Glen Grant is a huge single malt brand, though you wouldn’t know it by the presence it has here in the US. It’s supposedly very popular in Italy and has strong sales numbers around the globe. Originally started by two smuggler brothers, the distillery would later merge a handful of times before finally resting under the ownership of Campari. Like Glenmoranige, they use very tall stills to craft a smooth and less assertive single malt.

Exclusive Malts found this refill Bourbon cask that only yielded 212 bottles. K&L Wine was selling them for $99, though I’m not sure if that was a mistake and it looks like they sold out already. LoveScotch.org was retailing their’s for $157, but also sold out. I heard claims that this was supposed to retail for around $140, which sounds about right. Both of those vendors have a selection of other Exclusive Malts bottlings, if you’re interested in exploring the brand

Nose: Chicken feet boiled in white wine with one single clove for the initial whiff. The light sweet malt really picks up after a few seconds and then it smells like you’re standing at Whole Foods in front of the bulk cereal section. A haystack and a giant pile of fresh bean sprouts. Cranberries in white chocolate. Cedar and cider with a drop of pear. It definitely lets more caramel loose as you drink it.

Palate: Light and hot. Sweet pink peppercorns and guava. Cedar and gooseberries in ginger water. Effervescent with a sour finish like a Belgian white ale. The finish is also very peppery, as if you had been chewing a piece of fresh ginger, and in the long part starts to taste a little bit like the fresh beans sprouts from the nose. The hot mouth-feel sticks around.

Overall a very nice malt! For a typically mild whisky, this one has a nice tropical fruit to it with a balanced savory side, and a lot of very aggressive pepper. Thank you to Katia over at Impex Beverages for the sample.