#3 Classic Malts: Glen Grant Distillery

Glen Grant is a rather big distillery with a capacity of 5.9 million liters annually. It is one of the best selling single malts out there, some surely based on that its a very cheap single malt. Now bottled at the age of 10yo, we've also seen it at 5yo, 8yo, 12yo and 15yo. Why is it a classic malt? Well, its the one thats always been around, but never until very recently gotten quite some reputation due to many older Glen Grants by different IB's. So to try some older youngsters and some newer oldies will give me an idea of why its one of the worlds best-selling single malts.



Glen Grant 10yo 40% OB

Issued by Gordon & Macphail. Probably an early 90's bottling. The color is light brown. It smells very fresh, mountain air, minty, some sherried notes, licorice, vanilla, heather, mild and gentle. The taste is extremely light, some hints of wood, malt and sweet pastry. No finish to be detected. Gone in the flashes of flashes.

A light and drinkable malt: 6


Glen Grant 38yo 1972-2011 48.2% Malts of Scotland cask#8235

This one is from a sherry hogshead, and at this age I think its well within the group of IB bottlings that has contributed to new-found interest for this distillery. The color is just the same as the 10yo. It smells oaky and sherried, sulphury. Needs time to open up. After a while it turns more bitter, even more sulphury, PVC, rubbery, seems it has gotten most of the worst that a sherry cask can add. The taste is sweet, light, oaky, sulphury, creamy, cinnamon, honey, strawberries, opens up beautifully. But this is very light whisky, maybe the lightest I've come across so far at CS. It needs some water perhaps? Water makes it a bit sour, lemon and white wine.

A nice and gentle malt, could've taken 10 more years in oak: 6


Glen Grant 27yo 50% OB

Dark brown whisky, some heavily sherried oloroso notes in this one? It smells minty and honeyed, red wine, tannic, drying (on the nose?). The taste is rich, sweet, sulphury, malty, sweet wine, rice wine, red berries. It shows once again to be very light. The finish is short and malty.

The interesting red wine notions makes it climb a half: 6.5


Glen Grant 21yo 1974-1995 54.9% Cadenhead's

For those of you that follow my site on a regular basis, surely know how much I appreciate Cadnehead's. But even though I usually find their bottlings to be very good, sometimes I come across total failures in my opinion. There are almost none MOTR whiskies from this IB. The color is dark golden. It smells very oaky and spirity. Not a good one thus far. The taste is very drying, some burnt notes, red paprika, caramel, cream crackers, peppery, bitter. The finish is long-lasting and has some minty and drying notes, grape soda.

Powerful whisky, for a Glen Grant, but there are some off-notes: 6


Glen Grant 8yo 57% OB

One from the early 90's. Young and strong, the way I usually like them, but this whisky seems so light, so I wonder what the higher prrof and younger age can do. light yellow color. No E's in this one it seems. It smells spirity, vodka, very easy on the nose. Grassy and fresh. The taste is bourbon, vanilla, thick and creamy, yeasty, very rich, malty, oak notes. I know it doesn't sound like its got it all, but its way better than the rest in this session.

At this strength, Glen Grants can really deliver the goods: 7.5



#4 Classic Malts