A quartet of indie Glen Grant


January 11, 2024

A quartet of indie Glen Grant

There are two or three new independent Glen Grants that have quickly earned an impressive reputation and which we have yet to taste. Gone are the days when we thought we could try everything as it came along, or almost!

Untitled (textile layer 3) by Scottish artist Claire Barclay, who did the exquisite labels for the new SMWS/LMDW bottlings (Glasgow Print Studio)

Glen Grant 13 yo 2009/2023 (59.1%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice, first fill sherry butt, cask #900938, 642 bottles)

G&M have always had very varied styles of Glen Grant, from the pure marvels of old vintages to others that were a wee bit more 'pedestrian', let's say. I have quite a good feeling here. Colour: gold, a pale colour for a 1st fill sherry. Nose: all about walnuts and chalk. You could almost say 'albariza' (the very chalky soil of the area around Sanlúcar and elsewhere in the Triangle). You could even say it resembles a fine of manzanilla, if such a thing existed. With water: moist plaster and fresh walnut, plus a few amaretti biscuits and kougelhopf. Mouth (neat): truly perfect, very compact, very coherent. Always the walnuts, whether fresh or aged, liquors made from these same walnuts, a bit of pepper, a salty side (some whelks, ha-ha), and then, as long as we're on the subject, some real manzanilla. Not so many people know manzanilla, everyone should buy a bottle, they are scandalously cheap (there are some great ones for less than €10, at least locally). With water: maltier notes come back to the surface, all the while remaining very dry and almost austere. Finish: long, on similar notes and a bit of green pepper. The manzanilla remains in the aftertaste. Comments: certainly not a very extravagant malt, on the contrary. But if you like that, you'll adore it.
SGP:461 - 87 points.

Glen Grant 20 yo 2003/2023 (53.9%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society 40th Anniversary for LMDW Artist #13, 1st fill oloroso hogshead, #9.289, 'Break The Mould', 175 bottles)

The bottle is truly very beautiful. In 2023, the SMWS has indeed provided some casks without using their own packaging. It appears that this cask is made from Spanish oak. Colour: glowing amber. Indeed. Nose: once again a powerful sherry, but this time with more of a focus on meats, as well as vegetables and all sorts of minor secondary aromas. Wine sauce, leeks, marrow, truffles, mushrooms, then dried grapes and a curious lactic side that's not unpleasant at all. Perhaps it's the Spanish oak. With water: it's the spices and herbs that come to the forefront. Tobacco is a herb, isn't it? Mouth (neat): a traditional sherry, plus some wood spices (Spanish ones, have we mentioned that?) Walnuts, foliage, pepper, a bit of sawdust, cedar, coriander seeds, cardamom, bitter chocolate (typical oloroso)... With water: an old-fashioned sherry, with a little more figs, dark honey, marmalade, and fruit cake. Bay leaf too. Finish: quite long, with a return of somewhat wild cocoa, allspice, slightly acidic coffee... Comments: a different style of sherry but of absolutely equivalent level – and therefore high-level.
SGP:461 - 87 points.

Glen Grant 23 yo 2000/2023 (57.3%, Signatory Vintage for Wu Dram Clan, 1st fill sherry butt finish, cask #4, 693 bottles)

In theory… Now we haven't tried the sister cask for TWE yet, but Angus did and said good things about it in these miserable pages. Colour: lighter mahogany. Nose: a bit strong but we do detect some compost notes, fresh potting soil, pipe tobacco, bags and bags of dried dates, quite some chocolate and the expected 'armagnacqy' side. That would be some robust Ténarèze, I think. With water: pine needles, moss, Worcester sauce and five kilos of pipe tobacco, plus a ton of bitter chocolate and a small ristretto. Mouth (neat): prunes, raisins, gravy, hints of Marmite, cracked pepper… But indeed, it is strong. With water: arch classic heavy sherry. Muscovado, demerara (sugar and rum), more tobacco yet, then smaller flavours around heavy oils (roasted sesame, perhaps) and black truffles. Take your time, it's not a flash-pleaser but it can become pretty fractal with good water. Seriously, don't be a street drinker, the kind of water you use with these is very important. Never the purest, don't believe their ads. Finish: long, unexpectedly fruitier, on anything oranges and tangerines. Liqueurs! Comments: not the first time I'm noticing these finishings by SV rather taste like full-maturation. Extra-point for the fruity, unexpectedly bright finish.
SGP:562 - 90 points.

While we're at Signatory's…

Glen Grant 21 yo 1992/2014 (52.4%, Signatory Vintage, hogshead, cask #55414, 281 bottles)

We should get closer to the original distillate here. Colour: straw. Nose: absolutely, melon skin, apples, apricots, plums, toffee apple, candyfloss, pears, plus a beach-sand side that comes a little unexpected. Also fresh almonds, clams, fresh putty, whiffs of kelp… Did this one age near the sea? With water: some light ashes and a little antiseptic, which is intriguing. Mouth (neat): a bit raw, a bit salty and tarry, with some marzipan and some plasticine, cider apples, sweet vegetables (carrots)… I doubt you could make them more 'natural' than this, in short a perfect 'anti-OB'. With water: polishes and tar, plus some grapefruit. I agree that's not very 'Glen Grant but I've just checked my note for a sister cask (55415 for Le Gus't) and indeed I was having similar feelings back in… ach, 2014. Finish: long, fairly smoky now, a tad fizzy (Schweppe's). Comments: without that curious fizzy side I would have gone up to 88. But it needs your time and a quality pipette. And proper water (more about that in a few seconds).
SGP:552 - 87 points.

(Merci Morten!)

Check the index of all Glen Grant we've tasted so far

		What's good water
		In general, I believe that the best water to dilute your spirits with is the same you would use to make fine teas or coffees. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but a certain level of minerality is essential; overly pure waters just don't work. It's better to use highly mineralised waters than those with very little mineral content, and alkaline waters rather than acidic ones, in my opinion, of course... Conduct your experiments, and you'll see! But please, do them double-blind. Blind tasting must be done properly or not at all. The water I'm strickly always using at WF HQ is Vittel. Changing water changes your spirits.