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Grant's

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Grant's
TypeScotch Whisky
ManufacturerWilliam Grant & Sons
Country of origin Scotland
Introduced1887
Alcohol by volume 40%
WebsiteGrant's

Grant's is a blended Scotch whisky, produced by the company William Grant & Sons in Scotland.

It is the world's third highest selling Scotch whisky.[1]

History

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In 1886, William Grant started working in the distillery business as a bookkeeper. In 1898, Pattison's, the largest Scotch whisky blender at the time, went bankrupt, and William Grant stepped in and launched Grant's whisky. William built the Glenfiddich distillery in Dufftown, Scotland, with the help of his seven sons and two daughters. On Christmas Day 1887, it produced its first product.[2]

Later, William's son-in-law Charles Gordon became the company's first salesman, and in 1909, he spent a year taking Grant's to Australia and the far east. In 1915, a new law stated that the minimum maturation period for Scotch whisky was to be two years (today it is three).[3] While this led to the ruin of many Scotch whisky distilleries, William Grant had kept a supply of aging whisky in stock and was able to ensure continuous production.

William Grant died in 1923 but by this time, the family business was already established. In 1963, William's great-grandson Charles Gordon, oversaw construction of the Girvan grain distillery.[4] In 1979, Grant's UK sales surpassed 1-million cases for the first time. Today, Grant's continues to be family-owned and operated. The current CEO, Glenn Gordon, is the fifth generation of the family to lead the business.[5]

Grant's is the oldest family-owned blended whisky and is currently sold in over 180 countries. It is the world's fourth largest Scotch whisky brand, selling 4.1 million cases of whisky in the first half of 2020.[6] The mother company, William Grant & Sons also owns single malt whisky brands, including Glenfiddich and The Balvenie.[7]

Bottle

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Beginning in 1957, Grant's is sold in a bottle that has a triangular cross section. The designer, Hans Schleger, came to Britain as a refugee from Nazi Germany. He was asked to create a distinctive, elegant bottle that would showcase the quality and colour of the whisky as well being able to be stacked and packed efficiently. The triangular-shaped bottle was first used in 1956 for Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch, also owned by William Grant & Sons.[8]

In 2002, the Grant's bottle and label were both updated. This included embossing the bottle with the Grant coat of arms and the motto "Stand Fast" – the war cry of Clan Grant, to which William belonged. The words "Est. 1887" and "Independent Family Distillers for Five Generations" were also added.

Whiskies

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Grant's blended whiskies are made using grain whisky from the Girvan distillery as the invariant base, with which a variety of single malts and other grain whiskies are blended. The full range includes the Grant's Triple Wood, Triple Wood Smoky, Ale Cask Finish, Rum Cask Finish, 8 Year Old Sherry Cask Finish, Triple Wood 12 Year Old, Rare 18 Year Old and the 25 Year Old blended Scotch whiskies.

  • Grant's Triple Wood Blended Scotch Whisky - Grant's Family Reserve was renamed Grant's Triple Wood in 2018 and is described as having a complex, clean and fruity taste. Jim Murray praised this blend, “It defies the odds for quality” in his Whisky Bible 2010. The ABV percentage of this blend is 40%.[9][10]
  • Grant’s Triple Wood Smoky - is said to have a sweet fruitiness and hints of citrus, finishing with smoke and a “touch of dry tannin”.[11]
  • Grant's Ale Cask Finish - the only Scotch finished in ale casks, giving it a taste described as creamy, malty and honeyed.[12]
  • Grant's Rum Cask Finish - aged in oak barrels before being matured further in ex-Caribbean-style rum barrels, and is said to have notes of tropical fruits, banana, vanilla oak and a touch of sweet spice.[13]
  • Grant's 8 Year Old Sherry Cask Finish - finishes its maturation in oak casks that have previously held Oloroso sherry. The whisky is described as having vanilla sweetness and rich malty notes, accentuated dried fruits and wood spices.[14]
  • Grant's Triple Wood 12 Year Old Whisky - the reworked and renamed Grant's 12 Year Old Whisky, blended in three types of oak casks: a Sherry cask, an American Oak cask and a Bourbon refill. The constituent whiskies have matured for a minimum of 12 years.[15]
  • Grant's Rare 18 Year Old Whisky - a Scotch whisky described as rich and full bodied with fruity port notes.[16]
  • Grant's 25 Year Old Whisky - a blend of 25 malt and grain whiskies, including the first ever whisky laid down at Grant's Girvan distillery. It is described as having a smooth, singular sweetness.[17]

References

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  1. ^ Brooker, Alice (30 June 2022). "Top 10 best-selling Scotch whiskies". The Spirits Business. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  2. ^ "The History Of William Grant & Sons - Value Advise Sell | Mark Littler Ltd". Mark Littler. 8 April 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  3. ^ "The laws of Scotch: distillation and casks | Scotch Whisky". scotchwhisky.com. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  4. ^ "Girvan Distillery: A single grain pioneer". The Spirits Business. 6 July 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  5. ^ Schrieberg, Felipe. "Whisky Tycoon Family Is Scotland's Richest For the Sixth Year In A Row". Forbes. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  6. ^ "19 best-selling Scotch Whisky brands in the world". GQ India. 26 July 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  7. ^ "William Grant & Sons sees great potential in Poland for premium brands". www.stilnovisti.com. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  8. ^ "Grant's - BELUGA GROUP". belugagroup.ru. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  9. ^ "Blended Scotch Whisky Collection | Grant's Whisky".
  10. ^ https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/grants+the+fmly+rsrv+triple+wood+ blend+scotch+whisky+scotland [bare URL]
  11. ^ Kiely, Melita (4 July 2018). "Grant's unveils new whiskies and brand overhaul". The Spirits Business. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  12. ^ "Where to buy Grant's Ale Cask Finish Blended Scotch Whisky | prices & local stores in USA". Wine-Searcher. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  13. ^ Kiely, Melita (4 July 2018). "Grant's unveils new whiskies and brand overhaul". The Spirits Business. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  14. ^ "Grant's Sherry Cask Finish - Ratings and reviews - Whiskybase". Whiskybase.com. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  15. ^ "Blended Scotch Whisky Collection | Grant's Whisky".
  16. ^ "Where to buy Grant's Rare 18 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky | prices & local stores in Europe". Wine-Searcher. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  17. ^ "Where to buy Grant's 25 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky | prices & local stores in USA". Wine-Searcher. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
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