Glen Grant distillery was founded by John & James Grant who applied for their license to distill in 1840.

In 1872 the distillery passed down the family to John 'The Major' Grant (born in 1847) after the founding Brothers had passed away.

The boom times of 1900 saw him expand the distillery an install the tall slender stills which are the style still used today.

When 'The Major' Grant died in 1931 the distillery passed to his Grandson Douglas MacKessack.

1972 saw Glen Grant and The Glenlivet merge with Hill Thomson & Co. Ltd and also Longmorn Distilleries Ltd to form The Glenlivet Distillers Ltd.

In 2006 Campari took over Glen Grant as Pernod Ricard acquired Allied Domecq.

Glen Grant is a Speyside distillery located in Rothes, Morayshire and operates 8 stills, (4 wash, 4 spirit). it is also one of the top 3 single malt producers in Scotland with a capacity of almost 6 million litres of pure alcohol per year.

More great distillery info here thanks to Malt Madness

Distillery photos by kind permission of Teun van Wel

Glen Grant, (OB), NAS, 40% ABV

Typical cost of this bottle; €€€€€

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Very pale yellow / light gold

Nose: Malt, hay, Fresh vanilla and a touch of lemon

Palate: Initially light with hints of liquorice, expanding to include some coconut and hints of creamy toffee.

Finish: Medium

Overall Impression: A light whisky with hints of grass, toffee and coconut. Mediocre.

Whisky Doris, Glen Grant, 38y, 52.4% ABV

Typical cost of this bottle; €€€€€

Dram-atics "Advent-urous" live review

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Glowing rich amber

Nose: In the foreground of the nose is a very well looked after and polished solid oak dining table, but after a few minutes this lightens somewhat to include some delightful and extremely floral notes, almost akin to my favourite Alpine meadow in full Spring-time bloom.

Palate: I can only describe this as 'full power' as it exhudes that well polished oak whilst still managing to find room for fresh herbal flora.

Just 4 drops of water manage to make this even more intensely floral and also considerably smoother on the palate.

A further 4 drops of water now create a much lighter nose which is still very floral, whereas the palate still comprises lots of that lovely old oak, but somehow appears more 'open'.

Finish: Delightfully long, very long, maybe extremely long, but no matter how long it is, it just can't be long enough as I could savour this for at least the next month or two.

What can I say? This is a delightful whisky, a truly magnificent example which I feel is destined for greatness in my own hall of Dram-tabulous fame. In fact, this wonderful dram has replaced the Yamazaki heavily peated single cask at No.10.

Whisky Agency, Glen Grant, 36y, 1973-2010, 53.6% ABV

Sherry wood, one of 251 bottles

Typical cost of this bottle; Unknown

Glass: Munich whisky fair

Colour: Rich gold

Nose: Oak with lots of aromatic butterscotch.

Palate: Aromatic vanilla and oak, as though served as an ice cream!

Finish: Long and fruity

Overall Impression: A good enough whisky but compared the the sensational whisky Doris 38y example above I feel it lacks just a little something to be in the same class.

LMdW (G&M) "Book of Kells", Glen Grant, 59y, 49.2%

Refill American Hogshead No.1134, distilled 15.3.1952

Typical cost of this bottle; €€€€€ to €€€€€ ???

Reviewed as part of MMA 2011

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Bright very dark gold

Nose: Immediately intense with very floral or lightly perfumed malt. There really are some great notes in this nose, all based around flora, light perfume and even a suggestion of the great outdoors (countryside). This is all eventually completed by butterscotch and light toffee.

Palate: There's fruity wood concentrated on the middle of the palate as slightly bitter fruits play on the sides. A hint of coconut? Well, there's certainly apple and raspberry crumble with custard.

Finish: Long, fruity, very lively and energetic

Overall Impression: Wonderful, an absolute "Great" at any price!

BBR, Glen Grant, 1972, 51.8%

Cask 744/9

Typical cost of this bottle; €€€€€

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Teak

Nose: Aromatically perfumed Alpine cheese which just expands more and more with time in the glass. Eventually including some light woody aromas but always very aromatic, lightly perfumed and with those cheese notes, which I actually like!

Palate: A delightful creaminess leads to wood and raisins with hints of that Alpine cheese. Always rich, soft and creamy mouth-feel.

Finish: Long and sophisticated

Overall Impression: Quite delightful even, or especially, including that cheese!

G&M, Glen Grant, 60y, 1952-2012, 42.3% ABV

Commemmorative Edition of 85 Decanters for

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee, 2012

Typical cost of this bottle; €€€€€

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Rich golden yellow

Nose: very vibrant and offering a subtle creaminess, lots of apple and just a hint of cinnamon just like an excellent apple strudel. There's even a hint of the vanilla sauce it would be served with. Light floral or even very faint herbal nuances follow with the slightest suggestion of something almost meaty, in a Sunday roast kind of way. Could this be a roast pork joint with a herbal crust? Even more floral notes appear with time in the glass and finally suggest rose petals, or even a rose oil fragrance.

Palate: There's an abundance of flora on the palate with a hint of something citrus or even pine-cone like. The apple nuances from the nose translate nicely onto the palate, albeit without the cinnamon, but with some slight pepperiness. The palate also offers a hint of light toffee or even butterscotch leading into the extremely long finish which is slightly bitter and certainly quite dry at the end.

Finish: Extremely long.

Overall Impression: Amazing lightness and complexity for such an aged whisky. In fact I am again very pleasantly surprised by the characteristics of an amazingly old Glen Grant. I can only hope I'm as light and vibrant at 60 as this is. This is bordering upon my scale of "Greatness", almost, but just not quite although it is truly excellent.

Duncan Taylor, Glen Grant, 2.1970 - 8.2009, 39y, 51.6%

"Rare Auld", sherry cask No.844, one of 143 bottles

Typical cost of this bottle; Unknown

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Rich dark oak

Nose: Raisins marinated in furniture polish? Now there's a combination! Then floral coconut milk and after some minutes the fruitiness expands further and intensifies. After yet more minutes I sense a delightfully fruity creamy coffee, cappuccino anyone?

Palate: A big fruitiness suggesting raisins, plums and figs with oil of orange and dark chocolate. There's also a hint of that coffee-ness leading towards the finish.

Finish: Long and rich.

Overall Impression: Quite amazing with oodles of character. A "Great" in my book.

Archives, Glen Grant 1975, 46.6% ABV

Typical cost of this bottle  €€€€€

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Golden cork

Nose: Extremely aromatic wood, some furniture polish and then vanilla accompanied by a selection of dark fruits (think plums & raisins). Is that a hint of raspberry and maybe even gooseberry appearing?

Palate: Soft, gentle and very creamy mouth-feel. Lots of fruitiness here too with raspberry, apricot and a suggestion of peach. In fact I'm now thinking of peach melba ice cream. I also find a hint of citrus and light grassiness with lemon & lime zest leading into the finish.

Finish: Long and creamy with that hint of citrus.

Overall Impression: I'm impressed, very impressed. This is a marvellous Glen Grant.

G&M Glen Grant, 58y, 1953, 47.9%

"Book of Kells" for LMDW, Sherry Butt, Cask No.2604

Typical cost of this bottle; €€€€€

Reviewed as part of MMA 2012

Glass: Classic Malt

Colour: Rich dark as they get.

Nose: Gently smokinng wood embers at the end of an open fire, also antique leather furniture, then after some minutes lightly fruity and floral notes begin to develop in the background. This just exudes "big & old" was one of my blind notes in MMA 2012.

Palate: Very big and rich. Toasted but certainly not scorched or burned. Some liquorice too, maybe even light coffee beans.

Finish: Long with a dryness right at the end.

Overall Impression: This was quite a challenge for me in MMA 2012 (blind), it's certainly multi-faceted with an overall cocktail of rich age with a light vitality. Very, very good whisky.