A Spirited Sharing
The Glen Grant’s long-serving master distiller Dennis Malcolm meets ophthalmologist Marcus Ang to have an insightful chat about living a life more extraordinary and making an iconic single malt
A shared dram, 10,000 kilometres apart—between two men, one in Speyside and the other, in Singapore. On the occasion of the launch of The Dennis Malcolm 60th Anniversary Edition in Singapore, Tatler hosted a conversation between The Glen Grant master distiller himself, Dennis Malcolm, and ophthalmologist and Gen.t honouree Marcus Ang, who considers himself a whisky connoisseur.
ON WHISKY TRENDS AND FAVOURITES
The Dennis Malcolm 60th Anniversary Edition was bottled from a single sherry butt that was laid down in 1960. As Malcolm explained, the longer the spirit stays in wood, the more overly woody tones it could potentially pick up, making it challenging to mature single malts for very long periods, such as 50 or 60 years. Cask quality is one of the important factors when looking to mature whisky for a special bottling.
Bottled at 52.8 per cent, this edition teases the nose with notes of ripe Seville oranges that give way to a palate redolent with nuts and fruits. Malcolm described these notes as soft apricot, peaches, pecan nuts and a light air of cigar smoke. Layers of dark chocolate cake pave the way to a lingering, warm finish. Ang enjoyed the fruity complexity of the dram and professed his surprise at the delicacy of the liquid, having expected it to be heavier based on the glossy chestnut hue.
Ang also shared with Malcolm that he began appreciating single malts before they became as popular as they are now, with the Asian consumer moving from blended whisky in favour of single malts.
FINDING YOUR PASSION
Ang’s appreciation of whisky and its traditions was well received by Malcolm, who was literally delivered into the industry. Malcolm was born on The Glen Grant estate, and found it simply natural to follow in his father and grandfather’s footsteps as a distiller. He began as a cooper, curious as to how a wooden barrel without the use of glue could be used to hold liquid, and at 25 became a production brewer running the distillery.
“I was very fortunate that the process and perimeters of making whisky had been passed down faithfully over time from the founder to the great grandson and to me,” he reminisced.
For Ang, it is also a passion for the unknown that brought him to his profession. He explained that he specialises not just in corneal surgery but also corneal transplantation—a niche with fewer surgeons and encompassing up to eight different types of surgery.
Malcolm thoughtfully ventured that the difference between them was that he had had a long time to gradually amass the expertise and passed-down skills of his profession, whereas a specialist such as Ang has had a shorter period to acquire and train in the cutting-edge skills needed to restore sight.
DEFINING CHARACTER
Before we called it a day, both gentlemen reflected on their career highlights. For Malcolm, it was when the Campari Group acquired the brand and gave him the opportunity to double the capacity of The Glen Grant. “More important than that, though,” he stressed, “is the people I work with—they’re the ones who carry the passion and pride to the next generation. When you see what they do, you know you can sit back because The Glen Grant is in good hands for future generations.”
Ang was happy to iterate that he felt the same way about giving back to the community. As a founding director of the non-profit organisation Global Clinic, he heads its ophthalmology and eye care projects, which have trained fellows and nurses to serve their communities in Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia.
To that, we raised a toast.
Just 360 decanters of The Dennis Malcolm 60th Anniversary Edition, the distillery’s oldest bottling in its 181-year history, were produced. The decanter is made from mouth-blown crystal glass by Glencairn Crystal Studio, and presented in a sustainable walnut case. Each case is engraved with Malcolm’s signature and includes a certificate of authenticity personally signed by the master distiller. Just 23 decanters, priced at €25,000 (about S$39,000) each, will be made available in Singapore. For enquiries, contact Remy Cointreau, the official distributor for The Glen Grant in Singapore, at 9738 5630 or andrew.law@remy-cointreau.com.