Glen Grant The Major's Reserve

I picked up this bottle mainly because I saw it advertised for around $45ish AUS dollars. This is quite cheap for a single malt in the land down under, especially for a malt that is not widely known about (well in Adelaide anyhow). I will also admit that a major reason for buying this drop was because it scored fairly well in the 2012 Whisky Bible.

The submitted review is of a glass containing around 2 standard shots of Glen Grant, with 2 teaspoons of water added. The whisky was then 'aired' for around ten minutes.

NOSE: I'm not sure. Sweetness....sugar? perhaps white refined sugars, or maybe icing sugar. Something floral and faint...but admittedly it is hard for me to pinpoint any specific scent.

TASTE: It tastes nice. Its that simple. If you think about enough you may taste light styles of watery honey, diluted marmalade, even sweet butter perhaps. Pale coloured toffee and pineapple & apple fruit juices also arrive briefly at my taste buds.

FINISH: I seriously cannot imagine anyone purchasing a bottle of this whisky for its finish. For my tasting the finish appears somewhere between wet and dry, however one thing is certain, there appears to be the horrid after taste of a certain colouring agent lurking prominently in the background.

Before this abomination kicks in, you may find the finish resembling bicarbonate soda mixed with icing sugar...which may, or may not be appeal to you. For myself, this DOES NOT APPEAL!!!

I feel I have been spoilt by experiencing more often than not, complex, beautifully structured finishes that have made the enhanced the majority of my whisky drinking experiences tenfold. Unfortunately for this bottle, I must honestly say that the finish is most likely the worst I have ever encountered of any single malt that I have ever tried (although I honestly have probably only tried around 25-30 single malts).

BALANCE: The price makes it a worthy buy simply to experience the whisky's pleasant and non-threatening taste. However it is also relevant to point out that the Glen Moray 12 , (which goes for roughly the same price here in Australia), has a much more complex finish and equally brilliant taste.

Interestingly this bottle has me wondering; What is the most important thing in a whisky ? The nose? The taste? The finish? For myself, this makes for a very interesting thought indeed.

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