GLEN GRANT 1956 Gordon & Macphail

Nose : _x000D_ rich, concentrated. Extremely powerful and yet at the same time exceptionally fresh, the initial nose is tertiary: dust, black liquorice, chocolate, leather, roasted figs, truffles, etc. Develops with slightly burnt, jammy notes (blackcurrant) and rhubarb. Unbelievably deep, it has stood the test of time with panache and generosity. Havana smoke then drifts over the aromatic palette._x000D_ _x000D_

Palate : lively, juicy. Underpinned by a remarkably fruity acidity produced by the sherry, the opening digs a deep furrow and puts the spotlight on notes of earth, liquorice, noble spices (saffron, cardamom) and heady florals (freesia, hyacinth). Red (strawberry, redcurrant) and ripe fruit (russet apples, apricots) suddenly appear on the mid-palate. Little by little, it becomes vanilla-flavoured and roasted.

Overall : Long, silky. Velvety tannins finally take possession of every taste bud. Most of the fruit is still present. Intimately close to the palate, it takes its time to develop notes of tobacco, raisins and black olives. The retro-nasal olfaction is warm, evocative of fabric (taffeta, silk) and fruity (wild strawberry, blueberry). The empty glass has an amazingly young expression, dominated by malted barley._x000D_