Two new single grain Scotch whiskies unveiled

April, will see the global launch of two significant Scotch whisky expressions from William Grant & Sons: The Girvan Patent Still Single Grain – No. 4 Apps and 30 Year Old. 

The releases follow in the success of The Girvan Patent Still 25 Year Old single grain whisky launched exclusively in the UK in October 2013. Both expressions will be available in the UK, Europe, US and Asia.

Aimed at whisky lovers looking to experiment, the Girvan Patent Still is genuinely different thanks to its unique continuous distillation technology, which delivers a pure and intensely rich spirit.

The Girvan Patent Still No. 4 Apps (RRP £45 42%abv) is the first, non-age statement whisky to be released by the brand. The name ‘Apps’ is a distillery term for ‘Apparatus’; No.4 Apps has been producing ‘vacuum distilled’ spirit since 1992.  This results in a whisky that is light and fruity in character, with notes of candied fruit and cream it has a subtle flavour with a lovely balance of oak and crisp fruit.

The Girvan Patent Still 30 Year Old (RRP £375 42%abv) is the oldest and most luxurious expression launched to date having been laid to rest for 30 years in first fill American Oak barrels.  Aimed at true aficionados the expression has a rich, deep, honey, candied orange and toffee fudge flavour.  With rich tannin notes and a silky mouth coating, its flavour evolves over time revealing tropical fruits, banana, zesty notes and woody spice.

Packaging remains sleek and elegant. The slender bottle has a light, elegant feel to it and is available in a rigid box with a ‘picture frame’ to show off bottle and a metal badge on the side panels for a truly premium finish.

Kevin Abrook, global marketing manager innovation at William Grant comments: “William Grant & Sons has continued to demonstrate its commitment and leadership to the single grain category with the launch of the Girvan Patent Still No. 4 Apps. With a fresher and more vibrant flavour profile than its older siblings, its launch will help Girvan to open up the single grain whisky category to a wider audience.”

“The original Girvan Patent Still, known affectionately as No 1 Apps, was built in 1963 under the stewardship of Charles Gordon, a whisky production pioneer and the great-grandson of William Grant. It was the most advanced distillery in the world at the time. Further innovation led in 1992 to Charles pioneering ‘vacuum distillation’ with the introduction of ‘No.4 Apps’. This distillation at lower temperatures, results in a very pure, clean-tasting grain spirit that balances perfectly with the vanilla notes from our American white oak casks during maturation.”

The Girvan Patent Still continuous distillation method takes the finest cereal grains to produce a very pure, fruity and clean-tasting grain spirit, which is lighter in aroma and character than most malt whiskies. It is then matured in first-fill American White Oak, which adds flavour, character, colour and complexity. 

The Girvan Patent Still range is distributed by First Drinks.

28 March 2014 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor