Glen Grant single malt has arrived in Thailand, bringing with it the 180-year-old unmistakable house style that is sure to entice whisky lovers.
It’s not the typical Speyside single malt you would have in mind because Glen Grant is anything but typical. It all started in 1840 when two whisky-loving brothers, John and James Grant, acquired distillery license to set up one of the earliest distilleries in Rothes, Speyside. The two went on to make history when the engine house at the distillery was equipped to drive dynamo, making Glen Grant was the first distillery in the northern Scotland to have electricity.
That’s not all. Their successor, James “The Major” Grant, who was known as an avid traveler and an ingenious innovator, revolutionized the craft of whisky making in 1872 in a major scale at only 25. He did away with the original pot stills in use at the time, replacing them with the tall slender stills and purifiers which created the light malty flavor and clear color that defines Glen Grant whisky to this day.
It’s not the typical Speyside single malt you would have in mind because Glen Grant is anything but typical. It all started in 1840 when two whisky-loving brothers, John and James Grant, acquired distillery license to set up one of the earliest distilleries in Rothes, Speyside. The two went on to make history when the engine house at the distillery was equipped to drive dynamo, making Glen Grant was the first distillery in the northern Scotland to have electricity.
That’s not all. Their successor, James “The Major” Grant, who was known as an avid traveler and an ingenious innovator, revolutionized the craft of whisky making in 1872 in a major scale at only 25. He did away with the original pot stills in use at the time, replacing them with the tall slender stills and purifiers which created the light malty flavor and clear color that defines Glen Grant whisky to this day.
“Speyside whiskies are usually smoky and toasty. Some even have this briny, tobacco leaf characters to them. But Glen Grant is different,” Robin Coupar, Global Scotch Whisky & Whiskey Advocate at Campari Group, says. “The first thing you may notice is the color. While most Speyside whiskies are darker in color, Glen Grant is of pale golden hue like the morning sunshine. We don’t add any colorant to the batches and the clear and light color is purely the result of James “The Major” Grant’s pot still innovation.
“Glen Grant is soft and smooth, a gentler single malt that doesn’t burn and is easy to drink. It’s also malty, fruity and rich which, in the past, made it an ideal single malt for blending as it is packed with characters and complexity and not overpowering. In fact, whisky from Glen Grant’s distillery used to be the main single malt for a few renowned blended whisky brands. Now all the whisky that we produce goes to Glen Grant. We don’t sell to other brands anymore.”
According to Robin, the distillery is small and well maintained with highly experienced small team in a traditional way, partly to honor the age-old craft of Scotch whisky making and partly to preserve Glen Grant’s long-treasured characters and structures that have made it the pride of Speyside for the past 180 years.
According to Robin, the distillery is small and well maintained with highly experienced small team in a traditional way, partly to honor the age-old craft of Scotch whisky making and partly to preserve Glen Grant’s long-treasured characters and structures that have made it the pride of Speyside for the past 180 years.
“Running a small distillery means you’re batching fewer barrels, but you have other benefits,” Robin, who has been working with Glen Grant for more than a decade, says. “Being small means you can do things the traditional way and get it right. We check the quality of every barrel by hand. We still use wooden fermenters, so you get the malolactic fermentation at the end where the local bacteria put their footprint on the development of the flavor. Many distilleries use stainless-steel fermenters that they can thoroughly clean. We can’t clinically clean [wooden fermenters] and we can only steam them, but it gives you the consistency and extra flavor and structure to the whisky.
“Not a lot of distilleries in Scotland now have stone warehouses to age the whisky, but we do. Barrels sit on earthen floor in the dark, cool and slightly damp stone-walled buildings all year long in the distillery ground, waiting for the whisky to mature. These components contribute to Glen Grant’s unmistakable house style and its lasting legacy.”
“Not a lot of distilleries in Scotland now have stone warehouses to age the whisky, but we do. Barrels sit on earthen floor in the dark, cool and slightly damp stone-walled buildings all year long in the distillery ground, waiting for the whisky to mature. These components contribute to Glen Grant’s unmistakable house style and its lasting legacy.”
Glen Grant’s another secret weapon in Dennis Malcolm, the Glen Grant Master Distiller, who directs and presides over the amber liquid. Born in the grounds of the distillery in 1946, he has worked for Glen Grant for over five decades, with an uncommon passion and unrivalled knowledge of the industry. Dennis’ unmatched Scotch whisky experience ensures that every expression in the Glen Grant range makes the absolute best of the complex alchemy of spirit, wood and time. As the longest serving master distiller in the Scotch whisky making industry and one of the most respected, in 2016 he was awarded an OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for his services to business and the Speyside community. Dennis is also recipient of Whisky Advocate’s 22nd Annual Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.
Now single malt fans in Thailand can indulge in Dennis’ exquisite work through three expressions of Glen Grant. The entry level, Glen Grant 10 Year Old is soft on the nose with hint of apple, pear and pastry. On the palate, you’ll get orchard fruits and malt that tapers to long and complex finish. Glen Grant 10 Year Old won Best Single Malt Scotch Whisky (10 YRS & Younger) by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible in 2017.
Now single malt fans in Thailand can indulge in Dennis’ exquisite work through three expressions of Glen Grant. The entry level, Glen Grant 10 Year Old is soft on the nose with hint of apple, pear and pastry. On the palate, you’ll get orchard fruits and malt that tapers to long and complex finish. Glen Grant 10 Year Old won Best Single Malt Scotch Whisky (10 YRS & Younger) by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible in 2017.
The bright gold Glen Grant 12 Year Old is for those who like their single malt honeyed and fruity. On the nose, you get abundance of apple, almond and citrus, with caramel, vanilla and apple pie crust on the palate. The slightly longer time in ex-sherry cask gives it a subtle hint of spice in its long finish. In 2016, this expression won Gold Medal from International Wine & Spirit Competition.
Last but not least is the complex and seductive Glen Grant 18 Year Old. Bouquet, oak, baking spices entice the nose, while malty caramel, dried resins and vanilla please the palate. Besides spices, the 18 Year Old also has sweet nuttiness in its long, lingering finish. This one, too, has won prestigious award. Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible named it Scotch Whisky of the Year in 2017.
All three expressions are aged mainly in ex-Kentucky straight bourbon casks and spend some time in ex-sherry casks for balance, complexity and structure.
“And because Glen Grant is easy to drink and yet also complex and rich, you can drink it by itself or enjoy it in cocktails. It’s a versatile whisky,” Robin enthuses. “I recommend highball because Glen Grant’s fruitiness and light aroma of malt can go with various kinds of fruits and the fizz. It’s the kind of whisky that brightens and refreshes. You can also enjoy it neat, or with a splash of soda.”
By Manta Klangboonkrong
All three expressions are aged mainly in ex-Kentucky straight bourbon casks and spend some time in ex-sherry casks for balance, complexity and structure.
“And because Glen Grant is easy to drink and yet also complex and rich, you can drink it by itself or enjoy it in cocktails. It’s a versatile whisky,” Robin enthuses. “I recommend highball because Glen Grant’s fruitiness and light aroma of malt can go with various kinds of fruits and the fizz. It’s the kind of whisky that brightens and refreshes. You can also enjoy it neat, or with a splash of soda.”
By Manta Klangboonkrong
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