Two Old Glen Grant


March 28, 2026

Angus's Corner
From our correspondent and skilled taster Angus MacRaild in Scotland

Two Old Glen Grant

I've had almost no time at all to write notes for Whiskyfun these past few weeks. We moved house and now I'm on the road for work in Switzerland and (by time of publication) Hong Kong as well. By next week I could very well be dead from jet lag! On the plus side, I've had a chance to open two old Glen Grant bottles which I'd never tried before and found time to pen a couple of notes.

I know I revisit Glen Grant rather frequently on these pages, but it's a distillery that I find persistently charming and fun to try. Especially the older ones which can be compelling at high strength in youth from dead wood, all the way up to great age from the richest of sherry casks, and everywhere in between. There aren't too many distillates which can perform like that in such a diverse way. It's also a distillery which was ubiquitously bottled over the past century, which means there are always more bottlings of it to discover and to explore.

Glen Grant 21 yo (45.7%, OB, decanter bottling Giovinetti import, early 1970s)
A bottling I've known about for many years but was never able to try before. Colour: deep gold. Nose: an effortless medley of honeycomb, beeswax, quince jelly, mirabelle, pollens, nectars and very old Sauternes. That classical old style American oak transport sherry cask profile which equates to coconut, dried exotic fruits and then these notes of roots and medicinal herbs. Stunning and old school in the most exquisite way. I'm a total sucker for this profile I'm afraid. Mouth: the bottling strength is such an asset here. Fat, waxy, lusciously on flower honey, dried exotic fruits, old humidors, mineral oil, sandalwood and fir resins. Finish: long, glowing with more honeys, dessert wines, assorted dried fruits and mead. Comments: it's possible, given the propensity of these decanters to evaporate, that this whisky is now heavily contingent upon the filling level in the bottle. This one was still comfortably into the neck, which probably explains why shows so brilliantly. But it's true that this profile is one we've encountered many times in these old Glen Grants of similar pedigree - a profile we will never tire of! SGP: 652 - 91 points.

Glen Grant 32 yo 1965/1998 (58.1%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society 9.24, sherry)
Colour: mahogany. Nose: freshly brewed, fruity black coffee, plum wine, soy sauce and Maggi! One of those incredible old beasts of a sherry cask which delivers intensely earthy, darkly fruity and umami profiles simultaneously. Continues with resinous hardwoods, a splash of creme de menthe and things like pickled walnuts, bramble wine and some very old green Chartreuse. Amazing! With water: milk chocolate, caramel sauce, shoe polish and some ancient Bas Armagnac! Goes even towards a varnishy character like you find in some of the very best American bourbons. Mouth: powerful delivery! Once again on coffee impressions like fresh espresso, tar liqueur, herbal ointments, fig jam, date and pomegranate molasses, walnut wine, camphor, iberico ham and the best, bitterest dark chocolate. A true sherry bomb of immense class! With water: stunningly on bitter herbs and many more red and black berry fruits, jams and conserves. Prune juice, blood orange marmalade, more natural tar extracts and thick notes of pipe tobacco and rancio. Finish: very long, on bitter herbs, roots and earthy black teas with more meats and dark fruits. Comments: a majestic sherry cask that undoubtedly dominates proceedings, but there can be no doubt that the end result owes something to the quality of the original distillate itself. One of those whiskies you could spend hours dissecting with a pipette and probably discover many additional subtleties and characters along the way. SGP: 561 - 92 points.

Check the index of all Glen Grant we've tasted