Glen Grant 21 Year Old
Distilled Roses
6 787
Review by @casualtorture
- Nose22
- Taste21
- Finish23
- Balance21
- Overall87
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- Brand: Glen Grant
- Type: Scotch
- Region: Speyside
- ABV: 43%
This was a unique (for here) find that popped up in a super rural store I stopped in. Was a very decent price and I couldn't resist. This 21yo Glen Grant was aged in refill sherry casks and bottled by G&M at 43%. Neat in a Glencairn, this is only my second glass from this bottle.
Nose: Rose petals. I have never been so sure of a flavor in a whisky before. I have had some floral Japanese whiskies but this takes floral to another level. Also some green grapes and strawberries. It's not that oaky despite the age. Also worth mentioning, despite the lower proof, the flavors are strong and distinguishable.
Palate: Did I mention the roses before? Well, they're back in force. It's almost like they added rose petals into the barrel. There is also a pretty distinct peppermint note and tea note. I'm not a huge tea drinker, but this is definitely green tea. Then some vanilla and green fruits in the background. It's malty as well, the underlying spirit can be found despite 21 years in oak.
Finish: Interesting finish with a lot of different things going on. Some oak finally shows up, and it's still floral with some peppermint and green tea, but then at the end there is this tobacco/cigar ash note that for some reason I really like. Nice long finish.
Overall: I'm glad I got the opportunity to find this. It's an enjoyable nose, and quite nice finish. The palate is really controlled by the rose/peppermint/tea combo. If that's your thing then you'll love this but I'm not really sure it's my cup of tea (see what I did there). I like the floral on the nose but so much of it on the palate is a bit of a turn off for my personal tastes. Honestly the most enjoyable part of this whisky is that long cigar ash finish. I'm trying to stay objective, because while this might not suite my personal tastes, I can tell this is a quality product.
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@casualtorture thanks for another lovely review.
How much did you pay? I like floral in whisky, but mint, no. Peppermint? That's a pretty aggressive flavour for whisky. Even spearmint seems discordant to me in any kind of whisk(e)y. Green tea is almost umami-like in its vague background tones. That I would expect would fit into a whisky flavour profile pretty easily. Sounds like I'd have to try this one before giving serious consideration to wanting a full bottle of it.