Glen Grant 45 Year Old GM Distillery Label - 1980s Circulation

It possesses an alluring sensuality and an overwhelming intoxication, leaving me utterly entranced. Glen Grant 45 Year Old GM Distillery Labels - 40% ABV, Circulated in the 1980s The aroma is opulent and intoxicating, featuring noble sherry notes alongside strawberry jam, apricot jam, grape juice, antique furniture, violets' florals, a bouquet garni-like herbal quality, clove, old peat, leather, complex, and smooth on the palate expanding into a rich bouquet of grape juice, strawberry jam, an exceptional old woodiness without harshness, tanned leather and old peat, soft yet intense sweetness with a good acidity, a subtle astringency, complex and rich, an alluring sensuality that leaves you entranced with a gentle yet long-lasting finish. [Excellent] This Glen Grant 45 Year Old was bottled by GM in the 1980s. Calculating backward, it was at least distilled pre-war, possibly as late as the mid-1930s. The aroma immediately intoxicates with noble sherry notes, accompanied by fruits like various jams and grape juice, violets' florals, an old wooden quality reminiscent of antique furniture, herbs and spices, leather, and old peat. The complex components do not assert themselves individually but rather come together as a cohesive whole, creating an overwhelming impression. The taste is similarly complex and rich, with a thrilling sensuality, a balance of intense sweetness and good acidity, and a subtle astringency. It was an absolutely superb bottle, though many mysteries remain. How can such a pronounced sherry character exist in an ultra-long maturation yet have such a restrained astringency? What type of cask could allow 45 years of maturation to result in this balance? Previously, I also awarded Excellent ratings to a Grant bottled in the 1960s with an over-10-year notation (distilled in 1958) and a 10-Year-old Azami Label, both of which shared a similar flavor profile. (Recently, there have been many Grants with [E] ratings...) Despite the significant difference in aging years, they share a similar sherry character centered around the presence of some maltiness. The wooden quality is also comparable; with current bottling standards, it's unimaginable that such similar finishes could result from both ultra-long and short maturation periods (even if older stock was blended in). Naturally, long-matured whiskies would show gradual cask influence, but even so, achieving such a balanced finish without over-ripeness after 45 years is perplexing. Short-matured whiskies, even if using casks that yield quick results, seem to mature too quickly. The decision to bottle as short or long-matured must have been based on the maturation conditions, yet after experiencing bottle aging changes, the resulting similar finishes are fascinating. This has sparked discussions among enthusiasts and made me reconsider the mysteries of maturation. #Glen Grant (GLENGRANT)