with a gristy finish and hints of white vinegar.
With water some pleasant orange fruit emerges, yet it is still quite herbal and gristy. The aromas are very mature with some earthy nuances and that vinegar note just hanging around at the edges. Although it hasn’t fallen apart like I thought it might it is still a bit long in the tooth. The palate is a bit vague and watery with noticeable dried out wood tannins, however some pleasant sugar coated honey fights back. Good length with hints of sweet spice in the finish. A definite improvement with water but not enough to make me want to buy it.
Dewar Rattray ‘Individual Cask Bottling’ Glen Grant 1992 (20 year old) 49.4%
Bourbon Hogshead 130833/ Dist: 1992 Btl: 2012/ Tasted: Nov 2012
Wow, really fruity! The orange/ tangerine fruit aromas have a beautiful granulated sugar dusting and there’s plenty of mature-ish oak which is being kept in check by the alcohol. Wonderfully soft with a touch of liquorice, malt and supple spices too.
The palate is a touch sudbued by the milky oak but there’s a pleasant degree of apricot and orange fruit – It just takes awhile to get going. Lightly spiced with a touch of demarara sugar and mature oak. It really gains momentum towards the finish meanders pleasantly to the end. A gentle and venerable dram!
A.D Rattray ‘Individual Cask Bottling’ Glen Grant 1995 (22 year old) 53.2%
Bourbon Hogshead 119450/ Dist: Jul 1995 Btl: Mar 2018/ Tasted: Apr 2018
A lovely, crisp nose of mature, tropical apricot, apple, dusty barley and sweet but subtle oak. Aromatic and enveloping, this is a magnificent nose. Late hints of hyacinth, elderflower, cinnamon and pepper.
The palate opens with the creamy oak, barley and rich, dense, mature tropical fruit. Some grippy, spicy tannins follow adding hints of cinnamon, pepper, clove and liquorice. Lovely intensity and length with a mouth-wateringly juicy barley, spice and pepper finish. Subtle cigar smoke after-taste. Superb!
Dewar Rattray ‘Individual Cask Bottling’ Glen Grant 1985 (24 year old) 55.8%
Bourbon cask 12364/ Dist: Sept 1985 Btl: Feb 2009/ Tasted: Feb 2010
Damn this has a complex nose, andarguably one of the most entertaining old Glen Grant’s I’ve come across. So relax and enjoy the ride! – The nose opens with the lovely brittle edged honey. It has an almost honeycombed purity, then the age becomes apparent with hints of beeswax, dusty oak, violets, potpourri followed by the laid back creamy oak. Oooh this is good, it’s becoming very creamy now, with a clotted cream like character but the sawdust and old library notes hang on in there. But we’re not finished yet, some juicy, gorgeously perfumed orange notes appearas if by magic. Sensational, now the honey is coming back a la lehua or wild flower and finally, yes finally it moves into herbal territory.
Soft and oily on the palate. Like the nose it opens with brittle edged, granity honey with a hint of perfumed white flowers and violets. The intense alcohol intervenes briefly and then the gorgeous liquid orange fruit is off to the races as it liberally cascades over the tongue. Yes, it’s that good! Amazingly mouth filling as the oak kicks in adding sawdust, pure vanilla pod and custard cream. Luxurious and stunning, exiting with a herbal flourish
It doesn’t really need water, even though it’s over 50%, which is a surprise for it’s age, however if you do put a drop in it makes very little difference to the nose, whereas on the palate the creamy oak is brought more to the fore and the gorgeous herbal-honeyed orange fruit fills the mouth.
Dewar Rattray ‘Vintage Cask Collection’ Glen Grant 1988 (30 year old) 54.8%
Sherry Cask 9173/ Dist: 1988 Btl: 2019/ Tasted: Apr 2019
A dense, fragrant and aromatic nose with a very subtle, mature sherry influence. Beautifully balanced with incense, peppery spices, baked apple, greengage, lime, sweet lemon, cinnamon, coriander powder and a touch of lemon sherbet.
The palate is light, delicate and elegant, opening with pepper, cinnamon and dusty tannins. Mature barley, lime, lemon, crunchy honeycomb and subtle sherried dried fruit follow. Hints of liquorice and treacle appear on the middle as the flavours darken slightly. Very long with coriander, pepper, vanilla, milk chocolate and lingering subtle sherry notes. Stunning depth and maturity with the sherry cask so subtle it allows all the wonderful mature fruit to shine through. Classic!
Bladnoch Forum Glen Grant 1980 (27 year old) 51.6%
Bourbon Hogshead 20294/ Dist: Dec 1980 Btl: Aug 2008/ Tasted: Oct 2008
Deep, earthy and wonderfully maturearomas of orange fruit, marzipan, apricots in a light citrus conserve topped off with a lifting floral/ perfumed note of blossom and violets. It has a wonderfully soft and delicate vanilla sheen along with the classic nutty distillery character.
The palate, like the nose displays the earthy, mature vanilla laced orange fruit and dusty spices, followed by lively orange blossom and a distinctly peachy middle. Its crisp alcohol keeps the mature dram lively, and the length is superb with mature, elegant honey (acacia?) notes.
A drop of water gives the nose even more of a wow factor. It deepens and intensifies the decadent orange fruit and coffee spice, light almonds and hazelnuts as well as accentuating its floral/ violet character. Whilst on the palate a delicate peat note is now perceptible. I have tasted some excellent old sherry casks from this distillery and this wonderful bourbon cask is testament to the quality of the spirit.
Bladnoch Forum Glen Grant 1981 (28 year) old 52.2
Bourbon Hogshead 20293/ Dist: Dec 1981 Btl; Apr 2009/ Tasted: June 2009
A lovely, soft, spicy and floral nose with light, mature honey, earthy orange/ apricot fruit with hints of dunnage floors and wood spices. Over time it develops an exquisite liquid hone character. Light and oily on the palate. A typical light, floral Spey with mature honey, earth, light coffee, wood spices and a touch of citrus and grass on the middle. The intense alcohol masks the finish.
With water it emphasises the oily honey and mature straw-fruitaromas. It also brings out a whiff of diesel oil or paraffin along with the vanillins and white liquorice. It softens the palate bringing out its light and juicy character along with a grassy dryness and peppery spice note. Lovely length – A classic light/ floral Glen Grant.
Berry Bros & Rudd ‘Berrys’ Own Selection’ Glen Grant 1972 (33 year old) 46%
Dist: 1972 Btl: 2005/ Tasted: Sept 2007
A stunning nose. Extremely herbal with mint, beeswax, honey and a light almost sherry note. Lovely and luxurious, in time it opens to display leather, light coffee and tobacco nuances. Very deep and sensational.
A super soft arrival of honeyed popcorn and malt, followed by light coffee, delicate sherry, herbs and heather. Wonderful evolution on the palate with endless cocgnac-esque dried fruit. Very long, almost endless. Soft and juicy with the herbal character lingering. A touch of late pepper and smoke.
Superb! A malt to savour. The balance between youth and maturity is wonderful. There just wasn’t enough of this in the sample bottle!
Whisky According to Chris Whiskyman 