🥃 Grant's
Blended Scotch whisky from the family-owned William Grant & Sons; sold since 1898; triangular bottle since 1957; the standard version is 40% ABV (80 proof).
Grant's is a blended Scotch whisky from the family-owned William Grant & Sons, owner of the Glenfiddich and Balvenie distilleries, and one of the best-known blends with a triangular bottle. According to Whiskypedia, William Grant began selling blends in 1898. The standard version is 40% ABV (80 proof), and since 2018 the flagship blend has been called Triple Wood.
History. The brand was long sold as Grant's Standfast, after the motto of Clan Grant, and from the mid-1980s as Family Reserve. It found success in North America after the war, and in 1903 Charles Gordon opened a base in Glasgow with a bonded warehouse. According to Whiskypedia, the triangular bottle was designed by Hans Schleger and went on sale in 1957. In 2018 Family Reserve was renamed Triple Cask, or Triple Wood, "in name only": the blend itself stayed the same.
How it is made. The base is grain whisky from the Girvan distillery in Ayrshire, built in 1963. There are about 25 malt whiskies in the blend, including Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Kininvie and Ailsa Bay. According to the brand's website, Triple Wood matures in casks of virgin oak, American oak and refill bourbon.
The range. After the 2018 relaunch, Signature, Sherry Cask Finish and Ale Cask Finish disappeared, and Rum Cask Finish, an 8-year-old Sherry Cask Finish and Triple Wood Smoky appeared.
Why this matters to you. This is a blend, not a single malt: the age on the label is the age of the youngest whisky. Under the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009, Scotch is matured in oak for at least 3 years, and the standard Grant's has no age statement. Sales rankings differ between sources: third or fourth place in the world. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | company 1887; blends sold since 1898 (William Grant); bottle 1957 |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890) (Blended Scotch Whisky) |
| EU category | 2 — whisky (whisky/whiskey) |
| Raw material | about 25 malt whiskies and grain whisky from Girvan |
| Cask type | Triple Wood: virgin oak, American oak, refill bourbon |
| Minimum maturation | at least 3 years in oak by law; the standard version has no age statement |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40% ABV (standard version) |
How it connects to Spirits
Links
- Previous step
- 🥃 William Grant & Sons
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel, 🐝 American white oak, 🥃 Ex-bourbon barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it contains
- 🧪 Water, 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 British
- Part of
- 🥃 Whisky, 🥃 Blended Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Scotch Whisky
- Related to
- 🌍 Western Europe
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Glenfiddich, 🥃 Johnnie Walker, 🥃 Chivas Regal, 🥃 White Horse, 🥃 White Horse, 🥃 100 Pipers, 🥃 100 Pipers, 🥃 Bruichladdich, 🥃 Bruichladdich, 🥃 Aberlour, 🥃 Aberlour
Frequently asked questions
Is Grant's single malt or a blend under the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009?
It is a blended Scotch: about 25 malt whiskies plus grain whisky from Girvan. A single malt comes from one distillery.
Why is the Grant's bottle triangular?
It was designed by Hans Schleger and went on sale in 1957.
Is Grant's 40% on US shelves too?
Yes, the standard version is 40% ABV, which US labels may also show as 80 proof.
What is Triple Wood?
The name since 2018 for the former Family Reserve, matured in virgin oak, American oak and refill bourbon casks.
Who owns Grant's?
The family-owned William Grant & Sons, which also owns Glenfiddich and Balvenie.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden vessel made of oak staves in which wine matures, picks up new aromas and slowly takes in air.
- 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky — Scotch from a single distillery: only malted barley, water and yeast, distilled in pot stills; at least 3 years in oak, 40% ABV (80 proof in the US) or more. Not the same as single cask.
- 🧪 Water — ~87% of milk.
Similar
🥃 Black & White · 🥃 Vat 69 · 🥃 Auchroisk · 🥃 Bell's · 🥃 Monkey Shoulder · 🥃 Glen Elgin
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
What it includes
Sources
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: definition and categories of Scotch Whisky (Scotland, oak up to 700 l, min. 3 years, min. 40 % ABV)
- Scotchwhisky.com (Whiskypedia): Grant's (1898, Standfast, Family Reserve mid-1980s, Girvan 1963, ~25 malts, triangular bottle 1957 Hans Schleger)
- Scotchwhisky.com: Behind Grant's radical whisky makeover (05.07.2018; Family Reserve to Triple Cask/Triple Wood 'changed in name only')
- Grant's (official site): Triple Wood — virgin oak, American oak, refill bourbon casks
- Difford's Guide: Grant's Family Reserve (blended Scotch, 40 %, William Grant & Sons)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)