Tasting takes time: sipping Glen Grant whisky in Scotland

By Andreas Heimann Jun 8, 2010, 11:33 GMT

Rothes, Scotland - Speyside is eponymous with Scotland's whisky industry, with distillery after distillery clustered next to each other along the River Spey.

Most of the country's famous distilleries, such as Glen Grant and Glenfiddich, are situated here and generally allow organized tours where visitors can see how whisky is made from strong smelling malt.

The air around Speyside even smells of spirits. Not surprising as the next whisky distillery is never far away in an area that is home to the highest concentration of distilleries anywhere in Scotland.

The Glen Grant Distillery is to be found north of Rothes, an unspectacular place on the main road between Elgin and Charlestown of Aberlour.

The Grant family dynasty have produced whisky for generations although originally they found themselves on the wrong side of the law as for many years the government in London attempted without much success to prevent the practice.

Eventually, the process was legalised and the Glen Grant Distillery was officially founded by the brothers John and James Grant in 1840.

The Glen Grant Distillery has long been a popular tourist attraction and is home to a Victorian woodland garden, which after extensive restoration commencing in 1993, was officially reopened in 1996.

There is also a new visitors' centre where the Glen Grant trademark is promoted and the distilling process is explained in detail.

A small exhibition tells of Major James Grant, an eccentric traveller from the second generation of Grants.

Hunting trophies such as a stag's head and a leopardskin show that whisky wasn't his only passion. Major Grant was also the first Highland Scot to own a motorcar and his distillery was the first in the country to instal electric lighting.

Today the entire production process is high-tech and visitors will be amazed to see how few people are needed to make the finest malt whisky from water, hops and malted barley.

Everything is controlled by computer at this large facility where 10 giant containers each holds 59,000 litres. The stainless steel mash tun holds 12 tons and eight steam-heated pot stills produce the 5.2 million litres of Glen Grant whisky that leave the distillery every year.

Around 11,500 barrels of whisky are stored in the company's warehouse where they can mature in peace.

No tour is complete without some sample whisky tasting, while more detailed tastings are also available on request where visitors can learn how the length of time a Glen Grant whisky spends in the barrel affects the taste.

While the younger whisky is clearer in colour with a distinctively crisp, fresh taste, the older varied is of a darker hue due to the length of time spent in the wooden barrel, which effects not only colour but also aroma.

To the trained palate, a 25-year-old whisky offers a hint of fruit and meadow honey.

Not surprisingly Glen Grant's whisky blenders and experts don't reveal every detail of the ageing process for their 25-year-old spirit.

However, a simple taste will indicate the difference from the younger single malt. And if one taste isn't enough, a second is always an option just to make sure.