Glen Grant 15 Year Batch Strength 1st Edition

Have the Glen Grant 15 year instead of the Hakushu 12 year. I remember when the Hakushu 12 year old was abundant on store shelves for $60, and it tasted like it should cost much more. I recently had the opportunity to try a newer bottling of the Hakushu 12 year at a decent $21 for 1.5 oz pour, and I was disappointed. If you find Hakushu 12 on store shelves these days, it’s around $200, but now it tastes like it should be back to $60. You know what I found marked down to $60 recently? This Glen Grant 15 year batch strength 1st edition from 2018. The box was dusty. And there are plenty more dusty boxes of these at liquor shops. Why does nobody care about Glen Grant? Jim Murray awarded some Yamazaki whisky of the year way back when, and the entire world lost their damn minds not only for Yamazaki, but for all whisky from Japan. Jim Murray had been calling Glen Grant 18 the best Scotch whisky for years, and nobody formed a line to snatch up the Glen Grant 18, or any other Glen Grant. Glen Grant makes awesome single malts, and this one is an exceptional example. 50% ABV is my favorite ABV - it is simply the sweet spot. And pure ex-bourbon maturations are my favorite type of maturation - it simply lets the spirit do the talking, and you don’t get that creeping feeling that fancy shenanigan casks are being used to hide flaws. This beauty is meditatively precise in its flavors, and absolutely reminds me of the glory days of the Hakushu 12 year and Japanese whisky in general. The notes are vanilla, graham crackers, lemon, lime, hay, tea, fennel, cloves, and just the right touch of bitter spicy oakiness. This is more Hakushu than Hakushu, which I believe is slightly polluted by a touch of peat and sherry influence. This is Scotch whisky in such a pure, beautiful form; it is THE TRUTH. Look here, I believe Chivas Regal is absolute garbage (because they clearly use crap grain whisky in their blends to add volume and profit margins), but the backbone single malt in their blends, Glen Grant, is an underappreciated treasure. I am going to paraphrase Tom Cruise’s character from The Last Samurai: They are an intriguing distillery. From the moment they wake, they devote themselves to the perfection of a clean ex-bourbon maturation. I have never seen such discipline. This bottle; bottles from this distillery, should not be commonplace on shelves. They deserve the rabid acclaim that Japanese whisky received after a Jim Murray award. It should be that if I am lucky enough to behold a bottle on a shelf, I weep in joy. This bottle should cost what a bottle of batch strength Yamazaki 15 year costs: 3 million dollars.

- Sem filtragem gelada - Não declara se tem corante ou não mas se houver é bem pouco - Whisky exclusivo para venda no mercado norte americano - First fill bourbon cask Olfato: Baunilha, dulçor, malte, cítrico de laranjas e pêras e um pouco de maçãs verdes. Leve amadeirado, frutado de frutos tropicais - senti algo que lembra mamão - e uma pimentinha que é realçada pela presença robusta do álcool. Palato: amadeirado, dulçor bem balanceado com um bom amargor, baunilha, cítrico, levemente salgado, boa oleosidade, apimentado realçado pelo grande impacto do álcool. Finalização: média para curta. Quente, com amargor, dulçor, amadeirado e malte revezando dentro da boca. Impressões gerais: um whisky com ótimo preço e ABV honesto, no entanto o álcool é muito pronunciado para um whisky de 15 anos. É possível encontrar whiskies de 10 ou 12 anos com graduação alcoólica próxima - com ABV entre 46% e 48% - e com aroma de álcool praticamente imperceptível. Um whisky de 15 anos deveria ser bem menos “crespo” do que pude observar nesta garrafa. No demais, possui todas as belas características que alguém procura em um whisky envelhecido em barris de ex-bourbon de primeiro uso, boa oleosidade, dulçor, além notas amadeiradas e frutadas características desta madeira. O preço é ótimo e é possível encontrá-lo em alguns free shops ou vendedores online. Recomendo a degustação com uma boa esfera de gelo ou algumas gotas de água para suavizar o impacto do álcool que é bem pronunciado nesta versão 15 anos da Glen Glant.

Nose - vanilla, pears and oranges. There are spices, and a bit of an alcohol kick for 50%. The oak is giving off some toffee notes and perhaps even a bit of an oat note. More citrus and oak forward overall. Taste - The flavor is much more vanilla and cereal grains with the fruit notes becoming a bit more oak tannin and bitter. This however gives way to a nice oaky and vanilla finish that lingers medium long (pretty good for a 15 year). Water really opens this up, brings out more of the fruits, pulls back the tannins and takes some of the bitter off. This is really nicely done whisky. If you'd told me there was a very small portion of this in ex sherry casks I might have believed it, instead it's all ex bourbon and it's very good. I forget the price, I want to say 80ish and at that price it's getting difficult for me to recommend, but I'd still consider it a good pour. 2.25, it's a great whisky for ex bourbon cask lovers and it's got enough extra to push it past just being a whisky for that profile only. I also am digging the finish...actually I'm pushing it to 2.5 as the finish is on par with some 21 year olds I've had. The reason this isn't getting into the 3's as I realize I've been writing a love fest relatively speaking is that it's overly drying and that's taking away from my overall enjoyment. It however needs that abv as that's really helping with the mouth feel and giving it a creamy coating.

If I were a teacher and the various Scottish distilleries whose products I’ve tried were my students, Glen Grant would be a strong contender for the title of “Most Improved Student.” Their old lineup - Major’s Reserve, 10 Year, and 16 Year were underwhelming (though I never had a chance to try the 16, so maybe it was the exception). Their new portfolio is MUCH nicer; the 12 runs laps around the 10, the 18 is lovely, and this 15 year is maybe the best of the lot. The nose is pure fruit basket and American oak; after a BIG initial burst of sweet coconut and vanilla, a plethora of ripe fruits turn up - banana, pear, apple, pineapple, guava, even a little mango. To spice things up, candied ginger and white pepper notes turn up after a little bit of time in the glass. The palate is delightfully round and full, balancing nicely the influence of the oak and the light, fruity nature of the Glen Grant spirit. This dram manages to find a perfect, and difficult, balance between freshness and substance. The finish is long and lingering as that sweet oakiness just keeps on going. There’s a bit of burn, but for a higher abv bottling it’s really not too bad. This is a great dram, especially for a sub-$70 bottle. Let’s hope that the folks in the stillhouse at Glen Grant keep on this path!

I recently worked through bottles of the GG 10 and 16. They were okay, nothing particularly notable. This is my first experience with their current line, so I’m hoping this is an improvement. Nose: Apple, pear, and apricot. Golden raisin. Lemon, lime, and orange citrus. Vanilla, caramel, and toffee. Heavy malt and vanilla frosting. Clove, nutmeg, and oak. Palate: Apple, pear, and apricot. Cinnamon red hots. Toffee, vanilla, caramel, and brown sugar. Salt water taffy. Sugar cookie. Cashew and almond. Clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Apple, pear, apricot, raisin, and plum. Sugar cookie. Caramel, toffee, and vanilla. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Moderate-length finish. This is a very good. whisky. Solid, somewhat unique profile with a nice mouthfeel. After trying the 10 and the 16 and comparing them to this, I think it’s safe to say that this profile thrives at a higher proof. At $100, this is good VFM for a 15-year old bottled at 50%. My first venture into Glen Grant’s revamped portfolio is a success and is certainly an upgrade over the older j expressions I tried. Well done, Glen Grant. 4/5.

Surprisingly pale for a 15 year old whisky, especially given the use of first-fill bourbon casks. Nonetheless the appearance deceives the drinker and provides much more complexity than expected. Nose: Peaches are on the forefront here. There are delicious notes of vanilla and brown sugar as well, remoniscent of a peach cobbler woth vanilla ice cream. A touch of floral notes round out the nose. Palate: A few drops of water were added to bring the ABV down, although this does not drink like a 50% on a brief initial taste. Fruity notes, especially cooked peaches and dried apricots quickly arise. There is also some bamimg spices like cinnamon, continuing along the peach cobbler theme. I don't get a lot for floral notes on the palate as the nose suggested. Finish: Medium to long. Some really nice bitterness hangs around on the roof of the mouth. Burnt sugar and subtle bitter dark chocolate lingers. The dry tingling on the hard palate adds to the tasting experience. Overall I really enjoyed this whisky. It's a delicious fruity whisky packed with flavour. I would certainly recommend.