
August 10, 2020

Little duos, today Glen Grant OB vs. IB

While remembering that the true star in the early days of collecting whisky in Italy was not Macallan, but Glen Grant, which used to command much higher prices, as famous collector and merchant Giuseppe Begnoni once told me while we were sharing gnocchi fritti in a small locanda somewhere in the hills overlooking Bologna. But why am I telling you this?

Glen Grant ‘Rothes Chronicles - Cask Haven’ (46%, OB, 1st fill bourbon and sherry, travel retail, +/-2019)

Some pretty expensive NAS for travel retail, where have we seen this set-up before? Colour: white wine (great). Nose: flints and lemons (great). Seriously, a very good surprise, with something of the older Glen Grants, with some smoke and an obvious minerality, beeswax, custard, touches of mashed potatoes (the genuine recipe, half potatoes, half butter), then rather lime and angelica. Very smart composition – and I’m not saying this just because I like it, mind you. You sure get the vanilla from 1st fill oak, but they managed to keep it polite and well-behaved. Mouth: a big-bodied, flinty, chalky start, then lemon zests, some unexpected salt, green tea, gooseberries, a smokiness for sure, oils and waxes, grasses… Was this smokier distillate a one-off or has it become the norm at Glen Grant? Could be, since this is NAS, so probably very young (as no one would bottle some old whisky as NAS – I know some say they do but come on – talking about the youngest whisky in a blend here). Finish: long, maltier and breadier, and certainly pretty excellent. More chalk, lemon, and waxes. Comments: surprise surprise! I suppose with the demise of air travel, these tenser babies will soon find a path to regular shops.
SGP:561 - 87 points.

Glen Grant-Glenlivet 23 yo 1992/2016 (53.1%, Cadenhead, Small Batch, bourbon, 414 bottles)

I may have missed this one until now. It’s a blend of a barrel and a hogshead. Colour: straw. Nose: it’s a lighter, tarter, zestier style, rather all on lemons, limes, rhubarb, greengages and gooseberries – so pretty all green fruits – but it’s also got a medicinal side, with bandages and embrocations, as if one of the casks was ex-Laphroaig or something. It’s a lovely nose globally. With water: a little coconut coming out, vanilla, barley syrup… Mouth (neat): it’s grassier, more on cider apples as well, lemons, green walnuts and almonds, touch of salt yet again and just a wee thimble of lamp oil, or graphite oil or something. With water: gets lighter and fruitier. Touches of pear this time, poire cider… Finish: medium, well composed, fresh, limey. Comments: almost a tie, I would say. It’s not usual that an OB would manage to have talks with a lovely Cadenhead.
SGP:561 - 86 points.

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