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 1983 and imported to Italy by Seagram Italia, the distillery’’s owner at the time. Vintage bottlings of Glen Grant 5 Year Old were very popular in Italy, starting with the launch in 1971 of a Glen Grant 5 Year Old 1966. This eventually led the distillery to be bought by Gruppo Campari in 2006. Glen Grant’’s previous Italian importer Armando Giovinetti had a lot to do with this, recognizing that a young whisky would be more popular with his compatriots who were more used to drinking grappa.