Glen Grant 1948 Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection Cask 2154 48.6% 1948

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Distillery	Glen Grant
Bottler	Gordon & MacPhail
Serie	Private Collection
Bottled for
Distilled date	1948
Bottling date	2018
Country	Scotland
Region	Speyside
Age	70
Cask Type	First Fill Sherry butt
Cask Number	2154
Alcohol %	48.6%
Volume	0,70
Condition	In Original Wooden Case
Label	Perfect
Stock	1

Professional reviews

Whisky Notes (91)

Nose: starts on typical brass polish with a sweet, honeyed undertone. Rubbed petals, hints of fennel and cut herbs. Mentholated notes, maybe teak oil. After Eight. Cigar boxes. Apricots and orange peel. In the background there’s a hint of dried porcini and old books. A whiff of smoke and old leather as well. A bit fragile but really great complexity.

Mouth: a surprisingly dark profile which the colour of the whisky doesn’t suggest. Mexican chocolate, smoke and tobacco leaves. Coffee or even tar liqueur. Old Pu-Erh. Sappy oak. Then cardamom, cloves, aniseed and cough syrup. Very herbal towards the end (reminding me of an old Jerez Quina I once had).

Finish: medium, with many teas and herbs, a sourness of charred oak but also dark cocoa.

Always a pleasure to try such an old malt. Maybe not because it is the best whisky ever, but because such old drams are so different from all others. Oak influenced of course but not tannic. Excellent.

BOW (92)

Few whiskies can genuinely stop a man in his tracks, but the Glen Grant 1948 Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection Cask 2154 is one such masterpiece. Distilled in 1948 and bottled a staggering 70 years later in 2018, this whisky is nothing short of a living relic—a glorious testament to the artistry of time, wood, and meticulous craftsmanship. A creation of Gordon & MacPhail’s famed Private Collection, it stands as a monumental example of what whisky can achieve when given both patience and purpose.

Distilled in the golden age of whisky-making, this Glen Grant is no mere relic—it’s a vibrant echo of the distillery's heritage. Nestled in Speyside, Glen Grant has been producing liquid poetry since 1840. This expression, crafted in the post-war era, carries with it not just whisky but history itself, encapsulated in every drop.

70 Years of Sherry-Laden Perfection
Matured in a First Fill Sherry butt, Cask 2154 has given this whisky its astonishing character. Sherry-soaked oak and time—lots of it—have shaped the spirit into a tapestry of flavor and complexity. Over seven decades, this cask has coaxed forth layer upon layer of dried fruits, spices, and polished oak, resulting in a whisky of unparalleled depth and sophistication.

The Nose: Complexity Woven in Time
This is whisky from a bygone era, with aromas rarely encountered today. Herbaceous, industrial, and deeply evocative, it carries hints of soot, diesel oil, and earthy peat smoke. These bold notes are met by softer whispers of florals, salted caramel, and orange peel, creating an extraordinary balance.

The Palate: A Journey Through Flavor
On the tongue, it delivers dark caramel and cigar tobacco, layered with mocha, menthol, and just a whisper of peat smoke. There’s an acidic burst of orange, balanced with earl grey tea, shoe wax, and even a touch of balsamic vinegar. This is whisky as it was meant to be—challenging, rewarding, and utterly captivating.

The Finish: Lingering Elegance
The finale is a graceful dance of aniseed, orange liqueur, and a final whisper of cocoa powder. Medium in length but infinite in memory, it lingers like the last note of a perfect symphony.

A Rarity Among Rarities
With an ABV of 48.6% and only a precious few bottles ever released, the Glen Grant 1948 is more than a whisky—it’s an artifact. It is a collector’s dream and a connoisseur’s ultimate indulgence, a reminder that true rarity lies not just in age but in quality.
To hold a glass of this whisky is to hold history in your hands. To taste it is to be transported to a time and place when craftsmanship was king and patience was its queen. The Glen Grant 1948 Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection Cask 2154 is not just a whisky—it is an experience, a story, and a treasure for the ages.

Drink it reverently. Cherish it forever.