S otheby’s is delighted to partner with The Glen Grant Distillery to offer, for the first time, The Glen Grant Devotion. At 70-Years-Old, this is the oldest single malt whisky ever to be released directly from the distillery and presented as a handcrafted masterpiece. Only 7 decanters have been created to celebrate each decade of exquisite maturation, however this particular decanter stands above the rest. Decanter #1 is the only of 7 to be finished with engraved gold detailing alongside a chess-piece miniature and a set of hand-blown glasses mirroring the seven facets on the decanter.
The Glen Grant Devotion 70-year-old marks a momentous milestone in the 180-year legacy of The Glen Grant. Dennis Malcolm OBE, Master Distiller at The Glen Grant, is the longest-serving distiller in the industry and responsible for overseeing this rare accomplishment of perfect maturation.
Distilled in 1953 and bottled in 2023, every aspect in making this remarkable single malt took place on the distillery grounds in Rothes, Scotland. From barley malted on-site, to the hand-filling of each of the seven decanters. This exceptional spirit was distilled through the coal-fired, slender pot stills and water-cooling purifiers to capture the finest vapours. It was then filled into a single cask and left to mature to perfection for many years within the distillery’s oldest traditional stone dunnage warehouse - Warehouse No.4.
“To be devoted, is to show unwavering loyalty and love to something you care for deeply, which sits at the heart of our whisky-making philosophy, as well as shining through with our creative collaborators. This is a lifetime of character and legacy captured in a magnificent creation, like nothing we have ever seen.”
The Glen Grant Devotion 70-year-old was slowly matured in a single French oak butt cask, seasoned in the finest Oloroso Sherry, capturing 70 years of richness and depth. Hand-selected by Dennis Malcolm OBE, this cask celebrates a lifetime of character.
The design was inspired by the remarkable 70-year reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and her devotion to nature – a shared commitment embraced by visionary forefather James ‘The Major’ Grant shown through his beloved Garden of Splendours. Sitting at the heart of the distillery estate – the beautiful garden is an expression of his passion for nature and one of The Glen Grant’s most defining characteristics. That deep appreciation has also inspired the unique taste profile of The Glen Grant. Today, Master Distiller Dennis Malcolm OBE, continues this legacy through his devotion to combine tradition and innovation as the guardian of The Glen Grant’s rare character.
Provenance and craftsmanship form the essence of The Glen Grant Devotion. A wind-fallen Scottish Elm tree, which grew in the Garden of Splendours, was transformed into a handmade sculpture, capturing a piece of The Glen Grant history within this extraordinary release.
The striking sculpture, which houses the decanter, is hand-carved from the elm tree and features an intricate woven design of shapes and forms inspired by nature. The bone-like finish allows the textures and natural pigments to subtly shine through.
"To imagine and realise such a creation, requires the utmost devotion to your art, to the time it takes and to the craft in telling the rich story through the art itself. The use of a fallen elm from the garden, adds real richness to the sculpture and the story, capturing a moment in time rooted in the legacy of The Glen Grant and now a piece of history."
The exquisite decanter is hand-made in Scotland by Brodie Nairn using traditional techniques. With only seven beautiful, hand-blown decanters created in total, The Glen Grant Devotion is an exquisite 70-Year-Old single malt housed in a gem-shaped objet d’art. Each decanter features seven facets, one for each decade that this whisky was distilled. Each one-of-a-kind decanter is adorned with its own unique and individually meaningful floral engraving on the silver capsule, however only the decanter offered in this auction exclusively through Sotheby’s is finished with gold detailing. Decanter 1 features The Queen Elizabeth Rose, named after Queen Elizabeth II, and engraved in gold as a one-of-a-kind tribute. This decanter is also the only one to be uniquely offered alongside a set of beautiful seven-faceted hand-blown glass tumblers.
"The handcrafted jewel decanter sits within a beautiful natural backdrop that represents the ‘Garden Of Splendours’ at The Glen Grant. This is a celebration of the utmost devotion and particularly fitting for something of such complexity and scale. The special whisky sits magnificently in the centre shining out with its ruby red aurora."
COLOUR: Deep chestnut with bright golden hues.
AROMA: Floral, intense barley sugar, rich dried fruits, giving way to honey sweetness.
TASTE: Dried fruits, raisins, sultanas, dry spice, hint of oak.
FINISH: Lingering, rich and complex, soft fruits, spice, hint of smoke.
