Oldest New Kid in Town - The Glenturret

Oldest New Kid in Town

During this year’s Tartan Florio tour, we stopped off at The Glenturret, Scotland’s Oldest Working Distillery, to find out what makes their whisky special.

What is The Glenturret?

The Glenturret is a hidden gem of the Single malt world, being Scotland’s oldest working distillery since 1763. Our ambition is to tell the world about the amazing history of this iconic beautiful distillery, and build awareness of The Glenturret as a crafted, elegant, and luxurious single malt respected for its exceptional quality and immersive experience. The Glenturret is for those who seek out and enjoy single malts of the highest quality. They will most likely lead busy, demanding lives so moments of enjoyment are well-earned and cherished. The single malt will be carefully selected, so it must not only deliver in taste and experience, but it must intrigue and reward.

What does the crest on the label mean?

The Glenturret crest, a unique icon that features on the packaging, is inspired by the original Murray family coat of arms. The Murray family were the founders of The Glenturret distillery, the first record of which can be found in a rental document dating back to 1763, and the family have played a key role in the journey of The Glenturret over the past 250 years.

What makes The Glenturret special?

This is what we refer to as The Trinity — the three touchstones which combine the distillery’s extraordinary Provenance with our traditional Prowess in handcrafted whisky distilling and an enduring Passion to enrich the world of whisky making. Our extraordinary Provenance is the long history of the place and the distillery — Scotland’s oldest working distillery since 1763. The endeavours of past generations, and the unique character of the new provide a spirit that still defines The Glenturret today. Our traditional Prowess is built upon the skills and expertise of handcrafted distilling, an unusually slow distillation and a resolute commitment to maintaining the small batch production of our spirit. Our enduring Passion reflects a continuing fascination with the traditions of distilling, an unwavering delight in every step of the whisky making journey, and our desire to bring whisky lovers moments to treasure. The Glenturret’s immense experience in whisky making and our spirit, crafted entirely by hand, is distilled in distinctly small batches. Unlike many other single malts, computers are not used in the production process, it is all done simply by hand and heart with a very limited stock and distillery production. The range has been crafted by Bob Dalgarno, who previously spent 30 years at Macallan. Bob is respected throughout the industry and regarded by whisky lovers as one of the finest whisky makers. He was recently awarded the prestigious award Icons of Whisky, Global Master Distiller 2021 by Whisky Magazine which is highly coveted in the world of whisky. The distillery was also recently acquired by Lalique Group, the luxury French crystal maker. Special releases and limited-edition Glenturret single malts housed in Lalique crystal decanters make it one to watch for enthusiasts and collectors.

How many casks do you hold in the warehouse at The Glenturret?

We have around 5,500 casks. In the Scotch whisky world, that is incredibly small and speaks to the rarity of our product.

Where does the wood come from?

We acquire the best casks from Europe and America using a few different suppliers to ensure we have a good stock.

What about the water?

The water used is sourced from Loch Turret which sits only three and a half miles from the distillery. It is very soft which means it’s very kind on the distillery equipment. It is also very consistent, which is great for processing.

And the barley?

All the barley is Scottish. We have sourced barley and malt from all over Scotland, including barley grown on our own doorstep. It’s risky to source all your barley from one area as it’s a seasonal crop and not all areas will have the same quality results, due mainly to different weather conditions.

Tell us about the range.

The entry point is Triple Wood. As the name suggests, Triple Wood is matured in three cask types — Bourbon, American and European sherry casks. It has a wonderful combination of aromas and flavours — sweet fruits, ginger cake and soft vanilla.

Next is Peat Smoked, a 10 Years Old single malt perfect for those who enjoy a more approachable peat profile. The flavours and aromas are softly touched by smoke from the peat fire, while fresh citrus fruits and vanilla emerge with light spice, hints of sea salt and smouldering heather. The 12 Years Old is next. Matured in sherry oak casks, the aromas and flavours are of a classic sherry-cask-matured Glenturret. Fruit cake, citrus fruits and ginger are all beautifully balanced. The 15 Years Old is the next age. With only 3,000 bottles filled, this is a truly scarce release. It carries hints of lemon zest at first tasting, followed by sweet flavours of toffee and a touch of spice. The range takes a sharp rise in age with the final two expressions. Firstly, 25 Years Old is a very precious expression with just 204 bottles filled, with flavours of fruit sponge, lemon and caramelised apple with syrup, apple and hints of vanilla, soft oak and ginger. The 30 Years Old is next with 750 bottles. It has flavours of tropical fruit and vanilla with hints of green apple, pear and oak. We have also launched The Glenturret Trinity Decanter Series, a limited-edition whisky collection in collaboration with Lalique, the crown jewel of the French crystal industry. The first in the series is Provenance, a limited release of 320 decanters, each presented in the finest French crystal designed by Marc Larminaux, Head of Creative at Lalique. (Pictured above). Fully crafted by hand and heart, this exclusive series celebrates The Glenturret Trinity. The three touchstones of Provenance, Prowess and Passion that underpin the distillery’s philosophy to preserve and enrich the world of whisky making for future generations.

Where can I find The Glenturret in the UK?

In the finest whisky retailers, bars, hotels and restaurants.

Bottles are available to purchase online at cocktail-connoisseurs.com and exclusively for SCD Members you’ll receive a special gift with purchases using password code: SCDMEM. For cask sales, contact: ian@axiom-brands.com | 02037746845

@theglenturretwhisky