An 11 year old Glen Grant drawn from a 2nd fill ex-bourbon barrel.
Nose: Big ripe apples are joined by vanilla cream, pancake batter and lemon sponge cake. Dessert-like aromas continue with strawberry Eton mess, dusted in nutmeg with a serving of Chantilly cream alongside. The addition of water adds some garden-fresh notes of cut rose stems, whilst fudge and icing sugar emerge for additional sweetness.
Taste: Quite punchy – the 60.9% ABV delivering a hefty arrival of toffee coated apples, tart grapefruit segments and an abundance of lemon peels. There’s a trifle booziness quality here – meringue, whipped cream, nutmeg and heady pepper, but all kept in line by a substantive alcoholic quality. Reduction feels necessary, but does provide the benefits one would hope for – a juicy compote of kiwi, honeydew melon and orchard fruits (apples and pears). Buttered toast, fudge and cinnamon make an appearance – reinforcing the liquid’s ex-bourbon origins.
Finish: Medium in length with rich tea biscuits, vanilla pod and dry oakiness.
A surprisingly hard-hitting Glen Grant, which to my mind is crying out for reduction. There’s a lot of defined fruitiness here, but at its natural strength this feels more akin to cream tea at the patisserie accompanied by a death metal soundtrack. Toned down a notch or two, this is a much more agreeable and balanced experience.