Glen Grant 15 Year Old Batch Strength First Edition

The Glen Grant 15 Year old Batch Strength First Edition has been on my list for a while and I finally got a bottle this past Christmas from my brother and sister-in-law.  This will be my first time tasting a Glen Grant and I read the initial review so long ago that I have absolutely no idea what to expect from a flavor profile perspective, so let’s check it out…

ABV: 50%

How it smells….very light citrus, a little coppery, some malty/mocha overtones, and banana….

How it tastes.…starts with a bit of spice and sweetness up front.  The middle perhaps a bit nutty? With the end focusing on the oak and vanilla flavors.  The finish is long with creamy sweet chocolate and a bit peppery.

Price.…It was a gift, but the big box store near me has it for $76

Rating...🥃🥃🥃🥃

Final thoughts….I really like this but for a lot of reasons that are contrary to the traditional reasons why I like most scotches, confused?  So I am.  The sip(s) had a strong start and finish with a bit of a muddled middle and end.  It’s not very challenging but it’s quite enjoyable, just an easy sipper with a reasonable price point that can be enjoyed on any occasion.  There are no off-putting notes and it’s very pleasant and smooth throughout even at the 50% ABV level.  The finish is the most memorable for me with a nice combination of sweet creamy chocolate and a little pepper that lingers for a while.  The official tasting notes are wildly different from what I pulled from it, and I used some water to open it up a bit to see how/if the flavors change.

With a dab of water you get a bit less of the citrus on the nose and a bit less of the peppery notes on the taste, but overall it’s not a massive transformation comparatively.  Still quite nice, but I would keep it at the higher proof so you get a bit more complexity.

The official tasting notes from the Glen Grant website are:

Aroma:  Flora, citrus, apply, honeydew melon, caramel, and oak

Taste:  Honey, vanilla, apricot marmalade, malt, and spice

Finish:  Long, malty, honey, apple, and soft spice

As I said, I'm not really tasting a lot of these, particularly the apricot and apple and I get more creamy chocolate rather than simply malty flavors.  On the nose, I’m not getting any of that apple or melon scents.

I’m looking forward to trying some more Glen Grant, I may have to pick up a bottle of the 12 Year Old to find the baseline (although they do offer a 10 Year as well) and the 18 Year Old because the notes sound right up my alley.  Shit, might as well explore them all.  Look for more Glen Grant reviews in the future.

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Looking forward to hearing your thoughts in the comment section.