A Liquid Tribute Six Decades in the Making
A limited-edition 60-year-old whisky pays homage to The Glen Grant’s master distiller Dennis Malcolm.
IF EVER A career was predestined from birth, it’s that of Dennis Malcolm, the legendary master distiller of The Glen Grant single malt Scotch whisky. He was born in 1946 on the distillery’s grounds in Speyside, where his father and grandfather both worked. At 15 years old, he started working there as an apprentice cooper. And 60 years later, he’s still there and has become one of the most lionised figures in whisky. Malcolm has received accolades and tributes everywhere from his native Speyside to Buckingham Palace, where he was named an OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth. He’s also a Keeper of the Quaich, Scotch whisky’s highest honour.
One taste of any of The Glen Grant’s core range of whiskies (aged 10, 12, 15 and 18 years), which Malcolm helped create, clarifies his lofty standing in the single malt universe. Their elegant and distinctive light fruit and honeyed notes are a testament to Malcolm’s talents. A more explicit tribute is coming this autumn, when The Glen Grant releases The Dennis Malcolm 60th Anniversary Edition — Aged 60 Years, which was laid down the year Malcolm started working at the distillery. It’s the oldest whisky that has been bottled at the distillery, with bottle number 88 recently selling at RMB380,000 (€50,000) at an auction in Shanghai.
Distilled in 1961, this single exOloroso sherry cask, producing a mere 360 bottles, has been maturing for a third of The Glen Grant’s 181-year history. It’s bottled at cask strength (52.8 per cent ABV) and is non-chill filtered to retain maximum flavour and aroma. The whisky’s deep chestnut colour reflects its decades in oak, but the nose is surprisingly sprightly, with rich notes of fruit and nuts, accompanied by just a hint of cigar smoke. The fruitiness carries over to the palate, where it’s joined by notes of dark chocolate and toffee, licorice, dates and figs, and concludes with a delicate wisp of smoke. It’s a singular malt to celebrate a singular career.
The packaging does justice to the liquid inside. Each individually numbered decanter is made of handblown glass from the legendary Glencairn Studio (home of the tasting glass of the same name), designed in the shape of The Glen Grant’s famous tall and slender pot stills that deliver an elegant and fruity style of spirit. The decanter is housed in a stunning presentation case made from sustainable walnut. Each package takes 15 hours of skilled artisanship to create and each comes engraved with a facsimile of Malcolm’s signature. Inside the box is a certificate of authenticity.
The world of whisky has changed tremendously since 1961, when the mere idea of a single malt was almost unheard of and those who distilled them toiled away in anonymity. Today, The Glen Grant is one of the most acclaimed of all Scotch single malts and Malcolm is a living legend in the whisky community. But while tastes have evolved and the market has grown, the essentials of whisky making have stayed the same. As Malcolm says: “Whisky is the simplest thing in the world to make. The recipe is water, malted barley and yeast. Just three ingredients.” But it’s what he’s been doing with those three ingredients for so long that has earned him his place in whisky history.
The Glen Grant Dennis Malcolm 60th Anniversary Edition — Aged 60 Years is priced at €25,000 and is now available in select retailers in global markets, including Singapore. Learn more at glengrant.com. For enquiries, contact Remy Cointreau, the official distributor for The Glen Grant in Singapore, at +65 9738 5630 or andrew.law@remycointreau.com.