The Glen Grant Raises A Toast With Rare 65-Year-Old Single Malt

When whisky connoisseurs talk about patience in a bottle, few expressions capture the idea better than The Glen Grant 65-year-old. Brought to India for the first time by the Campari-owned distillery, this rare single malt is not just a drink—it’s history, artistry, and craftsmanship bottled. At the heart of this milestone stands Greig Stables, Master Distiller at The Glen Grant, who was in India recently to unveil the expression and share the remarkable story and the artistry behind it. He tells us about the making of the Glen Grant 65-year-old—the first edition of the brand’s new Splendours Collection, a series of rare limited-edition whiskies that will be released once every two years.

Greig Stables, master distiller, The Glen Grant

“Exceptional. Fruity. Liquid,” Stables says without hesitation when asked to describe the whisky in three words. Distilled in 1958 and bottled in 2024, this single French Oak Butt cask has yielded only 151 decanters worldwide. For Stables, what makes the 65-year-old single malt extraordinary is balance: “It’s very typical Glen Grant—floral, fruity, with a massive body. Despite six decades in oak, the wood hasn’t overpowered the whisky. It’s remarkable that after 65 years, it has retained its strength at 55.5% ABV,” says Stables. The challenge lay in knowing when the whisky had reached its peak. “The liquid is almost a living thing while in the cask,” he explains. “It picks up colour and flavours, but you need to ensure it isn’t overpowered by wood, and that it also retains the Glen Grant DNA, which is that lovely floral fruitiness. I’d been keeping an eye on this cask for six or seven years, waiting for the perfect moment.” Once that was achieved, the whisky was removed from the cask and kept in glass until ready to be decanted, he shares.

The Glen Grant Grounds

The decanter itself is an objet d’art, created in collaboration with Scottish master glassblower Brodie Nairn and furniture maker John Galvin. Together, they crafted a hand-blown decanter, placed in a Mobius cradle made from cherry wood, shaped to represent timelessness.  With rose-gold details and engraved Himalayan blue poppies on every decanter, it’s as much a piece of art as it is a whisky. So, who is this release for? “There are two audiences,” says Stables. “The whisky connoisseur who truly understands the liquid of this age and the collector who treasures the beauty of the decanter itself, and would like to showcase it as a prized ornament. But in my view, it would be a shame not to taste it—because it really is that special.”

Greig Stables at The Glen Grant Distillery

Beyond this ultra-luxury expression, Glen Grant has been steadily expanding its premium core portfolio with the introduction of the new Glasshouse Collection, which features whiskies aged 21, 25, and 30 years. “It’s been two decades of work to manage an inventory that could sustain such releases,” notes Stables. Even as he looks to the future, his role is clear: to be custodian of the Glen Grant DNA—floral, fruity, elegant—whether in a youthful dram or a 65-year-old rare masterpiece.

Limited to just one bottle in India, the GlenGrant 65 YO will be available at India Duty Free.