Review by: Whiskery Turnip
Distillery: Glen Grant.
Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail.
Region: Scotland/Speyside Single Malt.
ABV: 40%.
Age: 30 Years. Distilled in 1958. Bottled in 1988.
Cask type: Oak.
Nose: Fruit and wood, pink starburst, fruit punch, burning leaves, fall vegetation and moss, black tea, lacquered wood and antiques.
Palate: Light-bodied with fruit punch, cherries and lychee, gummy bears, black tea, mellow vegetation and old papers, dried leaves, mossy stones, hints of burning chimneys, a kiss of salt and char.
Finish: Medium-short and mellow with gentle fruit, black tea, and bell peppers.
Mental Image: Autumn Strolling.
Conclusion: The aroma was gentle and mild, with a fruit punch bowl full of cherries, lychee, grapes, and crisp red apples. Or maybe it was a pocketful of pink starburst to enjoy while strolling among fallen fall foliage with hints of sweet decay, moss, and wispy burning leaves. Lacquered wood and antiques developed with black tea in the background. Light-bodied, the flavors were vibrant with fruit punch, cherries, star fruit, and lychee gummy bears. Black tea and pear blossoms drifted over mellow, dried autumn vegetation, molasses biscuits, and old papers. Mossy stones dotted the autumn walkway with a kiss of salt and wispy chimney smoke in the air. The finish was medium to short with gentle fruit, black tea, and the fruity-vegetal aftertaste of bell peppers.
This vintage Glen Grant featured a lovely set of tropical fruits that immediately brought to mind pink Starburst candies— my favorite and the Starburst flavor I always saved for last. Clearly my wife and I were of one mind on this as she remarked that if children drank whisky, they would love this. She was as impressed as I was that the flavors were so present and vivid on this malt that spent just as long in the glass as in the cask. If only the finish were a bit stronger— it was mild and abbreviated— this would have been superb.
Overall, a brilliantly fun whisky to try and not a bad set of flavors. My wife, who tried it blindly, as she does everything, gave it a 3/5 “not bad.” She reckoned it was not her cup of tea even if she found a lovely nostalgia to the flavors, which reminded her of autumn visits to apple orchards and walks among the leaves with her family.
Final Score: 80.
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 