We sell gift vouchers - for more details call us on 0115 911 0555 or email us at eann@gauntleys.com
We sell gift vouchers - for more details call us on 0115 911 0555 or email us at eann@gauntleys.com
Region: Speyside (Glenlivet)
Owner: Campari Group
Founded: 1840
I often describe it as the Bordeaux of Scotland. The spirit has an upright, classical structure and talks to me of tradition and Victorian gentlemen with top hats, canes and twirly moustaches! Which funnily enough is the unerring description of one John Grant, or ‘The Major’, who was the son of one of the founders of the distillery – John Grant Senior.
It is evident, that over time, like many distilleries the style of the spirit has changed. Nowadays, the style is firmly in the classically light and fresh style of Spey. After a fairly short 48 hour fermentation the distillation is carried out in massive stills with lyne arms that features a purifying chamber, which acts a sort of pre-condenser in order to significantly increase the reflux. Incidentally, this desire to promote maximum copper contact and reflux see’s the wash stills fitted out with almost square boil balls, which many commentators have likened to a WWII German soldiers’ helmet! Finally, the spirit passes through shell and tube condensers to increase the copper contact.
(Image Copyright James Mortimer Photography)
However, like I said, things were not always this way. If you are fortunate enough to taste a pre-1975 distillation, you see a considerably richer, heavier, waxier and fuller bodied whisky, which may possibly be down to the fact that the stills were coal fired, but also may well be down to the use of the small spirit still called the ‘Wee Geordie’. It’s been many years since I have been fortunate to taste any pre-1975 distilled spirit as it is becoming rarer, but if you are fortunate enough to find one of those old Duncan Taylor bottlings and the price is reasonable, then pick up a piece of history!
(Image Copyright James Mortimer Photography)
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