€10,000 whisky goes on sale in travel retail

Gruppo Campari is releasing an exceptionally rare 50 year old edition of its Glen Grant single malt whisky as a tribute to the innovation and whisky craftsmanship of Glen Grant.

On 28 October 1963 a rather special cask was hand filled by a young man who, at the time, was unaware that this liquid gold would ultimately shape his destiny. It would slowly mature for 50 years until 25 November 2013, when it reached its zenith – a robust, full-bodied and perfectly balanced single malt of distinction.

That young man, Dennis Malcolm, became the master distiller of one of Scotland’s finest distilleries, Glen Grant. The cask he watched over for half a century is now ready to be presented to the world.

Dennis Malcolm comments: “Only time measures our pursuit of perfection. Maturation cannot be rushed. Like people, casks mature at their own pace. I have protected and cared for this barrel for 50 years, letting it breathe and patiently waiting for the magic and interaction of whisky and wood.”

Only 150 bottles of this exclusive collector’s item will be released globally. Each piece is unique and handcrafted in every sense – presented in a hand-blown crystal glass decanter created by the craftsmen at Glencairn Crystal, the last family-owned crystal glass company in Scotland. Each decanter is hand engraved, hand numbered and finished with the number 50 in 18-carat gold lettering. The design of the decanter is an exact replica of Glen Grant’s tall, slender pot stills – a creation of Glen Grant’s legendary innovator, James ‘The Major’ Grant.

The decanter is housed in a copper-lined Scottish oak box – made from new oak by a cabinetmaker.

Each Glen Grant 50 Year Old comes with a certificate of authenticity, signed by Dennis Malcolm and every craftsman involved.

The Glen Grant 50 Year Old will be launched in Asia travel retail. It will be available in Hong Kong from Friday 21 March and shortly following in Singapore, Seoul, Shanghai, Beijing and Taipei. As of June 2014, it will be launched internationally in other duty free and domestic markets.

The retail price will be of approximately €10,000.

Glen Grant became part of the Gruppo Campari portfolio in 2006. The Glen Grant range includes the refined Major’s Reserve, 10 Year Old, 16 Year Old, 1992 Cellar Reserve, the 170th Anniversary Limited Edition, the Five Decades Edition and the Glen Grant 50 Year Old. Glen Grant was founded in 1840 in Speyside, Scotland by former smuggling brothers John and James Grant.  The tall slender stills and special purifiers were introduced James 'The Major' Grant, son of founding brother James Grant over a century ago and are still used to this day.

18 March 2014 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor