Glen Grant

Glen Grant is one of the top five bestselling Scotch single malt distilleries worldwide. The Campari Group acquired Glen Grant whisky distillery in 2006 for the princely sum of €115m from Chivas Brothers, then under Pernod Ricard ownership. Accordingly, Glen Grant is likely to be made substantially larger. At present, the Glen Grant distillery houses six stills and runs at near full capacity, which totals 5.9million litres per annum. However, with the proposed addition of a power plant nearby and a further eight stills, by 2010 the capacity could be as much as twelve million litres.

Half of Glen Grant’s impressive Scotch whisky production is used as a blending product, notably in Chivas blends. Most of the spirit is transported elsewhere for maturation in Chivas’ central warehouses, and to Glen Grant’s new 60,000 cask storage facilities, following the acquisition of eleven warehouses in Rothes. The whisky distillery was founded in 1840 by brothers John and James Grant and just over twenty years later it became Scotland’s first to boast electric lighting.

In 1872, James Grant died and the distillery was passed down to his son, Major James Grant. He then built a second distillery across the road, joined by a whisky pipe which transported the new make spirit. Glen Grant No. 2, as it was first known, was completed in 1897, but just five years later it was closed, reopening in 1965, under the name Caperdonich. As well as the official range, there have been many independent bottlings, notably from Gordon and MacPhail who bottled an extensive vintage range spanning more than twenty years of Glen Grant distillations.

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About Glen Grant Whisky Distillery

Distillery Number

01340 832118

Distillery Founded

1840

Distillery Capacity

5 900 000 litres

Distillery Status

Active

Distillery Owner

Campari Group

Distillery Address

Elgin Road, Rothes, Banffshire AB38 7BS

Distillery Website

www.glengrant.com

1840

The brothers James and John Grant, managers of Dandelaith Distillery, found the distillery.

1861

The distillery becomes the first to install electric lighting.

1864

John Grant dies.

1872

James Grant passes away and the distillery is inherited by his son, James junior (Major James Grant).

1897

James Grant decides to build another distillery across the road; it is named Glen Grant No. 2.

1902

Glen Grant No. 2 is mothballed.

1931

Major Grant dies and is succeeded by his grandson Major Douglas Mackessack.

1953

J. & J. Grant merges with George & J. G. Smith who runs Glenlivet distillery, forming The Glenlivet & Glen Grant Distillers Ltd.

1961

Armando Giovinetti and Douglas Mackessak found a friendship that eventually leads to Glen Grant becoming the most sold malt whisky in Italy.

1965

Glen Grant No. 2 is back in production, but renamed Caperdonich.

1972

The Glenlivet & Glen Grant Distillers merges with Hill Thompson & Co. and Longmorn-Glenlivet Ltd to form The Glenlivet Distillers. The drum maltings ceases.

1973

Stills are increased from four to six.

1977

The Chivas & Glenlivet Group (Seagrams) buys Glen Grant Distillery. Stills are increased from six to ten.

2001

Pernod Ricard and Diageo buy Seagrams Spirits and Wine; with Pernod acquiring the Chivas Group.

2006

Campari buys Glen Grant for €115 million in a deal that includes the acquisition of Old Smuggler and Braemar for another €15 million.

2007

The entire range is re-packaged and re-launched and a 15 year old single cask is released. Reconstruction of the visitor centre.

2008

Two limited cask strengths - a 16 year old and a 27 year old - are released.