Scotland, Speyside. Distillery operational. Owners: Chivas Brothers Ltd, Pernod Ricard

Glen Grant is a textbook case in the history of the Scotch whisky industry. For decades (and still to this day), the distillery's official label was found on both independent bottlings and the distillery's own bottlings. Some of the most active independent bottlers in the 50s and 60s included Gordon & MacPhail, Campbell, Hope & King (which also worked with Macallan for the bottling and distribution of its malt), Cadenhead, Robert Watson and R Moray Bonding. The result is a multitude of available versions, making it an enthralling dram to collect. As Glen Grant was a blender's malt (Chivas Regal, 100 Pipers, etc.), its owners concentrated on a more classic maturation method characterized by bourbon. Gordon & MacPhail for their part decided to specialize in versions aged exclusively in ex-sherry casks. It was a smart move and their vintages casks became highly prized by whisky enthusiasts and collectors across the world.

A Glen Grant 5 Year Old distilled in 1989. Glen Grant 5 Year Old has been a best-seller in Italy since its launch in the 1960s, notably thanks to the work of Armando Giovinetti, Glen Grants’’ Italian importer at the time. Back then, young whiskies, aged for just five or eight years, were commonplace. Similar examples include Clynelish 5 Year Old and Glenfarclas 5 Year Old.