Campari Group staged a stylish launch event in London last month to celebrate the global release of The Glen Grant Dennis Malcolm 60th Anniversary Edition, a tribute to the distinguished career in Scotch whisky of Dennis Malcolm, The Glen Grant Master Distiller.
The launch presented the oldest edition ever seen in the distillery’s 181-year history, fittingly created by Malcolm, who was born and raised on the Glen Grant estate in Speyside.
Priced at €25,000 (US$28,940) and now distributed for global sale, including a select allocation in travel retail, the limited edition decanter was launched at the Rolls-Royce showroom in London’s Mayfair.
The occasion marked both the career of multi-award winning Malcolm and the commitment of Campari Group “to enter and ignite new excitement in the luxury spirits category”.
There is authenticity in the Rolls Royce connection stretching back to 1906, Campari Group pointed out. That was when The Glen Grant distillery’s owner, James ‘The Major’ Grant, was the first person in northern Scotland to own a car – a Rolls Royce Silver Ghost.
The eye-catching exclusive, limited edition of just 360 decanters of the 60 year old single malt Scotch whisky (52.8%ABV, 70cl except North America, 75cl) was hand-bottled by Malcolm himself. The liquid was matured across the decades in a single ex-Oloroso sherry cask (#5040), which was filled on 24 October 1960. The date was just six months after Malcolm began his apprenticeship as a cooper at Glen Grant.
“The job has lasted a lifetime for me but all I’m doing is continuing the journey of Glen Grant so that future generations can experience and enjoy it, only then can anyone truly judge my work, not now. That’s what’s important, that’s what I should be judged on” – The Glen Grant Master Distiller Dennis Malcolm
Each of the numbered decanters, each hand-crafted over 15 hours, is housed in a luxurious presentation case shaped from sustainable walnut. Based on the lines of the distillery’s tall, slim, pot stills, it has been produced from the highest quality hand-blown, crystal glass to a design by Glencairn Studio.
Innovated by the distillery in the 1870s to capture the finest vapours, these distinctive, elongated structures dominate the Glen Grant distillery and are echoed in the coated metal wrapping the decanter neck and in the detail of the crystal stopper.
Each presentation case carries the Master Distiller’s signature engraved upon it and a Certificate of Authenticity, also signed by Malcolm.
Glen Grant – the Rolls-Royce of whisky?
Welcoming guests to the launch event, Bob Kunze-Concewitz, CEO of Campari Group, said: “With the launch of The Glen Grant Dennis Malcolm 60th Anniversary Edition, we celebrate and pay tribute to the career of a true Scottish gentleman and globally-recognised Scotch whisky craftsman and an unwavering champion for the whisky industry.
“With craftsmanship at the heart of The Glen Grant, it was only fitting that we partner with a brand that embodies British quality and luxury, and so we looked to Rolls-Royce and its showroom in Mayfair. This is an incredibly exciting time for The Glen Grant as we make our entrance into the luxury market, and we could think of nowhere better to showcase this extremely special expression of our portfolio.”
“Travel retail has long been renowned as a top brand-building market and a vibrant, high-quality showcase of rare whisky discoveries. Now, as travel gradually shifts gear into a stronger recovery, this is a perfect opportunity to inject greater anticipation and excitement in the luxury whisky category” – Campari Global Travel Retail Managing Director Leigh Irvine
At the event, Dennis Malcolm highlighted the values shared by Glen Grant and Rolls-Royce: “It’s been such a joy to spend my life working in an industry and with a craft that I’m so passionate about. Much like our UK launch partner, Rolls-Royce, The Glen Grant has always been about consistent dedication to craftsmanship and quality, and this comes across in the high standard of what we produce.
“This quality cannot be maintained without the right people looking after the brand and ensuring that care and attention goes into every bottle. This evening was a night to celebrate all of the people who have made The Glen Grant the brand that it is today.”
A guided tasting from the Master Distiller
Event guests then had the opportunity to enjoy a taste of the new expression in a toast and guided tasting, led by Malcolm himself. He said: “What was so special after sixty years in the cask is that there was no oakiness there. The Glen Grant flavour and profile reaches right through – as it does across everything from the 10 year old to this 60 year-old – and is still dominant. It’s all still there even after so much passing of time. The Glen Grant DNA did not change in any way.
“Through the glass, the first thing you see is the beautiful chestnut colour, which always reminds me of my childhood looking for shiny horse chestnuts. As you sniff the glass and discover the aroma, you are immediately greeted by the vibrant notes of Seville orange, followed by an unravelling of rich fruits and nuts, apricot, peaches, raisins and pecan nuts.
He continued: “Then, as you take a sip, the base flavour reminds you of the taste of a rich Christmas cake with its dried fruits and orange peel, pecans and raisins, which is then gently balanced by the sweetness of marzipan and icing.
“That then melts away and lets in the tones of dark chocolate and treacle toffee and the finish is long and soft with just a little hint of smokiness. So, I’ve given you the aroma, the base and the finish for your Glen Grant journey; all you have to do now is take your next sip and start that journey again!”
Campari targets travel retail with 60th Anniversary Edition
Owned by Campari since 2005, this luxury launch is a significant landmark in the group’s vision for the growth of The Glen Grant in travel retail, with a number of The Glen Grant Dennis Malcolm 60th Anniversary Edition decanters allocated to carefully selected locations in the global travel retail market.
Campari Global Travel Retail Managing Director Leigh Irvine explained the brand’s strategy: “We are proud and excited to be launching The Glen Grant Dennis Malcolm 60th Anniversary Edition at select luxury locations in travel retail in the coming months.
“Bottled from a single ex-Oloroso Sherry cask that was filled in 1960, this expression is the pinnacle of excellence in whisky craftsmanship and, with only 360 decanters created, demand globally from collectors is high.”
He added: “Travel retail has long been renowned as a top brand-building market and a vibrant, high-quality showcase of rare whisky discoveries. Now, as travel gradually shifts gear into a stronger recovery, this is a perfect opportunity for The Glen Grant Dennis Malcolm 60th Anniversary Edition to inject greater anticipation and excitement in the luxury whisky category.”
Underlining the expression’s attraction, the first of the decanters (Bottle no.88) was purchased at auction during a special dinner at the Shanghai St Regis Hotel in China recently. There, a specialist whisky collector bid 380,000 RMB (approximately US$59,000) for the bottle, making it the highest price sale in The Glen Grant’s history.
Dennis Malcolm’s Glen Grant Story
Malcolm, Scotland’s longest-serving distiller, shared his memories of sixty years ago, when his apprenticeship began at The Glen Grant and the Oloroso cask that would become a tribute to him was filled as he worked nearby: “This 60 year old edition is very special, possibly the pinnacle of my career because not every liquid can mature, develop and appreciate in quality in the journey from zero to sixty years. I think we’ve got the permutation of the Oloroso sherry cask and Glen Grant right and that marriage is perfect for us.
“I don’t class this as a job, it’s a way of life. I was born on the estate and my family connection to Glen Grant goes back over a hundred years. As far back as 1919 my grandfather worked at the distillery, followed by my father and then myself. I think it was my destiny to be there.
“My first day as an apprentice cooper was terrifying, I was so nervous! I could hear the coopers hammering away inside as I knocked on the big wooden door. There was no response so I knocked again – louder. The hammering stopped, everything went silent, then a voice called ‘come in’.
“I’m sure I only opened the door a few inches and somehow slid in, closing it behind me. They had all stopped and sat staring blankly at me in total silence. They were just having fun with me but I was so nervous, I’ll never forget that morning!
“The job has lasted a lifetime for me but all I’m doing is continuing the journey of Glen Grant so that future generations can experience and enjoy it, only then can anyone truly judge my work, not now. That’s what’s important, that’s what I should be judged on.”
