Glen Grant 22 Year, Lady of the Glen
Whisky : Glen Grant 22 Year, Lady of the Glen
Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside
ABV : 55.1%
Cask : Refill Butt
Age : 22 Year (Distilled 28 Jan. 1998, Bottled 12 Oct. 2020)
Nose : Sweet baking spice, pastry, and orchard fruit. Warm apple crumble and poached pears with a scoop of ice cream came first, followed by more barley sugars which presented as crumb topping for a fruit crumble or pie crust. Beyond the orchard fruits were subtle notes of lemon and lime citrus, orange oil, and dried pineapple rings. The barley sugars and pineapple gave the impression of a dense, sweet pineapple bran muffin.
Palate : Medium bodied and oily with sweet cereal, citrus, and honey. Malty notes of dark bread and bran balanced against acidic orange and pineapple citrus notes to promote a balanced breakfast. Subtle notes of brown sugar, salted caramel, and molasses pastries came through while a few drops of water transitioned the dram toward chocolate covered coffee beans, espresso ice cream, and honey comb.
Finish : Lingering salted honey, cereal sugars, and hints of light roasted coffee.
Score : 7
Mental Image : Pineapple Bran Muffins
Notes : This was an absolutely delightful older Glen Grant chock-full of pastries and subtle citrus fruits. I assume this was aged in a refill sherry butt as there were hints of sherry influence, mostly on the nose or with a few drops of water, but this was primarily malt driven. I love a good refill cask that imparts a gentle influence rather than a hammer. The quality of the malt really shone in this as subtle salty notes contrasted with buttery pastries.
Overall this was wonderful and easily one of my favorite Glen Grants. If you love drams that remind you of Granny baking in the kitchen or sweet, but hearty, breakfast pastries, then this should be excellent.
