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Grant’s 25 Year Old: a new ultra-premium expression of Grant’s Scotch |
UK/INTERNATIONAL. Family-owned distiller William Grant & Sons Ltd last week revealed an ultra-premium Grant’s 25 Year Old blended Scotch whisky, which will be launched exclusively in travel retail next June. For the first 18 months after launch the new line will remain a travel retail exclusive, priced at £145 per bottle.
The product contains some of the company’s most prized malt and grain whiskies, including the first ever whisky batch laid down at Grant’s Girvan distillery in 1964.
Peter Gordon – a fifth-generation descendent of the distillery’s founder, William Grant, and its current Chairman – said: “William Grant, our founder and my larger-than-life great-great-grandfather, was the man who began our whisky history. With family around him he succeeded in building his first distillery by hand. Subsequent generations have been involved in creating some of the finest blends of their time.
 Grant’s: an epic 100-year journey |
| Some of the greatest brand stories this industry can boast come from the history and heritage of Scotch whisky. And within Scotch, the William Grant & Sons story occupies a special place. |
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“It is this sense of many branches of our family working in harmony to create the highest quality whiskies. This exceptional 25 year old blended Scotch whisky is our way of celebrating each family member’s contribution to the success of Grant’s whisky and our unique family history.”
The unveiling marks the 100th year since Charles Gordon, William Grant’s son-in-law, set off on a journey to take Grant’s to the world. Armed with few supplies other than a hold full of samples, he took a year-long trip by steamer around the world, from Lahore to Kuala Lumpur and from Singapore to Sydney, taking orders and opening markets everywhere he went. His story was beautifully evoked by Peter Gordon at the unveiling in Cannes last week as he described the journey Charles Gordon took and showed guests mementoes of that arduous trip a century ago.
Gordon later told The Moodie Report: “This is a major story for us and reflects the role of travel in our history. It’s also a departure for aged, blended whiskies, and will compare very well with other vintage products. It is made from some of our most remarkable malt and grain stores and will appeal to the Scotch whisky connoisseur.”
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Toasting the future, and the past: William Grant & Sons Master Blender Brian Kinsman, Chairman Peter Gordon and Group Marketing Director Maurice Doyle hail the unveiling of the new Grant’s 25yo in Cannes last week |
William Grant & Sons Travel Retail Regional Manager Europe Erik Thomsen noted: “It’s our strong belief that travel retail is the best place to showcase this exquisite new 25yo addition to the award-winning Grant’s whisky range, given the centenary of Charles Gordon’s epic voyage to take Grant’s to the world and today’s international popularity. His vision, enthusiasm and self-belief in an era when international travel took months, not hours, were pivotal to establishing Grant’s as a global phenomenon.”
Grant’s 25 Year Old was blended by Brian Kinsman under the watchful eyes of Master Blender David Stewart. It is the final Grant’s blend to be created by the pair before Kinsman himself takes on the mantle of Master Blender this December, becoming only the sixth in Grant’s history.
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Peter Gordon emphasises the family traditions that underpin the making of Grant’s whisky |
The blend is described as having “notes of fragrant summer peach blossom and polished leather” and on the palate it is said to be “a spicy cinnamon and ginger bite with a fresh and mellow sweetness”.
Grant’s 25 Year Old is presented in a bespoke glass bottle designed to showcase the rich amber of the whisky. Encased within an individually hand finished cobalt blue presentation box adorned with champagne gold engraved metalwork, the double doors of the presentation box reveal the bottle enveloped in silk.
An embossed tree represents the contributions of many branches of the Grant’s family and reflects the time, care and craftsmanship that are the key ingredients of this fine and exceptional blend, said the company.
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A travellers’ tale: 100 years ago Charles Gordon set out on an epic global journey to spread the message about Grant’s whisky; pictured are his travel bag (top) and order book (above), plus other souvenirs of a memorable journey |
MORE STORIES ON WILLIAM GRANT & SONS
William Grant & Sons expands global travel retail team – 16/10/09
Global exclusivity for Aelia as it launches first bottle of Glenfiddich 50yo at Paris CDG – 01/09/09
