Glen Grant Whisky Pairing Night & Canapés @ The Social, TREC

“The New Reveal” – whisky paring night & canapés was held for the media at The Social, TREC. It was my first time being introduced to Glen Grant, an award-winning single malt scotch whisky from Scotland.

Glen Grant’s story began in 1840, in Rothes, Speyside – one of Scotland’s renowned regions for whisky production; by brothers John and James Grant. Still produced in Rothes today, Glen Grant is currently the world’s number five top-selling single malt whisky (as claimed by Glen Grant) and holds a range of prestigious industry awards. The distiller practises a barley to bottle approach, whereby alongside milling and malting the barley on the premises, every drop is bottled on site too. Additionally, Glen Grant single malt Scotch whisky is made from the soft water of the Back Burn and the barley of Speyside.
The unique and smooth taste of Glen Grant whiskies are the result of the innovative tall slender stills and special purifiers that James ‘The Major’ Grant, son of founder James Grant, invented over a century ago. Still used to this day, this lasting legacy continues to distinguish the brand.

The latest premium expressions – the Glen Grant 18 Year Old and Glen Grant 12 Year Old single malt whiskies now join the existing range, which now in full includes The Major’s Reserve, 10 Year Old, 12 Year Old, 18 Year Old and a selection of limited edition bottles; each based on more than 175 years of passion and craftsmanship. The new 12 Year Old and 18 Year Old expressions each add their own unique flavour profiles to the current Glen Grant range, offering even more choice for consumers.

The pairing session was led by Dennis Malcolm, a Scottish man who is Glen Grant’s Master Distiller of 50 years. We were introduced to the origin of Glen Grant, the distillery process and the tasting notes of each range of Glen Grant’s whisky.

That night, we sampled Glen Grant 10 Years, Glen Grant 12 Years, Glen Grant 18 Years and The Major’s Reserve.

First off the men was sesame prawn toast, smoked salmon blinis and crab spring roll paired with Glen Grant 10 Years. Arguably the best 10-year-old whisky, this was smooth, intense and slightly fruity with a soft almond finish.

For the last four years, the 10 Year Old has won the “Best Single Malt Scotch: 10 Years and Under” category award in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible. In addition to this, in 2015 the 10 Year Old also took home the guide’s top honour for single malts by winning overall Single Malt of the Year (Multiple Casks).

Tasting notes

Colour: Bright gold

Aroma: Sweet pastry, pear drops with a hint of vanilla

Taste: Orchard fruit with rich malt notes

Finish: Long and complex

ABV: 40%

Next, we had chicken herb sausage roll and dragon roll accompanied by Glen Grant 12 Years. Western-Jap fusion canapé paired with this remarkable single malt which delights the palate with hints of caramel, vanilla and finishes with subtle hints of spice.

The 12 Year Old was recently awarded the IWSC GOLD 2016, Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Speyside, 12-13 Years Old.

Tasting notes

Colour: Bright Gold

Aroma: Honey, pear and apple with hints of almond and citrus

Taste: Apple pie crust, caramel and vanilla

Finish: Lingering fruit with subtle hints of spice

ABV: 43%

The next thing served was my favourite of the night, mini wagyu beef burger paired with Glen Grant 18 Years. The nicely grilled mini patty went well with this single malt that matured for 18 years in the highest quality oak casks. This bright gold whisky delivered intricate flavours of malted caramel, vanilla, raisins and finishes sweet with hints of nuts and spice.

Tasting notes

Colour: Bright Gold

Aroma: Rich and floral with oaky overtones and hints of baking spices

Taste: Malty caramel, delicate, dried raisins and vanilla

Finish: Long, sweet with hints of nuts and spice

ABV: 43%

For dessert, we savoured the crème-grant brulee which was infused with Glen Grant Major’s Reserve. It was incredible how an ordinary crème brulee could go so well with alcohol in it. 

The Major’s Reserve – inspired by James ‘The Major’ Grant, grandson of the founder, is the lightest of the Glen Grant range. It is an easy drinking single malt Scotch whisky which is creamy and fruity on the palate with a slightly dry, nutty finish.

Tasting notes

Colour: Light golden colour

Aroma: Soft, slightly dry with a delicate apple note

Taste: Fresh, creamy with hints of vanilla and apple

Finish: Medium dry with a touch of hazelnut

ABV: 40%

After dinner, we stayed on at the bar to catch up with the girls while treating ourselves to more Glen Grant whisky.

Thank you Glen Grant and The Social for the great pairing session!

The Glen Grant whiskies are officially distributed by Drinks Connexion in Malaysia, and are now currently available at selected entertainment outlets and retailers in Malaysia. For retail enquiries or bulk order, contact Amanda Quar at amanda.quar@drinksconnexion.com.my

For more information on Glen Grant, head over to http://www.glengrant.com/