Glen Grant 12 Year Old Single Malt Speyside Scotch Whisky, 70 cl

Product Information

If any provision of these Terms is held invalid, the remainder of the Terms shall continue in full force and effect. This is the deepest dive I’ve done on the brand so far. Currently, I have no strong opinion about it. Despite seeing some really well aged and reasonably priced independently bottled (IB) Glen Grants in the past, I’ve never tried any. Among the original bottlings, I’ve only tried the 12.

Our Service is an online platform which provides Members with information (e.g. bottle facts, market-indices, market values and prices) on (mostly) whisky and allows Members to add information to the platform. We do not sell, nor does the Service provide any option to buy, any alcoholic products. DM: My remit all my life has been to make the best, most consistent single malt I can. As a Master Distiller, of course, you look after the whisky production. After many decades I have an incredible team of experts to help me. Now the role becomes even more than that. You start to look at the way forward and help envision the distillery’s and whiskies' future. 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. I only sensed a small amount of sherry influence in this. Aside from the burst of PX-like aromas, the sherry characteristics in this are subtle. This doesn’t seem to be that different from the Major’s Reserve in that it’s mostly refill ex-bourbon casks. I say so because I think the fruity flavors come from the distillate’s character, rather than the influence of the oak. The sherry influence has added an extra layer of flavor, but I also feel like it took away some flavors. On the other hand, this could just be a Major’s Reserve finished in ex-sherry casks. The light sherry influence makes it taste generic, but I get that this was probably made to cater to contemporary preferences for ex-wine influence in spirits.On the nose: Sharper and more acidic compared to the other three. A somewhat British image of tea with a slice of lemon and honey comes to mind. After it comes a creaminess like what I sometimes get with Cragganmore 12. A medium and lasting aroma of lemon square comes out, too. In between, there are very subtle aromas of melons, sapodilla, honey, butterscotch and orange peel oils. The Service has been prepared by us solely for information purposes to Members and the Service is based on information we consider reliable and we obtain the contents of the Service from a number of different third party sources (including Contributions), but we do not endorse, support, represent, warrant or guarantee the completeness, truthfulness, accuracy, or reliability of the Services and any information therein. 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. One of my favourite events of the year is the annual Whisky and Spirit live festival in Sandton. Not only do I get to taste a variety of whisky, but I get to meet up with many whisky friends. And over the years, traditions have formed. Every year, my friend Bernard G comes up to present at the Glen Grant stand, and we get to spend a bit of time together.

The version being reviewed here is the 12 Year Old, which is bottled at 43% alcohol by volume and is chill filtered. Glen Grant offers a second version of this 12-year-old single malt, which is non-chill filtered and exclusive to travel retail. Both versions are relatively new to the market, having been launched along with an 18-year-old single malt in mid-2016. Tasting Notes: Glen Grant 12-Year-Old Chill filtering prevents the whisky from becoming hazy when in the bottle, when served, when chilled, or when water or ice is added. It also prevents sedimentation from occurring in the bottles. I found an informative piece on ‘ Whisky for Everyone” on chill-filtering and the reasoning behind it. My focus is to help ensure we stay true to the tradition and heritage of The Glen Grant while also innovating for the future. One of my happiest changes has been expanding our family of whiskies, with the 15-year-old, 18-year-old, and now the 21. 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. We may sell, license, transfer, assign or in any other way dispose of the Service (including Members) to any third party without any notification to you, e.g. (but without limitation) in connection with any reorganization, restructuring, merger or sale, or other transfer of assets.The oddest thing about this is the unavailability in more mature markets like the UK and US. At the time of writing this review, well-known online stores like The Whisky Exchange, Master of Malt, Total Wine and K&L Wines didn’t have this. Yet, local and AUS online stores have it. Maybe this hasn’t been launched in the EU and US yet?

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. According to Wikipedia chill filtering is a method in whisky-making for removing residue. In chill-filtering, whisky is cooled to between -10° and 4° Celsius and passed through a fine adsorption filter. My first Divine rated whisky for 2019. What a beautiful full rounded and balanced release. It is amazing how big the difference in taste is between the chill and non chill filtered. Later in the year, I will do a side by side blind taste comparison and write about it. I am not sure if it will hold for other releases, but in this Glen Grant 12 yo whisky, the non chill filtering has a significant difference in taste.You are responsible for all activities through your account. You are responsible for the accuracy of the information you provide to us in relation to your account, and for updating it where necessary. You are not allowed to create multiple accounts. We may terminate or temporarily suspend your account to protect you, ourselves or our partners from (suspected) identity theft or other (suspected) fraudulent (e.g. false, misleading, deceptive) activity. You have the obligation to keep your login credentials confidential. You shall not authorize any others to use or access your account. PALATE: Big, bold and oily with heaps of pineapples, banana, tropical fruit, woody spices, honey, vanilla, and hints of Butterscotch and cinnamon. You don’t even have to add water, it drinks so smooth. Water releases a few more sweet notes and softens the boldness. 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. 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

This is very different from the last Glen Grant 12 I had. Is batch variance to blame for this? Or has my palate changed since the last time? All in all, a decent whisky. Due to the sherry influence, I can’t see it as a highball, but I could see it as a session whisky. Score: 5/10

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?