The Glen Grant’s Master Distiller Dennis Malcolm talks the latest release, Arboralis
The Arboralis continues The Glen Grant’s list of excellent releases in the distillery’s 180-year history, particulary those under the watch of Master Distiller, Dennis Malcolm.
He’s been at the distillery all of his life – his father and grandfather worked there before him – and started out as an apprentice cooper at the age of 15.
Malcolm said he created Arboralis to celebrate the complex flavour profile the world-renowned distillery is famous for.
“We are very proud of our newest single malt, which we call our very own ‘liquid gold,’” he said. “It’s particularly exciting to launch the product on the year of our 180th anniversary, to celebrate The Glen Grant’s heritage and inspire future generations of Scotch enthusiasts.”
Introducing a new tasting experience, Malcolm said the liquid – which bears the distillery’s signature elegance while delivering notes of creamy toffee and ripe pears – captures the distillery’s rich past as well as its journey into the next exciting chapter.
Founded in 1840 by brothers John and James Grant in Rothes, in Speyside, Scotland, The Glen Grant distillery boasts a double distillation process, which sets the award-winning single malt apart.
“Introduced over a century ago by the ingenious James ‘The Major’ Grant, these hand-designed, tall, slender stills and distinctive purifiers capture only the finest vapours,” Malcolm said. “Still used to this day, the result is a refined and seductively smooth taste for which The Glen Grant is renowned.”
Before you begin, consider your glassware and how it may enhance your tasting experience. The preferred tasting glass for Glen Grant whisky is a Glencairn glass. It is shaped with a bulbous bottom and narrow length, to concentrate the aromas. If you don’t have access to a Glencairn glass, try a simple rocks glass, where the wider-mouthed shape allows the fumes to dissipate and bring the aromas forward.
Hold your glass up to natural light to properly observe the whisky’s colour. Whisky can range from a pale amber to a deep brown, where the darker the colour, the more concentrated the flavour. You’ll notice the Glen Grant Arboralis is a bright gold colour, reflected in its ease on the taste buds.
Gently smell the liquid with your mouth slightly open to savour the best of the whisky’s aroma. You can also use an in and out movement where you put your nose into the glass and then back out again to waft the aroma to your nostrils.
The key to a proper whisky tasting is sipping small mouthfuls at a time to allow all notes of the flavour to unlock on your tastebuds. Give your palate a chance to adjust to the alcohol content upon your first sip, then take another sip to properly digest all flavours. You can also use a spit bucket to assist with multiple tastings.
Something that makes whisky so special is the aftertaste. After you swallow or spit the whisky, the flavour lingers on your palate and evolves before fading away. Dissect how long the finish is and the notes that develop within this.
Tasting whisky becomes even more exciting when you begin to recognise the nuances between different bottles and categories. Try for yourself the difference between an 18-year-old whisky, verse, a newer variance and how this affects the taste, aroma and finish.