Glen Grant 42 Years Old Signatory Vintage Decanter Collection Cask 2632 52.8% 1964

Professional reviews

BOW (93.5)

Serge Valentin (94)

Colour: dark amber - brownish.

Nose: now we’ve just entered an antique shop! First we have big, bold notes of cellulose varnish, beeswax, eucalyptus and camphor plus the lady-dealer’s perfume (Chanel, preferably)… It’s really big whisky! Then these extravagant notes calm down and let some subtler ones go through, such as Seville oranges, Smyrna raisins and ripe bananas (just any), dried figs, dates, caramel liqueur, praline, apricot pie… And then we have the fab sherry itself – more like a very old Banyuls actually. It keeps developing on “coffee-schnapps”, bigaroon cherries, blackcurrant liqueur… Something of a big bold old Chambertin from a first class winemaker’s. A rather fabulous old sherried Glen Grant that will make us regret that so many of its siblings have been reduced to 40 or 43% in the past. Oh, did I mention the notes of well-hung game and balsamic vinegar?

Mouth: get this: it’s even better on the palate than on the nose. Extremely firm, compact, without one single ounce of tannins - or ‘cardboardiness’ for that matter. Majestically candied, mentholated, caramelized and spicy (like a great fruitcake with cloves, chinese anise and cinnamon). Also all sorts of jams (all, really) and armagnac-soaked prunes… Plus what may well be peat, liquorice, and tar liqueur (I swear, I had some once! It was made in France until fifty years ago). What’s incredible is that it’s never too heavy, not to mention cloying.

Finish: very long, very coherent, without one single goose note. (end of maltoporn). An extraordinary old Glen Grant.