Whisky Intelligence and Ludo from Grant’s – Grant’s Whisky Tasting

A discussion of the Grant’s 12, 18 & 25YO Blended Scotch Whiskies (Whisky Intelligence was woken at 6:15AM for this interview, so apologies if WI appears a little sleep deprived!)

Ludo: Have you tried the family reserve? I know in Canada we sell the Ale & Sherry cask as well
WI: I have but I haven’t tried them for a while

Grants History:

Started in 1886, which is when William Grant was born in Dufftown.  He had different jobs including working as a shepherd, shoe maker and eventually he started working in whisky for Mortlach for 20 years before becoming Distillery Manager. He built his first distillery in 1886 started distilling 1887. In those days, he was distilling single malt whisky to sell to blenders who would bottle it, package it, and sell it overseas.  

1804 1905 Son John travelled to US and Canada.

Charles Gordon 1909 1910 went as far as Australia, very important for our blend because after those years the world was a different place, 2 world wars, the great depression. If Charles hadn’t opened up the markets the way he did, William Grant’S wouldn’t have survived.

4th generation big impact also up until 1960’s we were only distilling single malt distilleries, had glenfiddich and balvenie we were buying our single grain from single grain distilleries.

1963 charles gordron (different one) decided to build his own single grain distillery (Girvan) started in march 1963, started distilling on Christmas day that year.  Single grain we distill in girvan, what we use today, it’s a symbol of our independence, without Girvan we couldn’t have grown our whisky to what it is now.  William Grant’s is now owned by 5th generated family. We also own Kinninvie & Alisa bay 2007 distilleries.

William Grant is the oldest single grain distillery around the world.

The Family Reserve is what we sell the most.

Grant’s 12YO

Have you got nosing glasses and water?

WI has water, & use it about 40% of the time. Check on nosing glasses.

Ludo normally noses with water, as does our master blender but understands that people have differing opinions.

Grants 12 smaller vatting than a younger blend. As blends get older, more evaporates.

Family Reserve select 1000 casks 20-30 different single alts and single grains.

12 YO 15-20 single malts and 2 or 3 single grain interesting age in  blending terms. At 12 years we reach a turning point of amounts of single malts and single grains we use at an age younger than 12 minority single grain whisky single grain whisky matures less whisky. When you reach 12 years, we use 50% single malt and 50% single grain when our blends get older more single malt than single grain. Balance is key. Speyside style, that’s where William was born, distilled, became a blender here. House style sweet, rich, fruity with a touch of peat.

Balance. Complexity but a balanced complexity, hopefully you get some of that in the 12yo

WI: nice nose, some smoke on it, which surprises me.

Ludo: It’s the peat in our range, predominantly speyside. We use a few highland, lowland and islay single malts.  You want to use those with moderation as they can easily take over a blend.  You may notice the texture if quite syrupy. Finish with casks that have just arrived from the US for about 3-6 months.  No other whiskies have been matured in them before.

Vanilla, toffee, honey, flavours come from that extra finishing period.

WI Do casks go off for grain whisky or single malt or a mixture?
Ludo: It’s a mixture, most of these casks will go to our Girvan single grain but also Ailsa Bay

WI: For your grain whisky is it based on wheat or corn?
Ludo: We started using corn or maize, since 1980s we have been using wheat? Logistical perspective you can’t just move from wheat to maize as you can’t mash both in the same way. We also use barley,(aim to use as less as poss) at moment we use around 9%. It’s as good as it gets in Scotland

Grant’s ale cask mature in beer casks, ex ale casks.

Grant’s 18YO

Really really like this one,  won a gold medal for this one, Ludo went back and checked results for the past few years. 18 YO keeps winning gold medals.  Only one other whisky has ever done better our own Balvenie port wood

Finished in port pipes the same as Balvenie

Nutty character, the finish is the longest in the range, after dinner whisky, drink neat, love the mouth feel, the aftertaste, the finish.

The majority single malt, minority single grain. Whisky in Europe can not be matured in a cask bigger than 700L, these were matured in 600L.

Master blender assess casks regularly and decides when they should be blended and bottled, can’t just put them in a cask for 3 months and leave them.  Thing with blends is nothing is set in stone, maturation is a natural process. You have indications, you know it’s going to take at least 3 months so you know you need to keep an eye on them.

Grant’s 25YO

Started blended in 2009 Brian Kinsman New master blender, took over from David Stewart who had been working for us for over 45 years. Brian is 6th master blender in our company’s history, took over in 2009 after an 8 years apprenticeship. One of the first things we asked him to do was come up with an old whisky to celebrate 100 years since charles Gordon completed his trip around the world.

Oldest blend to date, he thought it would be a good idea to use 25 whiskies. When you blend whisky you still need quite a lot of different casks to get the complexity you need 40% single grain 60% single malt

Chairman said we should feel free to use some of our rarest 1964 Girvan.  And valuable stock. Hopefully that should show. A lot of maturity, very mellow, very sweet, honeyed as you would expect from grants.  If you’re used to drinking the family reserve, yes you will get something more mature but you should know it’s a grant’s blend.  Sherry cask in the nose and the taste.

Sweet vanilla, honey toffee, influenced from Spanish oak casks, so Christmas cake notes, dried fruits, certain spiciness, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves sometimes.  Leather notes, tobacco notes, remind me of an old loft or an old cigar box. overall Sweet, well balanced.

Closer to the Family Reserve than grant’s 12 and grant’s 18

25 YO available in travel retail but am not sure if it’s available in Canada. SELL 2000 First vatting but have more in mind ready to be bottled. Limited edition.

Family Reserve does really well in Canada, it’s the best selling scotch whisky in Canada.

Whisky Intelligence Tasting Notes

Many thanks to Ludo (and Rebecca) for the samples.

Grant’s 12yo Blended Scotch Whisky (40%, OB, 2010)

On the nose there is a surprising arrival of honeyed delicate smoke; how delightful! This is really rather lovely. Lots of fruit and more of the delightful honey and delicate smoke. A little time in the hand and some nice malt emerges to compliment the fruit and the peat smoke. The taste is much like the nose but perhaps a tinge towards dryness while still presenting the smoke but now with a focus on some stronger notes of leather along with the malt. Some honey still but still quite excellent. The finish is much like the taste; both dry and smokey with the malt merrily along for the ride. It’s warming, long and delicious. The smoke takes a back seat after a while and allows the honey and the malt to step forward but it’s still there.

This is very nice whisky, my oh, my.

£26

Score 87 points

Grant’s 18yo Blended Scotch Whisky (40%, OB, 2010)

The nose is quite rich speaking of dark Christmas cake (or fruit cake), rich fruity sweet wines, marmalade, dried apricots. Very good, warm Demerara brown sugar (however not over whelming so). In the back ground are so oak notes and maybe even some cedar (think of the wood that lines some humidors).  The richness of the fruit and brown sugar have the edge here, The taste is really good, the richness of the fruit along with some malt is very seductive and it just grows. There’s some hints of leather and tobacco in the back ground to strengthen the combination of flavour. A tinge of what appears to be smoke emerges briefly and is most welcome. The finish is warming and again sweet with the leather and tobacco appearing however they do not detract. The finish is very long and flavourful, a sensational finish.

This is really very nice whisky and very well balanced.

£38

Score 88 points

Grant’s 25yo Blended Scotch Whisky (40%, OB, 2010)

On the nose there’s some initial dryness that quickly evolve into a very good richness hand in hand with some barley dust (almost short bread in some ways)  that quickly evolves into some exquisite richness akin to older sherried malts. Also some late arrival of unsweetened cocoa and oak spice, all very elegant. Time in the glass only allows the picture to evolve into a much more complex and pleasing whisky. The taste is both dry and honeyed backed some really good dry coca and oak spice. Once again the taste is very, very good. The richness (best described as sun drenched raisins loaded with desert wine) is also complimented by some chocolate malt. The finish is warming and very much a mirror of the nose and the taste, it hold together very well delivering a last glimpse of what was. It’s very long and consistent. And very good.

25YO £160/£145 in Travel Retail

Score 90 points

Visit Grant’s Blended Scotch Whisky at www.grantswhisky.com