For over 180 years, The Glen Grant has been refining the art of whisky-making in the heart of Speyside, Scotland, since brothers James and John Grant built Speyside’s first distillery in 1840. The Glen Grant distillery is the only distillery in the Speyside region where the whisky is crafted from barley to bottle entirely on the distillery grounds.
At the Singapore media lunch and unveiling of the 65-year-old whisky, held at Roisa Restaurant
And now, The Glen Grant has ascended to new heights with the launch of its Splendours Collection this year, shining the spotlight on an exquisite selection of the rarest whiskies maturing at its distillery.
The Collection of highly limited releases (which will be unveiled over the coming years), debuts with a remarkable and extraordinary high-age 65-Year-Old single malt Scotch whisky, distilled in 1958 and nurtured to perfection for over six decades, bringing with it a definitive character, exquisite maturation, and a unique flavour profile spanning an entire lifetime. The Glen Grant 65-Year-Old arrived in Southeast Asia earlier in April with launches in Hong Kong and Singapore, as the brand continues to solidify its reputation for crafting exceptional ultra-luxury whiskies with these notable releases, exemplifying The Glen Grant’s commitment to unparalleled craftsmanship and innovation in the world of single malt Scotch whisky.
To fully appreciate the grandeur that the brand-new Glen Grant 65-Year-Old commands, take a quick walk down memory lane. In 1872, when James 'The Major' Grant, a charismatic innovator and adventurous traveller, inherited the business, his intrepid journeys around the world led him to make inspiring discoveries, resulting in the sprawling Garden of Splendours, the only distillery garden of its kind in Scotland. Inspired by his splendid garden, he envisioned a distinctive single malt, engineering tall, slender pot stills combined with unique water-cooling purifiers to create the evocative flavour profile that defines The Glen Grant Single Malt Scotch Whisky to this day.
Greig Stables, Master Distiller, The Glen Grant
The Glen Grant was the first distillery in the 1880s to use a water-cooling purifier for distillation. Today, it is Master Distiller Greig Stables who honours the rich legacy of The Glen Grant and protects the whisky’s rare character. Stables joined the distillery in 2006 and was appointed Master Distiller in 2024 when he took over the reins from legendary Master Distiller Dennis Malcolm OBE (who at the time of his retirement in 2024 was one of Scotland’s longest-serving distillers). Stables is joined by a dedicated team of over 30 distilling experts in overseeing The Glen Grant today, where they create a range of evocative single malts through the same method developed by The Major a century ago, maintaining the distinct character of the Glen Grant whiskies and ensuring the utmost quality.
Stables, who was in both Hong Kong and Singapore for the Southeast Asian launches, shared proudly, “The Glen Grant is a singular, aromatic and evocative single malt with a distinctive sweet fruitiness, achieved by the brand’s unique distillery process and 180-year-old whisky expertise. Every aspect in making this remarkable single malt took place on the distillery grounds in Rothes, from the barley-malting on site, to the hand-filling of each of the 151 decanters.”
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He continues, “James considered himself an innovator, and within the first two years of inheriting the distillery, he doubled the size of the distillery, and revolutionised whisky making by introducing tall, slender stills – the same stills we're using in the distillery today. We have some of the tallest stills in the industry, which produce our unique floral, white, fruity spirit.”
Next came the purifiers. “We are one of the only distilleries in Scotland to have purifiers on both the wash and the spirit stills. Simply put, the purifier is basically a copper can with some cold water running around the top and the tube coming out. The vapor, once it's passed up the neck of the still, has to pass through the purifier, where the cooler area means that only the lighter vapors will pass through the purifier, and the heavy part drops back down for feed distillation.” Together with their tall, slender pot stills and double purification process, only the very finest vapors would condense into the spirit.
These innovations, in addition to a shorter fermentation time compared to industry competitors, allowed the spirit to retain its exceptional quality and character during maturation, ensuring that every drop of the whisky, from the young to fine, aged expressions, boasts that exceptional Glen Grant quality and character. “This is where the basic DNA of a Glen Grant is created: The light, fruity, floral spirit. My job is to ensure that every time you taste a Glen Grant, be it from the Arboralis right through to the 30 year, the DNA of a Glen Grant and its fruity notes stand out,” Stables says proudly.
Each release in the Splendours Collection is a handcrafted masterpiece paying homage to natural elements that grow and flourish within the grounds. The first of the releases, the 65-Year-Old, is a tribute to the Himalayan Blue Poppy, one of the rarest flowers on Earth and a symbol of the eternal quest for excellence that defines The Glen Grant, reflecting the distillery’s unwavering dedication to quality.
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Distilled in The Glen Grant’s signature slender coal-fired pot stills, the 65-Year-Old was filled into a single French oak butt and left to mature to perfection for six decades. The whisky was taken from Warehouse No.4 (the distillery’s oldest traditional stone dunnage warehouse), and finally revealed to the world now.
Says Stables, "The true scarcity of this spirit at 65 Years Old is testament to our unwavering approach to whisky making and visionary innovation which has always defined The Glen Grant. Although distilled back in 1958, our methods remain almost entirely the same today, reflecting the legacy of our forefathers and James’ pioneering vision. This whisky captures a lifetime of flavour and character from its journey in a single French oak butt, and time has created a magnificent single malt, which despite its lengthy union in oak, retains the distinct and singular character of The Glen Grant.”
The flower’s vivid sky-blue hues and delicate nature (still blooming in the distillery garden today) reflect the challenge of cultivating something so distinctive and scarce, a sentiment echoed in the creation of the high-age 65-Year-Old whisky. “Generations of whisky-making expertise are highlighted in this whisky, with its deep captivating hues of mahogany that hint at its richness. On the nose, sweet aromas of syrupy treacle entwine with the juiciness of ripe blackberries and delicate whispers of sandalwood.”
On the palate, vibrant bursts of orange and ripe black cherries unfold, layered with indulgent fruit cake and sticky dates to create a harmonious and complex depth. The finish lingers gracefully, balancing delicate citrus, light spice, and oak, with a subtle hint of smoke. Says Stables, “The 65-Year-Old is quite exceptional. With a 55.5% ABV strength, the sherry cask has imparted lots of colour and deep complex flavours into the liquid. The flavour profile is quite tremendous; it's a beautiful whiskey to drink.”
The Glen Grant 65-Year-Old is presented in 151 handcrafted decanters designed by John Galvin and Glasstorm, each uniquely designed as a Mobius strip seed pod, a continuous, flowing loop symbolising the timelessness of nature. Intricately engraved with Himalayan Blue Poppies and crafted from wood species still living in the Garden today, the decanter design bridges nature’s elegance with The Glen Grant’s pursuit of excellence.
The Glen Grant 65-Year-Old is released widely across retail channels in key markets across the world at an RSP of US$50,000. For more information, click here
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