Glen Grant 1958/2023 - 65 yo - G&M Cask #3818 - Mr. George Legacy

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 56.5% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

This Glen Grant matured for 65 years in first-fill sherry butt 3818, made from European oak. It was distilled on 23 October 1958 and laid down for maturation by George Urquhart. The cask had been made to his precise specifications. Gordon & MacPhail bottled the whisky from this cask on 1 November 2023 at its natural cask strength of 56.5%, producing 376 bottles. It is the fourth release in the Mr George Legacy series, dedicated to George Urquhart.

The delicate smoky note reflects a historical aspect of Glen Grant's production: in the 1950s, the distillery used its own malting floors and a small amount of peat, giving its spirit a lightly smoky character. In this bottling, that influence combines with the long maturation in a sherry cask. The whisky is smooth and full-bodied, and its cask strength remains remarkably high even after 65 years.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Pronounced beeswax leads on the nose, with molasses, cooked prunes and sweet, warm spices behind it. Subtle notes of old leather develop alongside mature oak and a hint of cocoa powder.
• Palate: The whisky is smooth and full-bodied on the palate. Seville bitter orange peel and dark Morello sour cherries give way to dried tobacco and roasted coffee beans. Toasted oak then emerges, accompanied by a hint of liquorice.
• Finish: The long, balanced finish fades with a very delicate smoky note.

Distillery/Bottler:

Glen Grant is located in Rothes in Speyside and was founded in 1840 by the brothers John and James Grant. James “The Major” Grant took over the distillery in 1872 and expanded it. Tall, slender stills and water-cooled purifiers, which condense some of the vapour during distillation, are among the distillery's technical features. This approach shapes its light spirit style.

The independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail was founded in 1895 and has matured whisky from more than 100 Scottish distilleries in its own casks and bottled it. George Urquhart was part of the second generation of the owning family. His relationship with Glen Grant developed over decades; he experimented with different casks to complement the distillery's lighter style. In 1968, he created Connoisseurs Choice, making individual single malts available that were then used predominantly in blends. The Mr George Legacy series honours his belief that each whisky should be given the maturation time it needs.

Facts: