VisitingGlen Grant has a large visitor centre and extensive 22 acre gardens. It is open every day, check website for opening times. The website states "Visitors can choose from guided tours and private tastings offered by our friendly distillery staff", but does not elaborate as to the extent or cost. Distillery is open daily throughout the year
Vital Stats
Glen Grant is the only Scottish distillery named after an individual - well two actually the brothers John and James Grant (no direct relation to William Grant of Glenfiddich; William Grant of Glenrothes; or the Grants of Glenfarclas). The brothers are still pictured on the label of the single malt.
Major James Grant took over the distillery from his father and uncle, and when he wasn't indulging in killing animals in Africa apparently this was/is somehow considered sport, was establishing the Glen Grant Gardens, and innovating at the distillery. Alfred Barnard recounts that Glen Grant was the first to be lit by electricity, when a generator was installed in 1883. It was also one of the first distilleries to have drum maltings. He also built another distillery across the road, Glen Grant #2 (later Caperdonich) with a pipe connecting the two to carry spirit back to the original distillery. On one of his African trips, the Major found a young orphaned African boy, and, pre-empting Madonna, decided to take him back to Rothes with him. scotchwhisky.com has a fuller story of Biawa Makalaga (though I have to doubt that the Major expected to find tigers to hunt in Bulawayo!). He was a page boy and Grant's servant, the relationship being exemplified by the Major's will "any heir occupying Glen Grant House shall maintain Biawa as a servant so long as he is obedient and respectful and sober and willing to remain". In 1970, Edinburgh blender Hill, Thomson, who owned both Longmorn and Benriach merged to form The Glenlivet Distillers Ltd and they were bought by Seagram in 1977. In 2001 Seagram was bought by Chivas Bros (Pernod Ricard) who sold the distillery on to Campari in 2006. The distillery meanwhile had been expanded from 4 to 6 stills in 1973 and to 8 in 1977 - all with purifiers. A bottling hall was built in 2013 Glen Grant was the third best selling single malt, based considerably on massive sales in Italy of very young Glen Grant. Malt Madness Wikipedia WhiskyMerchants Undiscovered Scotland SMWS scotchwhisky.com |
Getting ThereClick the Google logo on the above map to access Street View, Directions etc.
Open Cycle Map Bing Map Caperdonich Glenrothes Speyburn Macallan Distilleries Speyside Spey Rothes Nearest National Rail stations are Elgin (ELG) (10 miles) or Keith (KEH) (12). Live train times: ELG, KEH. Glen Grant is reached from the roundabout at the end of the small town of Rothes on the road to Elgin (A941). RangeGlen Grant's core range includes the Major's Reserve (No age Statement 40%), a 10yo (also 40%); a 12yo (43%) and a 18yo (43%). There's also a Limited Edition Release 50yo (54.4%), and a 19yo Distillery Edition (52.4%), only available at the distillery.
Independent bottlings are quite common, especially from Gordon & MacPhail, who have been bottling Glen Grant as a single malt since about 1930. At times G&M and the Official Bottles used almost identical labels, and you had to read the small print to work out which was which. Regularly bottled by SMWS. RMW TWE MoM CyclingNearest Bike shops - Elgin
Bikes and Bowls 7 High Street, Elgin 01343 549656 Halfords Lossie Wynd N, Elgin 01343 552030 Charlie Millett Dufftown 01340 820991 Not a shop - has a page on the Dufftown.net website - provides repairs and spares - assisted Whisky Cyclist in 2014 when stranded in Craigellachie with damaged tyre and in 2017 with a broken pedal. Bikespokes Forres 07801 365710 @ Van based mobile servicing & repairs - normally 25 miles radius from Forres, but will travel further for an extra charge |
Photos on this page were taken by me. Click on photo to enlarge. Full size versions of all my photos of Glen Grant Distillery are available on Flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/martynjenkins/sets/72157628459804853/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/martynjenkins/sets/72157628459804853/