Glen Grant 39 yo 1972/2011 The Perfect Dram
Finally, Glen Grant. When I see ancient bottles at (relatively) fair prices, it’s likely a Glen Grant or Strathisla, and it’s going to be thanks to Gordon & Macphail and their talented cask management, as well as the distillate’s lighter character that gives it the ability to age well.
This is a Perfect Dram/Whisky Agency bottling though, at 39 not considered immensely old, but far along enough to give me a warm feeling this evening. You can, even in today’s whisky bubble, buy some super-sherried-looking Glen Grant from the 50s for a pretty (but reasonable) penny if you wanted to, by the way, and this is something I am grateful for.
That’s the distillery front, looks quaint and stately doesn’t it.
But Glen Grant has 4 wash and 4 spirit still and churns out 6 million litres of distillate a year! That makes it one of the largest distilleries in terms of production.
Also note the peculiar still shapes, wash and spirit stills next to each other. Though their height cannot be gauged accurately in a photo, the stills are regarded as quite tall and the spirit stills come with a purifier fitted at the top. This 1972 dram comes at a cusp of great changes – the worm tubs were converted to shell condensers in 1973 and through the 70s the news stills were added. They were all still direct fired though and it was only in the late 1990s that all the stills were converted into steam.
Glen Grant 39 yo 1972/2011 The Perfect Dram, 53.2%, Ex-sherry wood, 119 bottles. ‘Selected at Spirits in they Sky 2011’.
Nose: Quick blast of violets and lavender, then settles into a complex yet ‘narrow’ fruity profile – honey, toasted figs, dried cranberries. Not heavy and huge like a first fill sherry cask, but lighter in weight but still complex and perfumy, rising out of my copita. Slightly green edge to it too. Sweet malt and cereal follows, again rather delicate. Also some talc, touch of cedarwood and a heavier nutmeg paste. Such a complex yet fragrant and light nose.
Palette: Oh wow, big, savoury-sweet, and very herbaceous. Like chewing on mint leaf with chrysanthemum petals, and tarragon, chased by red berry juice. Turns drier with peppercorns and parsley. Whiff of fragrant something… melon on a grill?
Finish: Dry, cocoa powder, malty.
I can see why this cask was chosen for Spirits in the Sky, its excellent. Fragrant complex nose, cheeky herby palette.
On the light side of sherry though full of finesse, so you sherry freaks out there, this is not a PX Glendronach.
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