The Glen Grant has today announced the oldest ever release from the distillery in its 180 years. The Glen Grant Devotion is a 70 year old single malt, presented as a handcrafted sculptural masterpiece, many years in the making. Inspired by the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, the release is a tribute to her 70 years of service.
Sourced from a single French oak butt seasoned with oloroso sherry filled in 1953, the expression has been described by the producers as having floral aromas of intense barley and ripe peach, while having notes of rich dried fruit, raisins and sultanas on the palate.
Bottled at a high strength of 55.5%, Devotion was brought to life through the combined efforts of master distiller Dennis Malcolm OBE, John Galvin and hot glass master Brodie Nairn of Glasstorm.
Only seven hand-blown decanters have been created, each one of a kind, therefore making the expression very rare. All seven decanters are presented as a gem-shaped object d’art, with seven facets celebrating each decade of Her Majesty’s reign.
To support preservation of Scotland’s native woodland, decanter Number One will be auctioned by Sotheby’s in an online sale running from 11 September to 22 September, with 100% of proceeds going to the Royal Scottish Forestry Society.
Commenting on the release, master distiller Malcolm said: “In the true spirit of The Glen Grant, we bring together the inspiring legacy of our story, with the personal devotion of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, to realise this exquisite masterpiece. To be devoted is to show unwavering loyalty and love to something you care for deeply, which sits at the heart of our whisky-making philosophy, as well as shining through with our creative collaborators. This is a lifetime of character and legacy captured in a magnificent creation, like nothing we have ever seen.”
Each of the seven decanters will be available in select global markets, as followed, in October 2023, with price available upon request:
- - Singapore (Orchid)
- - Hong Kong (Daffodil)
- - US (Daisy and Clematis)
- - China (Begonia)
- - Japan (Stephanotis)
- - UK (Rose)
Jonny Fowle, global head of spirits at Sotheby’s: “This whisky embodies so much of what is important in whisky collecting: quality, rarity, age and most of all provenance as the as the oldest whisky ever to be released directly from The Glen Grant Distillery itself. This whisky displays a fantastically deep, dark colour after seven decades of oak maturation, which contrasts beautifully with John Galvin’s opulent light wood structure making it the perfect centrepiece for the world’s most impressive whisky collections.”
