Some might say 2006 was a good year:

• Borat was introduced to the world.
• Miles Davies was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
• Disney acquired Pixar for US$7.4 billion
• Edvard Munch’s ‘The Scream’ was stolen and recovered within a week, and
• Campari of Milan bought Speyside’s Glen Grant.

And it would not be business as usual. The Italian company decided that — to challenge grappa in their home market — they’d need a younger whisky expression, most notably a five-year-old whisky, which they duly launched. And that strategy paid off. Genio! To this day, Glen Grant is still Italy’s favourite single malt. Sometimes, size doesn’t matter.

Well, the mass market is appeased, and now, on the other end of the scale, there is also this: the recent launch of the limited edition Glen Grant 60-Year-Old single malt to honour acclaimed Master Distiller Dennis Malcolm — who, after a six-decade career, is one of Scotland’s longest-serving distillers. 

This release is from Campari Group’s RARE division which focuses on super-premium offerings from their portfolio. There are only 360 bottles of this bespoke whisky produced, of which only 10 have been allocated to Singapore: it’s SGD$39,888 a bottle.

And we got to taste it.

This is saying a lot because this 60-year-old is so rare and precious that, let’s put it this way, there are more Lamborghini car owners in Singapore than people who have tasted this whisky. 

And what does a 60-year-old whisky taste like? Especially one from such a storied distillery? We’ll get to that; here are more fun facts about the spirit:

• Bottled at 52.8% ABV from a single ex-Oloroso sherry cask that was filled on 24 October 1960.
• This is the oldest distillery bottling in the brand’s nearly two-century-old existence.
• It takes 15 hours of artisanal craftsmanship to create the decanter from hand-blown crystal glass. 
• Each is marked with a bespoke number, and its design is based on the unique, tall slender pot stills the distillery still uses. Each is signed by Dennis Malcolm, who, legend has it, was born on the distillery grounds (his father and grandfather also worked at Glen Grant). 

Dennis Malcolm started work at 15 as an apprentice cooper and eventually became the manager supervising the company’s nine distilleries. He has been the stalwart who maintains the malt’s personality and who brings innovation and inspiration to the expressions. 

To the special 60 Year Old then: 

The colour is a handsome chestnut, with an orangey and fruity nose which yields elegant flavours of pecans, apricots, Christmas cake and figs. 

It was just a wee of a wee dram, but it was worth the wait.

If you need to find out more, visit glengrant.com 

Or contact Andrew Law to inquire about availability: Andrew.law@remy-cointreau.com

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