Glen Grant 1965-1996 - 31 Year Old - Signatory Vintage - Single Cask 5849 - California Import - Mini

Founded in 1840, Glen Grant is one of Speyside’s largest and greatest distilleries. The distillery became part of Seagram’s Chivas Brothers group in the 1970s, and was subsequently acquired in 2001 by Pernod Ricard, who sold Glen Grant to Campari in 2006. 

Glen Grant’s association with Italy goes back much further, however. Gordon & MacPhail were already licensed bottlers of Glen Grant in the 1960s when the two companies began a highly beneficial relationship with Italian hotelier and importer Armando Giovinetti which led directly to Glen Grant’s ongoing dominance of the Italian single malt market.

Glen Grant’s spirit is particularly well-suited to very long ageing in both bourbon and sherry casks, making it the perfect fit for Gordon & MacPhail who released a 72-year-old Glen Grant in 2020 and whose semi-official licensed bottlings of Glen Grant are legendary. Indie Glen Grants are abundant and are generally excellent value.

Signatory Vintage Whisky Company was founded by Andrew Symington in 1988 after a spell as assistant manager at the Prestonfield House Hotel, where he had the opportunity to buy a cask of Glenlivet 1968. A robust and canny businessman, Symington had soon acquired some outstanding parcels of casks from great distilleries, and quickly established a reputation among single malt fans for good value, high quality single casks, the majority of which were released at full strength.

Throughout the 1990s and beyond, Signatory released outstanding whisky from Ardbeg, Glenfarclas, Springbank and many more, with frequently remarkable examples of lost or obscure distilleries. Soon established as one of the leading new wave independent bottlers, Symington was also an early exponent of bottling whiskies without colouring or chill filtration, a policy that has also served Signatory well at their Edradour distillery, which was purchased in 2002.