Review: Grant's Triple Wood

What is feckin whiskey doing on the net's leading independent rum website? There's a reason, read on, but it's not my fault! Honest...
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How do you rate Grant's Triple Wood Blended Whisky (five is best)

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Total votes: 1

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Capn Jimbo
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Review: Grant's Triple Wood

Post by Capn Jimbo »

Grant's Triple Wood: "Dark Chocolate"

Let's face it. We live in a corporately driven world where "value" is driven by marketing. In the wacky world of rum, some of the most expensive rums are the most altered with sugar and all manner of flavoring additives. Bourbon is absolutely pure, as is Scotch whisky - both of which suffer only from chill filtering and the unnecessary addition of E-150a coloring.

Fortunately, there are yet spirits that deliver good quality at good prices. Grant's Triple Wood is one of them. The Grant family has been producing whisky since 1887. The business is still family owned, now in the 5th generation. The mainstay - Grant's Family Reserve - was and remains a blended whisky - and is now called "Triple Wood". TW is a blend of a couple dozen whiskies which may seem a lot, until you compare to the leading Johnny Walker Black Label which is believed to be composed of around forty. Other offerings include a smoky, peaty version, another aged in used ale casks and another in used rum casks, not to mention 8 - 12 -18 and 25 year old aged bottlings.

Still the old Family Reserve/Triple Wood remains the 3rd best selling blend in the world (just behind Johnny Walker and Ballantine's). The grain whisky base is from Girvan, owned by the family. Aging is in three woods/casks: ex-Bourbon, American Oak refill, and new Virgin Oak. Grant's claim: "Virgin Oak cask provides spicy robustness, American Oak lends subtle vanilla smoothness and Bourbon refill offers brown sugar sweetness, resulting in a smoother, richer, mellower taste."
Grant is well known for their unique, mildly tapered triangular bottles, which I rather like and are easy to handle. I should mention their cleverly designed screw top that’s hard to distinguish from a corked bottle. Brilliant. The bottle features a rich and traditional red mahogany embossed label. The family’s slogan “Stand Fast” is molded in. Quite rich really with a unique but undeniably traditional presentation. The color is a clear, chill-filtered light amber/gold, thick legs, broad tearing, 40% and bought by me for an amazing $16.99.

A First Review of Grant's Triple Wood


Friends, it's been a few years since I reviewed, so do bear with me. I'm a long time lover of JW's Black Label, and its ability - no doubt due to the 40 or so whiskies in the blend - its ability to present a little different each time you pour a dram. Whether this happens with the Triple Wood, I know not, but stay tuned. The Triple Wood does not seem as nearly complex, but does have a clearer identity. The unwatered nose presented me with baked apple reminiscent of a nice warm apple pie, fresh from the oven. The nose is dark, dark, dark - fig, dark chocolate and a deep honey. Nice.
The palate presents consistently, with a building charred new wood, with a building black AND white pepper finish, leaving a warm dark honey coating. Still nice.

The addition of about 1/3 teaspoon of tap water added some smoky leather, increased the dark chocolate and the kind of nice sweet dark tar that I love (think MGXO). This bit of water brought an early apple/pear, cinnamon/dark chocolate and baked apple pie, now leading to a late astringency, increased white pepper and yes some new charred wood. The finish was more woody and astringent, and less coating. The wood seemed a bit raw, but not unpleasantly. A further addition of water killed the dram and left only a massive white pepper finish. Don't!

In sum, I really don't know of any reason not to have Grant's Triple Wood as a staple, for friends and nightcaps. Buy one. I recommend tasting it unwatered, then adding 3 to 5 drops of water early and once.

Score: Unassigned for now, stay tuned.

*******

Link:
https://www.grantswhisky.com/en/
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