Review 143
2/23/13
Glen Grant 10 Yr: 40% abv
Background: Glen Grant is one of those distilleries I tend to overlook, but don’t be fooled. This Speyside whisky distillery is one of the biggest in Scotland. It is the third biggest whisky producer in Scotland, below Glenfiddich and Macallan, and just barely above Glenlivet. This gets to be a very scary statistic to publish, partially because there are two metrics “Produced whisky”, and “sold whisky”. In any case, Glen Grant is big. They have capacity to produce a measly 5.9 million liters a year. That being said, we are looking at their bottom statement, the 10 year. This whisky sits at around $40 a bottle, so it is very reasonably priced.
Nose: Light, fresh grain, vanilla, vegetable oil, malt, wheat, subtle spice, minimal heat
A/W: Not much different
Arrival: Sweet, malty arrival, honey
A/W: Honey and vanilla
Body: Sweet malt, vanilla, wheat, nutty
A/W: Slightly vegetal, caramel
Finish: Dry, malt, straw, wheat, vanilla, lemon, citrus, cinnamon, subtle pepper, hot, spice, honey
A/W: Pear, nutty, vanilla, slightly vegetal, agave
Final Comments: This whisky should be competing as a Speyside with the likes of Macallan 10, Glenfiddich 12, Glenlivet 12, and so on. To be honest, I don’t think it does. Although it is a good whisky, it doesn’t have the fruity nature of Glenlivet 12, it doesn’t have the sherried nature of Macallan, and it doesn’t have the combined balance of Glenfiddich. If KCM were going to compare this to anything, we would compare this to Glengoyne 10 . This is a simple, straight forward, whisky, without the influence of sherry or peat to weigh it down. Its light and grainy, with a dry sweetness to it.
Why you’d buy it: You want a simple, gentle starter whisky for an affordable price
Why you wouldn’t: You want to go for something a little more advanced like Glengoyne
Score: 7.75/10
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