A 32 year old Glen Grant that was distilled on 28th November 1984. It spent 31 years in a refill ex-Bourbon barrel and then was finished in a 1st fill American oak PX hogshead for another year. One of 185 bottles. Old & Dignified flavour profile.
Nose: Pronounced, fragrant and floral. Initial sweetness from toffee and caramel is bolstered by richly spiced ginger cake and creamy cinnamon buns. Stone fruits like nectarines and peaches and joined with rosewater and Turkish delight as we start to shift into a more floral arena. Once there, we’re greeted with freshly cut flowers – roses, hyacinths and violas. Water brings out greener aromas of nettles, flax and hemp.
Taste: A warming and coating arrival which brings with it peach tart, creamy fudge, toffee and some freshly made tea. Florals are still present and are joined with some damp soil and wet hay. The addition of water enhances the floral flavours further with rose being particularly pronounced. It also brings heightened woodiness from sandalwood.
Finish: Medium long, with some sweet zesty fruits and gentle woodiness
I can only imagine that this Glen Grant was found to be in a somewhat inactive cask to warrant a rerack into PX for an additional year of maturation. It has largely worked with pleasant toffee and bakery notes joined by inherent perfumed florals and some cask influenced darker and sweeter notes. This said, blind you’d probably not peg this as a 32 year old whisky – there’s a lot less wood and mature flavours than you might expect.