Glen Grant 1992 Cellar Reserve
70cl / 46%
£149.00
- Malt type: Single Malt
- Region: Scotland
- Chilfiltered: No
- Coloring: No
Tasting Notes
Banana, Vanilla, Honey, Spices
Vanilla, Fruits, Orange, Herbal
Long Finish, Vanilla, Cream
If you like this whisky, you will also like these
Limited 13,542-bottle Glen Grant distilled in 1992, bottled at 46% in 2008, ex-bourbon-led, distillery-first release that later won major awards.
At-a-Glance
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Distillery / Bottler / Country & Region | Glen Grant Distillery / Speyside, Scotland |
| Category | Single malt Scotch whisky |
| Age / Vintage / Bottled | 16 Years Old (distilled 1992, bottled 2008) |
| ABV & Size(s) | 46% ABV, 70cl |
| Cask / Treatment | Bourbon casks, highlighted by the distillery for this bottling |
| Natural Colour | Not stated by the producer (one auction cites no artificial colours, but not universal) |
| Non-Chill-Filtered | Not stated by the producer |
| Cask Strength | No |
| Bottle count / Outturn | 13,542 bottles, numbered release |
| Intended channel | Initially distillery-only, later wider specialist/online availability |
| Packaging | 2000s Glen Grant carton with bottling details |
| Notes on discrepancies | Sometimes listed without the bottling year; sometimes called simply “1992 Cellar”; Jim Murray 2010 reference (94.5 pts, best 16–21 years) is often quoted in retailer copy. |
Historical Context
After Campari took over Glen Grant (2005), the distillery began to put out a small number of distillery-bottled, age-and-year-specific releases to push it above the widely distributed 10 and 16. The 1992 Cellar Reserve is one of the clearest of those: single year, statement that it was distilled in 1992 and bottled in 2008, and a respectable outturn of 13,542 bottles so more than just a shop single cask. It arrived at a moment when 46% was becoming the “serious but still drinkable” strength and when good bourbon wood was a selling point for Speyside. A couple of years later it got a very strong Whisky Bible mention, and that stuck to the bottling in retailer descriptions. That is why, even in 2025, UK and EU shops still carry it at a clear premium to ordinary 1990s-vintage Glen Grant.
Technical Specification & Variant Map
2.1 Documented variants
-
1992 Cellar Reserve, distilled 1992, bottled 2008, 46%, 70cl, 13,542 bottles.
-
Same bottling released slightly later through European online shops (same spec, different dealer text).
-
Auction bottles without carton, occasionally with neck-seal/wax noted.
Variant Matrix
| ABV | Volume | Market | Era cues | Relative desirability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46% | 70cl | Distillery / earliest retail | 2008 bottling statement, numbered, full box | Highest |
| 46% | 70cl | EU/UK online (2010s–2020s) | Same label, box sometimes absent | Condition-led |
| 46% | 70cl | Auction 2018–2025 | Neck sealed, carton missing | Slightly lower |
2.2 Packaging & authenticity checklist
-
Front must mention 1992 and Cellar Reserve.
-
Back and/or box should show bottled 2008 and 46%.
-
Bottle number sometimes printed/written; not all sellers photograph it, so ask/photograph if you resell.
-
Carton is the value lever; missing carton should be stated.
-
No age on the front label is not fatal because year and bottling year give 16, and auction houses list it that way.
2.3 Regulatory/terminology notes
-
46% ABV, non-cask-strength.
-
Distilled-and-bottled dates make age clear; do not invent claims about cask strength or single cask.
-
Colour and filtration are not declared, so leave them out.
Liquid Profile (from verifiable notes)
-
Nose: Clean Speyside fruit (pear, apple, melon), floral top notes, vanilla, fresh oak and a light mineral edge.
-
Palate: Sweet orchard fruit, honeyed malt, vanilla and good bourbon oak structure; lively, slightly zesty mid-palate.
-
Finish: Medium, elegant, lightly nutty and oaky, carrying the fruit.
-
With water: 46% will open gently, bringing more malt and a touch of citrus.
Distillery/Bottler Snapshot
Glen Grant is one of Speyside’s classic floral, apple-and-pear distilleries. Under Campari, mid-2000s, it needed headline bottles: a distillery-only, dated, 46% release with 13,542 bottles is exactly the kind of thing a big Speyside would do to make a premium statement. The fact that it was still being talked about in 2010, and that it won in the 2010 Whisky Bible slot for 16–21-year single malts, gives it a longer tail than many mid-2000s limiteds.
Sourcing
-
Target: full-height fill, box, clear 1992/2008 markings.
-
Avoid: unclear year, missing 46% statement, heavy carton damage.
-
Buy near auction mid-band (50–65 GBP) when possible; list 150–170 GBP in a retail context with good photography.
