Review by: ZoidbergOnTheRocks
Two Glen Grant miniatures that I got on auction sometime in 2015. I can’t say if I’ve ever had Glen Grant before now; if I did, it was forgettable. Let’s see if these leave an impression. Tasted on 10/5/2020, neat in a Glencairn.
Glen Grant 8 in a flat 5cl mini. The label says 70 proof… erm, okay. No idea how old this is, but when did 40% ABV become the minimum for Scotch? The label is yellowed and the glue on the back is starting to bubble, and there is glue residue around the front of the neck, like something is missing now. Anyway, I’m not gonna dig too deeply into this. If someone is a Glen Grant aficionado and wants more info I’ll add some high-res pics of the bottle.
Distillery: Glen Grant
Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail (GM)
Region: Scotland, Speyside
ABV: 70 proof
Age: 8 years old
Nose: green apple, honey, malt, leather, polish, some perfume, wet decaying leaves.
Taste: malt, tobacco, vanilla, a slight hint of pepper, some apple, thin.
Finish: malt, oak, tobacco, burnt plastic, mercifully short.
The nose on this is interesting and I still feel like there is something in there I can’t quite place. Surprisingly sharp nose for the ABV like a volatile polish or perfume. The taste and finish are not good, full stop. A weird malty, tobacco, cheap cigar sort of flavor and finish. No sir, I don’t like it.
(I was really worried that the cap liner might have degraded, but it seems just fine.)
Final Score: 55.
Glen Grant 15 year old, 40% ABV in a 5cl mini for the Italian market. No info on color or filtering, and I have no idea when this was bottled. This doesn’t appear to be part of their current core range going by what I see on their website, though the local Total Wine & More has it in stock for cheap.
Distillery: Glen Grant
Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail (GM)
Region: Scotland, Speyside
ABV: 40.0%
Age: 15 years old
Nose: butterscotch, paraffin, raisins, toffee, apple, prunes, fermented fruit cake, wet green hay.
Taste: sweet, toffee, malt, vanilla, pepper, thin.
Finish: sweet, malt, caramel, a bit of green apple, a tiny touch of spice, a bit rubbery, short.
This has a nice nose though not my usual cup of tea, but which I can certainly appreciate. The palate and finish, though, don’t follow the nose and are a real letdown. One-dimensional, thin, too sweet, quite malty and a poor finish.
Final Score: 65.
Comparison
Order: 15 > 8
Neither of these make me want to run out and buy a bottle of Glen Grant.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 