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. JM: The Glen Grant has not released a lot of cask-finished expressions. There was a Port cask finished from The Glen Grant a few years ago that was a distillery exclusive. There are also some expressions from the 1980s, like the Director’s Reserve, that, I believe, showed some Sherry influence. Are there other cask-finished expressions from The Glen Grant? Are you planning more cask-finished whiskies in the future? The whisky has a dark golden color reflecting the Sherry butt and bourbon cask mix. On the nose are notes of stone and tropical fruits, especially ripe peaches, along with golden raisin, candied orange zest, almond, and caramel. The whisky has some slight herbal notes of mint, along with the typical assortment of wood spices. 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.

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? 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? I think there’s no better way to foster an appreciation of single malt whiskies than by visiting the home of your favorite whisky in person. We are fortunate to have many visitors to the distillery. It’s important for us to continue to welcome visitors from all over the world to The Glen Grant. We have some exciting plans ahead for our distillery experience, which we hope to share more about soon. In 1898, with demand rising, The Major built a second distillery across the road from Glen Grant but like so many constructed at this time it closed soon after (in 1902). Its maltings –which are claimed to have been the first pneumatic malting drums in the Highlands continued to supply the needs of its sister plant.

Age:

One of the better 12 year old single malts I’ve tried in recent memory. Oddly, the price difference between this and the Arboralis is not that huge. Pricier NAS whisky justified due to ex-sherry casks, maybe? Score: 6/10 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. Stories about ‘The Major’ abound. A legendary innovator, socialiser and traveller, he lived by his own rules and set his own standards. New ideas fascinated him and he wasn't afraid to explore them. He was the first man in the Highlands to own a car. Glen Grant was the first distillery to have electric light. And he introduced the tall slender stills and purifiers which created the fresh malty flavour and clear colour that defines Glen Grant whisky to this day. 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: 7/10

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. 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. Is it just me, or has the popularity of awards made some brands forever connected to certain awards, and vice versa?

I like that you still get the distillery DNA despite the long aging. Extra points for Glen Grant not adding a sherry cask component here. I feel like the sherry cask influence other brands add to their 18-year-olds mute their distillery’s DNA character. There are hidden complexities here that I don’t think the regular drinker will easily find. It took a lot of effort for me to “listen” to the shy and hidden flavors.

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. Though it might seem self-aggrandising to namea valley after yourself, John and James Grant were men of substance. John, though a respected landowner, is suspected to have had some ‘previous’ when it came to whisky making at the start of the 19th century. His brother James however was a pillar of the community. An engineer by trade, hebecame Lord Provost [mayor] of Elgin. The brothers joined to build what was then a massive distillery in 1839. They were alsofar-sighted enough to realise that large-scale whisky production would flounder if transport links were not established. It was thanks to them (James in particular) that a rail line was built from Lossiemouth to Elgin, while in 1858 they paid personally for the extension of the route south to their base in Rothes.

Date bottled:

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. 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: Whisky-related tourism has been a rapidly growing segment of the Scotch whisky industry. The Glen Grant has a new visitor center, and the distillery is located in an exceptional botanical garden that was created by Major Grant almost a century ago. What’s The Glen Grant doing to encourage whisky tourism, and how do you expect it to impact the brand?