Checkers recently bottled a Glen Grant 17 year old whisky under their Private Barrel Co. label. Glen Grant is a Speyside Single Malt distillery located in the small town of Rothes – not far from the Glenrothes distillery.
John and James Grant, two former illegal distillers, founded Glen Grant in 1840. All the essential ingredients of malt whisky were close at hand; the sea and port of Garmouth, the River Spey and barley-growing plains all within easy reach for a new distillery.
By 1872, the founders of Glen Grant Distillery had died. Young James ‘The Major’ Grant, born in 1847, had always taken a keen interest in the distillery. After inheriting the business from his uncle John Grant, he proved himself a worthy successor.
According to accounts, James Grant was a legendary innovator and traveller. New ideas fascinated James Grant, and he wasn’t afraid to explore them. He was the first man in the Highlands to own a car. Glen Grant was the first distillery to have electric light.
He also introduced the tall, slender stills and purifiers, which created the fresh malty flavour. James Grant passed away in 1931. He was survived by his three daughters and a distillery that had become one of the most famous in the world.
Douglas MacKessack, his grandson, became his successor. In 2006, Campari acquired Glen Grant. The Glen Grant distillery is one of the top-selling malt whiskies in parts of the world.
Checkers launched their Private Barrel Co. Label of single malt whiskies in 2013. There are three other bottlings in the Checkers Private Barrel Co collection, including a Mortlach and a Glenburgie.
Only 464 bottles of the Glen Grant 17 year old whisky has been released. It is the most mature of the current Private Barrel Co. range, and I managed to get bottle number 170 of 464.
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Glen Grant 17 year old Whisky Review
The Glen Grant 17 year old single malt Scotch whisky is finished in a Sherry Cask (cask no. 97265).
REGION: Speyside
ABV: 46%
COLOUR: A copper tinted gold.
NOSE: When nosing, the sherry cask is immediately noticeable. The sherry comes through at once and is very pronounced. Then some fresh fruit emerges, especially when you add a bit of water. There are notes of greengage, mild spice and butterscotch. Not have a very complex nose.
PALATE: Fresh fruit and butterscotch. It is a very spicy whisky with lots of pepper, ginger and nutmeg. There is some sweetness of the sherry cask in the background, but the spice dominates the taste.
FINISH: This Glen Grant 17 year old finishes in spice and liquorice. The finish is rather short but nicely warming.
RATING: VERY GOOD
For a 17 year old whisky, this is not a very complex whisky. However, it is an easy-drinking dram. Surprisingly the sherry does not come through as much in the palate as it does in the nose.
An interesting bottle to have in my collection. I am looking forward to trying some of the other expressions in the Checkers Private Barrel Co collection. There are a few more to choose from. I have also tasted the Private Barrel Co. No.41 whisky and the Private Barrel Co No 68, both of which are amazing drams. Earlier this year, I tried this Glen Grant 17 yo with various cheeses to find a good whisky cheese pairing. The Glen Grant works very nicely with young, mild cheddar cheese.
The Private Barrel Co released a James Sedgwick Distillery 6 yo Fino Cask as well as a Private Barrel Co No 108 Irish Whiskey during 2018, and you can read all about it.
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