A Spirited Sharing

The Glen Grant’s long-serving master distiller Dennis Malcolm meets ophthalmologist Marcus Ang to have an insightful chat about living a life more extraordinary and making an iconic single malt

A shared dram, 10,000 kilometres apart—between two men, one in Speyside and the other, in Singapore. On the occasion of the launch of The Dennis Malcolm 60th Anniversary Edition in Singapore, Tatler hosted a conversation between The Glen Grant master distiller himself, Dennis Malcolm, and ophthalmologist and Gen.T honouree Marcus Ang, who considers himself a whisky connoisseur.

ON WHISKY TRENDS AND FAVOURITES

The Dennis Malcolm 60th Anniversary Edition was bottled from a single sherry butt that was laid down in 1960. As Malcolm explained, the longer the spirit stays in wood, the more overly woody tones it could potentially pick up, making it challenging to mature single malts for very long periods, such as 50 or 60 years. Cask quality is one of the important factors when looking to mature whisky for a special bottling.

Bottled at 52.8 per cent, this edition teases the nose with notes of ripe Seville oranges that give way to a palate redolent with nuts and fruits. Malcolm described these notes as soft apricot, peaches, pecan nuts and a light air of cigar smoke. Layers of dark chocolate cake pave the way to a lingering, warm finish. Ang enjoyed the fruity complexity of the dram and professed his surprise at the delicacy of the liquid, having expected it to be heavier based on the glossy chestnut hue.