This Glen Grant 1962 was bottled back in 2006 by Gordon & MacPhail (who else?) with the traditional old distillery label. However it seems to have been re-issued recently as plenty of UK retailers have it in stock again, now with the half-open case that definitely wasn’t around in 2006.
Glen Grant 43 yo 1962 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail 2006, first-fill sherry casks)
Nose: whisky meets sherry meets cognac. Raisins and fig jam, but also raspberries, mango and these wonderful rancio notes. Pink grapefruit as well as guava and vineyard peach sorbet (love that, especially the one made by Moustache in France). Eucalyptus and rubbed mint leaves. Bergamot as well. Acacia honey. Polished furniture with hints of wood resin. Dried flower petals too. Wonderfully complex.
Mouth: more of this old rancio style, having tart fruits (redcurrant, pink grapefruits, raspberry jam and sour cherries) mixed with orange peels and tobacco leaves. Also a fresh side of peppermint and triple sec. Blackberries in the background. Old leather, as well as cigar boxes and herbal tea, without becoming excessively dry. The thin, slightly sour profile comes really close to old cognac again. Hints of liquorice. Just a whiff of smoke as well, towards the end.
Finish: fairly long considering the ABV, on cedar, herbs and mint.
Vibrant and complex, really stunning. Maybe I’m even more impressed because we’re into this specific cognac profile lately, but this is an outstanding whisky from an outstanding sherry cask. As I said, still available from TWE or TyndrumWhisky for instance. I bought a sample as part of the excellent G&M long-aged sample set.