THE GLEN GRANT SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY REVEALS DEVOTION 70-YEAR-OLD, A SCULPTURAL MASTERPIECE AND THE OLDEST EVER RELEASE FROM THE DISTILLERY
GLEN GRANT SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY REVEALS DEVOTION 70-YEAR-OLD
A SCULPTURAL MASTERPIECE & THE OLDEST EVER RELEASE FROM THE DISTILLERY
The first of the seven total decanters, each one-of-a-kind, will be auctioned by Sotheby’s from September 11-22
ROTHES, SCOTLAND –The Glen Grant Single Malt Scotch Whisky, located in the heart of Speyside, today announces the oldest ever release from the distillery in its 180 years. The Glen Grant Devotion is an exquisite 70-year-old single malt whisky, presented as a handcrafted sculptural masterpiece, many years in the making. Inspired by the remarkable reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, this release is a tribute to seventy years of resolute service and a lifelong devotion to nature. These commitments, shared by forefather James ‘The Major’ Grant and Master Distiller Dennis Malcolm OBE, lies at the very core of The Glen Grant.
Sourced from a single French oak butt seasoned with oloroso sherry filled in 1953 at The Glen Grant distillery, Devotion was hand-selected for its lifetime of character achieved through exquisite maturation. The striking deep chestnut hues combine with a definitive floral aroma of intense barley sugar, ripe peach, giving way to honey sweetness. The palate is captivated with rich dried fruits, raisins, sultana, dry spice with just a hint of oak. Showcasing the excellence and unparalleled aging potential of The Glen Grant whiskies, the whisky is at a high strength of 55.5% abv.
The Glen Grant Devotion 70-year-old was brought to life through the combined talents of Master Distiller Dennis Malcolm OBE, award-winning craftsman John Galvin and hot glass master Brodie Nairn of GLASSTORM. With only seven beautiful, hand-blown decanters created, and each one-of-a-kind, The Glen Grant’s Devotion is as rare as it is extraordinary.
All seven of the unique decanters are presented as a mesmerising gem-shaped objet d’art, with seven facets celebrating each decade of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. Each features a silver capsule, adorned with its own individually meaningful floral engraving as a celebration of her inspiring life. The jewel-like decanter is perfectly balanced within a striking wood sculpture handcrafted from a fallen elm tree discovered within the distillery gardens and features an intricate woven design of shapes and forms inspired by nature. The engraving on the sculpture’s silver diameter pays homage to Her Majesty’s favourite flowers, the Lily of the Valley, and features the proud Thistle of Scotland.
To support the preservation of Scotland’s native woodland, decanter Number One will be auctioned by Sotheby’s in an online sale running from September 11th- 22nd September 2023 with 100% of the proceeds donated to the Royal Scottish Forestry Society, of which Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was the Patron. This promise will further the work of the Royal Scottish Forestry Society and The Major’s legacy in the creation of his beloved 27-acre Garden of Splendours, with a new planting site on Speyside. The exclusive decanter Number One features The Queen Elizabeth Rose, named for Her Majesty, and engraved in gold and with distinctive embellishments, which are unique to this auction piece.
Commenting on this release, Master Distiller Dennis 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.”
Jonny Fowle, Global Head of Spirits at Sotheby’s said: “This whisky embodies so much of what is important in whisky collecting: quality, rarity, age and most of all provenance 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.”
Following the auction of decanter Number One, the remaining six decanters will be made available for sale with price available upon request, starting in October of 2023.
Each of the seven decanters will be available for sale in select global markets:
Singapore – Orchid
Hong Kong – Daffodil
US – Daisy & Clematis
China – Begonia
Japan – Stephanotis
UK – Rose
The floral details of the seven decanters are as follows:
Decanter #1: The Queen Elizabeth Rose named for Her Majesty engraved in gold, making this first decanter a true one of a kind creation which will be auctioned online by Sotheby’s
Decanter #2: Orchid celebrating the bridal bouquet from her marriage to HRH Duke of Edinburgh.
Decanter #3: Daffodil, the national flower of Wales and homage to the creation of a special Diamond Jubilee flower.
Decanter #4: Clematis which feature around the Buckingham Palace gardens and also Windsor Castle where she is laid to rest
Decanter #5: Daisy, the birth flower of Queen Elizabeth II.
Decanter #6: Begonia from the Silver Jubilee celebrations.
Decanter #7: Stephanotis symbolising Scotland and featured in her Coronation bouquet.
Tasting notes
Colour Deep chestnut with bright golden hues
Aroma Floral, intense barley sugar, and ripe peach give way to honey sweetness.
Taste Dried fruits, raisins, sultana, dry spice, hint of oak.
Finish Lingering, rich and complex, soft fruits, spice, hint of smoke.
ABV: 55.5%
ABOUT THE GLEN GRANT
Brothers James and John Grant built The Glen Grant in 1840, the first distillery in the town of Rothes in Speyside. They left a legacy of ingenuity by engineering the first northern railroad and introducing electric light to both the distillery and the entire town. In 1872, heir James ‘The Major’ Grant, a charismatic innovator and adventurous traveller, inherited the business. Through his intrepid journeys to destinations around the world, he made inspiring discoveries which led to the creation of his beloved 27-acre 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.
Now, it is iconic master distiller Dennis Malcolm OBE, the single longest-serving distiller in Scotland, who honours the passionate spirit of The Glen Grant. His life’s work, along with the team at the Glen Grant, is in combining tradition and innovation to preserve the rare character of the whiskies, which are crafted from barley to bottle entirely on the distillery grounds, ultimately ensuring the utmost quality.
ABOUT SOTHEBY’S
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