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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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May 14, 2021 |
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New Glen Grant 67 yo 1953
with apéritif and digestif |
There's a new very old Glen Grant by Gordon & MacPhail who have really become the guardians of this increasingly rare style. We'll try it today, also try to find a proper sparring partner (G&M might be of help too) and first, the usual apéritif. Perhaps this wee one?... Rather cunningly, the strength here is that same as that of the new very old G&M, and that's why we chose it. A matter of coherence, you see… (nah, in fact, it's just a coincidence). |
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Glen Grant 21 yo 1997/2019 (59.4%, Signatory Vintage, 20 Jahre COTWE Zürich, hogshead, cask #38889, 180 bottles) 
COTWE stands for Confrérie de l'Ordre des Taste Whisky Ecossais. Mind you, serious stuff! Such an honourable company, especially their Zürich branch, could not have selected a bad whisky… Colour: pale gold. Nose: strong and burns a wee bit but you do feel there's something old-school in there, especially touches of smoke beyond the expected pastries, banana cake, cornflakes, popcorn... With water: I find it very fermentary, bready and beery once water's been added, you could almost find notes of sake. Well, I do. Classic sponge cake and madeleines in the background. Did we say classic? Mouth (neat): some heat, some cider apples, some lemon and a feeling of Damson eau-de-vie as it runs from the still, including these bitter almonds. Tough guy when neat. With water: very good, pretty tight, with more fruits, especially apples and grapefruits, as well as Belgian gueuze. Aren't all gueuzes Belgian anyway? Not too sure, I know next to nothing about beers. Finish: medium, very barley-y, on more cakes and some obvious strong green tea. I'm thinking of 'Gunpowder'. Banana skin. Comments: very, very good. A rather 'centrist' whisky that sits right in the middle of all styles.
SGP:451 - 86 points. |
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Glen Grant 67 yo 1953/2021 'Mr George Legacy' (59.4%, Gordon & MacPhail, first fill sherry butt, cask #4209, 355 bottles) 
G&M have already done a 62/1956 'Mr George Centenary' back in 2019. I had thought it was just sublime (WF 93). As for 'Mr George', that's former G&M CEO George Urquhart of course, probably the man who really pioneered the marketing of single malts on a wider scale. For example, he created the Connoisseurs Choice range back in 1968. I've heard he was a great man but sadly, I don't think I ever met him personally. He was still chairing the company in the year 2000 but he sadly died in 2001, at the age of 82. By the way, did you really notice the strength of this very old whisky? What's sure is that it cannot quite be 'fragile'. Colour: mahogany with red hues. Nose: as I had said about that very old Ben Nevis we tried yesterday, very old spirits tend to converge and indeed, I wouldn't have cried wolf if you had said this was pre-war rhum agricole or cognac. What's particularly spectacular here is the amounts of all things from the bees, especially wax, as well as this avalanche of wee honeyed, resinous and herbal tones. More about that after we've added a little water… With water: I'm not adding too much, better safe than sorry. Oh what a wonder! The aromatic territory is that of a 100 years old Sauternes that's digested all its sugars. It is stunning, with dozens and dozens of aromas, but should we only quote ten, I would say beeswax, heather honey, miso, chocolate, proper mocha, Smyrna raisins, dried figs, pipe tobacco, a little tiger balm, and a wee metallic touch. Grandma's famous old copper kettle. I cannot find any flaws in this nose, especially none that would be related to old age. Mouth (neat): massive! This time I would mention tobacco, Szechuan pepper, honey, chocolate and of course raisins, but watch this baby, at 67 it could still hit you right between your eyes. How old is De Niro, by the way? With water: sweet Vishnu! This is gloriously pine-y but absolutely never too dry or green. Many dried fruits, herbal teas and liqueurs, light toffee, pipe tobacco… But in truth it is one, not just an accumulation of flavours. Finish: long and rather more on that very old Sauternes that went stunningly dry. Comments: this malt is eternal. This lot will go to 100 easy and maybe even see the year 2100. I am not joking, at all. And I'd bet the first 100 year old will be one of these. As for the butt, it was a star. Perhaps even a proper ex-solera cask? We can only bow before G&M.
SGP:561 - 94 points (so one more point than the already glorious 62 yo). |
And so, we said we would have a digestif after that piece of resistance… In theory, the digestif should be older, which is hard to do here. Unless we retrieve an older 'vintage'… |
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Glen Grant 1936 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail, 75cl, +/-1985)
We've tried some Glen Grants that had been distilled even before 1936, but never as a 'single vintage' version. There's no age statement and no neck label on this one, but there's also a 1936 that had been bottled as a 50 yo in bottles and decanters, so indeed the odds are high that this is +/- 50 years too, and consequently bottled circa 1985. Please be sure that we've taken our time and that we're not quaffing this lighter old GG just thirty seconds after we've finished the rather monstrous 1953. No, but you never know. Colour: gold. Nose: a little smokier, a little more metallic, not fragile this far, a little more on waxes than honey, with more walnuts than dried fruits, and so a slightly more oloroso-y profile. Pinewood and embrocations in the background, that's closer. A drop of old apple brandy, perhaps, otherwise toasted brioche and wee hints of menthol and liquorice. It is complex and totally fresh. We're in 1936 and nothing has changed! The 40% do not feel either, but as we always say, the devil is on the palate… Mouth: well, he's not there, apparently. Not the tiniest sign of cardboard, stale tea or dust here, quite the contrary, with perfect oranges and tangerine jams, golden sultanas, some toffee, even butterscotch, mountain honey, a touch of wood smoke, I am reminded of Macallan of old. Stewed bananas in honey and sweet wine, with a little mint. This one's absolutely not tired. Finish: this is where it would start to nosedive, the finish is very short. But still no cardboard, rather a little mead. Comments: I was not sure this one would have survived the new 1953, but it was actually a great little fighter. Let's just forget about the finish (the what?)… Oh and did you know that Buddy Guy was born in 1936?
SGP:462 - 91 points. |
(Many thanks, Carlos and Ryan!) |
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