Marking the first release in the distillery’s Splendour Collection, this majestic 65-year-old whisky pays homage to Glen Grant’s founding legacy and the Victorian garden that inspired it all
Time has always been a quiet yet constant collaborator for Glen Grant. Nowhere is that more evident than in its latest unveiling, the Glen Grant 65-Year-Old, which paves the way as the first offering in the distillery’s newly announced Splendour Collection.
This rare whisky expression came about as a tribute to the distillery’s enduring philosophy of grace, refinement, and innovation. “We’ve tied this release back to The Major and his famed Victorian-style garden back home in Scotland–the Victorian Garden of Splendour,” explains Greig Stables, master distiller of the Glen Grant. “The sculpture’s wood is still found in that very garden today, and the Himalayan poppy engraved on the decanter also blooms there. It’s almost like a full-circle moment.”
Adding to its exclusivity and rarity, only 151 bottles of this highly limited release exist, and its presentation is nothing short of a work of art in itself–each bottle is housed in hand-blown glass decanters designed by Brodie Nairn of Glasstorm, and cradled within bespoke wooden sculptures crafted by master artisan John Galvin. The design references the Mobius loop. “It’s almost a reference to The Major and his travels around the world–and how he always comes back to the starting point, his garden,” says Stables.
While visually breathtaking, it’s the liquid itself that steals the show–and we say this even with a glance, though we wouldn’t have said no to a sip. “The best way I can describe this expression is that it’s absolutely beautiful—the depth and the flavours in there are quite crazy,” says Stables. “Once you’ve tasted it, you almost never want to clean your teeth again because the flavour just stays. Dark berries, cherries, a treacled richness and then, right at the end, a whisper of smoke, which all lingers in the empty glass long after the last drop is gone.”
One thing’s for sure: the Glen Grant 65-Year-Old honours and reaffirms Glen Grant’s mastery of refined, long-aged whisky, but also signals an ambitious future–hints of experimental casks aging quietly in the historic Warehouse No. 4 suggest more surprises to come. “This is just the beginning,” Stables hints. “There will definitely be more in the Splendour Collection; Warehouse No. 4 is the oldest warehouse in our distillery. It’s an exciting time.”
