How The Glen Grant is showcasing its diversity with its new Splendours collection of rare whiskies

Growing up in Keith, Scotland, the sight of steam jetting out from copper pot stills, coupled with malty aromas from the mash house, intrigued Greig Stables as he walked through a whisky distillery on his way to school. 

Stables, now a master distiller of single malt Scotch whisky maker The Glen Grant, recalls with a laugh: “The first time I walked in and saw those huge copper stills, I was in awe. And then the day came when I was in charge of them. That was terrifying — for about five months, as it suddenly became my responsibility.”

The responsibility is a heavy one, having taken on the mantle from Dennis Malcolm, The Glen Grant’s long-time master distiller and whisky legend. 

Since taking over last June, Stables wants to showcase the diversity of the Speyside distillery’s expressions by strengthening its presence in the rare and limited-edition spirits segment, where its Scotch rivals have been ahead of the curve for decades. 

Enter the Splendours Collection, a new line of The Glen Grant’s rarest whiskies. Opening the collection is The Glen Grant 65 Year Old, which was launched globally in March. Distilled in 1958 and matured for over six decades in a single sherry-seasoned French oak butt, the whisky is bottled at cask strength at 55.5 per cent ABV.

A total of 151 decanters, priced at approximately US$50,000 ($66,000 each), are available worldwide. 25 of them have been allocated for the APAC region, of which about 12 are reserved for customers from Singapore. 

Stables shares that he had kept a close eye on the said cask in Warehouse No.4, the distillery’s oldest traditional stone dunnage warehouse, over the past decade. Speaking to The Peak in Hong Kong, where The Glen Grant 65 Year Old was launched, Stables says: “The whisky has retained its character and strength very well. The rich dark fruit flavours are kept and have not been overpowered by the wood.” 

The Glen Grant 65 Year Old offers sweet aromas of treacle, ripe blackberries and a hint of sandalwood on the nose. Sipping it reveals vibrant orange and black cherry flavours, layered with notes of rich fruit cake and dates. Capping off each sip are lingering notes of citrus, spice and oak, with a subtle hint of smoke. 

The exquisite mahogany-hued whisky is housed in an objet d’art — a sculptural mobius strip seed pod. It is made of wood from the distillery’s Garden of Splendours, a lush botanical garden started by its founder, Major James Grant. The decanter is embellished with motifs of Himalayan Blue Poppies, which are planted in the garden. 

Diversity of the spirit

Zesty fruit-forward notes have long been the hallmark flavour profiles of The Glen Grant’s expressions. This originates from its “new make” spirit, which is lighter and more delicate — a result of water-cooling purifiers installed on tall, slender copper stills during the distillation process. This ensures that only the finest vapours are distilled and go into making the whisky.

For years, the distillery was better known for its younger expressions in its core collection, such as its 10, 12, 15, and 18 Year Olds, which boast flavours such as orchard fruit, toffee apple, and vanilla. The Glasshouse Collection, a trio of 21, 25, and 30 Year Old expressions, was launched last year. 

Since Italian beverage giant Campari Group acquired The Glen Grant in 2006, there has been a renewed push to bring to life older expressions that showcase the distillery’s long history, which dates back to 1840.  

Stables says: “This move showcases the diversity of the liquid, with the building up of the age of inventory. After almost 20 years of ownership by Campari, we are in the position to start playing at the other end of the market and fulfil its ambition of having a whisky, renowned for its aged statements as well as its younger expressions.”

With the launch of its Spendours Collection, The Glen Grant is sharpening its focus on the ultra-luxury market with an upper tier of collectable Scotch, like The Glen Grant 65 Year Old. There will be upcoming releases once every two years in the Splendours series.

In September 2023, it launched its oldest single malt release in recent memory, the Devotion 70 Year Old, which was made in tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Strong connection with whisky

Having spent over 30 years in the whisky industry, Stables’s holistic experience spans from administration to warehousing to production. During his first decade, he worked in various roles across nine distilleries in Speyside, including The Glen Grant, which Pernod Ricard owned.

In 2006, he returned to work full-time in a management role at The Glen Grant, after Campari Group had purchased the distillery. Working with Malcolm, they started the supply chain process, from running its warehouse operations to its bottling facility. 

Today, Stables draws on The Glen Grant’s 140,000-strong cask inventory to create whisky. “We’ve built this inventory for almost 20 years,” he affirms. “Now it’s time to bring these expressions to the market and let people know how diverse The Glen Grant portfolio can be.” 

Having worked with Malcolm for the past 18 years, Stables inherits not just a legacy but a passionate and driven team of 28 staff at the distillery in Rothes. “If you don’t have the people, you don’t have the product,” he quips. “Some of our guys who made the 18 Year Old in the stillhouse are now bottling it. They’ve seen the fruit of their work.” 

As both the general manager of whisky production and master distiller, Stables wears many hats, straddling spreadsheets and spirit samples, and is involved in budgeting, marketing, branding, and product development.

A green future

While The Glen Grant 65-Year-Old draws on the work from the past, Stables is equally focused on the future. The distillery has invested heavily in environmentally friendly ways of producing whisky. They include installing heat-recovery systems in the condensers of the copper stills, which reduced gas consumption by 20 per cent. 

Earlier this year, the distillery also invested $6 million to install a thermal vapour recompression system to recycle waste heat from the production process. A new cooling system has also halved the distillery’s water extraction rate from the rivers in Speyside. 

Future plans are also maturing in a quiet corner of Warehouse No. 4, where Stables is experimenting with some casks seasoned in tequila and rum. “Some things are working, some are not, but I have the freedom to experiment. I’ll have a better answer in a few years,” he reveals. The Glen Grant also plans to open its refurbished visitors centre and a glasshouse facility in its garden by next year.  

It is the ever-changing nature that keeps Stables excited in the whisky industry. He says: “I still remember when we turned handles to open valves for steam, and I grew up with the automation of the industry. With decarbonisation efforts and the opportunity to create new products to bring the brand to different markets, it sounds a bit crazy but very dynamic.”