09/10/2026 Glen Grant

Glen Grant 22yo 2003/2026 (52%, Decadent Drinks Decadent Drams, 19y Refill Barrel & 3y 1st Fill Sherry Hogshead, 193b): nose: phwoar! that is a fruity nose. We have ripe plums and dark grapes leaping out of a lacquered jewel case, and all sorts of dried-fruit pastes -- prune paste, raisin paste, membrillo, apricot paste. How marvellous! It has got a bit of dusty plasticine too, an open bottle of Italian wine (Chianti in a bottle clad with a straw basket) and emerging blackberries. Keep sniffing and it ends up giving hot metal (but no methedrine, ho! ho! ho!) The second nose smashes blackberries and myrtles all the way up the nose, hitting the sinuses. That slows down a bit to dish out a lovely fig spread. It promises sweetness and chewiness. Mouth: a modest kick prefaces a sprinkling of pepper and a spoonful of blackberry jam. It is all rather discreet. Chewing slaps the tongue with melted plastic on oilcloth, plum juice and pressed blackberries. It has a sharp bitterness, which suggests that not all fruits are entirely ripe, but it is not detrimental to the overall enjoyment A stick of cinnamon and a splatter of toothpaste inject some wood spices for good measure. The second sip maintains the bitter lick, but, underneath that, we find the same nice fig spread as on the nose. The bitterness now seems to come from the fig pips in said spread. It has a strong wine presence, yet it is not tannic; it is close to a Mediterranean wine that has seen more sun than many would prefer. Finish: it is pretty earthy, here, which is a surprise. Damp clay floors, moist mulch, cassia bark crumbling into shards and dust. And it is anaesthetising too. Some of the fruits from before do show up, indiscernible. Plum stems and grape vines are louder than the fruits they once bore. The second gulp prolongs the earthy-woody notes, with plenty of spices (ginger shavings, cinnamon, cassia) and the beginning of a sweeter note -- another relish or spread, sultanas, dates or quince and lemon, augmented with ground star anise. A strong nose, while the palate and finish are a little behind. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, EG)