Grant's blended Scotch Whisky Cask Editions No2 sherrycask finish miniature.

Grant's blended Scotch Whisky Cask Editions No.2 sherrycask finish miniature...

Condition: As New. Collector. Tasting.
Lost Distillery/Brand: This expression is no longer in production.
Fill level: In the neck.

Whisky still produced: No.
Category: Blend. 
Distillery: Still producing.
Bottler: William Grant & Sons.
Bottling serie: Cask Editions No.2 miniature.
Bottling Year: 2012-2018

Stated Age: Not stated.
Casktype: Not stated.
Strength: 40.0%.
Size: 50 ml.
Colouring: Unknown.
Chill-filtered: Unknown. Probably, as was standard for the era.
Bottle code: None.
Country Origin: Scotland.
Market: Worldwide.

Tasting notes;

Distillery History: 

Grant’s is the blended‑whisky arm of William Grant & Sons, Scotland’s largest independent family‑owned distiller, founded in 1887 by William Grant in Dufftown, Speyside. The company remains 100% family‑owned, now in its fifth generation, operating multiple distilleries including Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Kininvie, Ailsa Bay and Girvan.

Grant’s blends began in 1898, when William Grant started selling his own blended whisky. Early blends carried names like Best Procurable, Hare and Hounds, Liqueur, and Grant’s Shannon. The name that stuck was Standfast, taken from the Grant clan motto “Standfast Craigellachie!”.

By the early 20th century, Grant’s had established a Glasgow sales base, operating a bonded warehouse in the basement of the Gorbals Parish Church. Whisky arrived from Dufftown in casks and was decanted into two‑gallon stoneware jars (“pigs”) for the local trade. Marketing was slow at first—Charles Gordon famously made 181 sales calls before selling his first case.

Grant’s grew steadily, especially in post‑war North America, and in 1957 introduced the iconic triangular bottle, designed by Hans Schleger. This bottle became one of the most recognisable shapes in Scotch whisky.

The brand name Grant’s Standfast remained in use until the mid‑1980s, when it was rebranded as Grant’s Family Reserve.

Stand Fast: Historical Significance

Stand Fast is not just a marketing name—it is the original Grant’s blend identity, dating back to the early 1900s. The brand’s importance was reaffirmed in 2023 when Grant’s undertook a forensic reconstruction of the 1912 Stand Fast blend, using archival ledgers, blending logs, newspaper adverts, and chemical analysis of an authenticated 1912 bottle.

Key historical points:

• Origin: First bottled in Glasgow in 1912.

• Blend style: Historically an 8‑year-old blend with a malt‑heavy composition (historically ~72% malt, 28% grain, confirmed by GC‑MS analysis).

• Production: Early Stand Fast was sold from the Gorbals warehouse in stoneware jars before bottle standardisation.

• Legacy: The name persisted until the mid‑1980s, after which “Family Reserve” replaced it.

For collectors, Stand Fast minis represent the last era before the brand identity changed.

Grant’s Triangular Bottle (1957–present)

The triangular bottle, introduced in 1957, is one of the most important design elements in Grant’s history. Designed by Hans Schleger, it symbolised modernity and helped Grant’s stand out globally.

Miniatures followed the same design language:

• Triangular glass minis appear from the late 1960s onward.

• Tin caps (gold or red‑gold) were used until the early 1980s.

• Plastic/poly caps replaced tin caps from mid‑1980s onward.

• Base codes (UG hexagon, etc.) help date production to specific glass manufacturers and eras.

Miniature Production History (Grant’s)

Grant’s miniature production evolved in distinct phases:

1960s–early 1970s

• Early glass minis, often 1 oz or 4.7 cl formats.

• Labels vary widely; export markets received different strengths.

Late 1970s–early 1980s

• Strength: 43% vol for many export markets (Spain, Italy, Germany).

• Caps: Red‑gold or gold tin caps.

• Glass:

  • Flat 4.68 cl bottles

  • Triangular minis

  • UG (United Glass) hexagon base marks (late‑70s/early‑80s)

• Branding: “Grant’s Stand Fast” still used until mid‑1980s.

• Chill‑filtration: Standard for blends of the era.

• Colour: Pale gold, grain‑forward profile.

Mid‑1980s onward

• Transition to Family Reserve branding.

• Switch to 40% vol standard strength.

• Plastic caps replace tin.

• 5 cl becomes the universal miniature size.

Grant’s in the Wider Context of William Grant & Sons

William Grant & Sons is notable for:

• Remaining independent while competitors consolidated into multinational groups.

• Operating multiple distilleries and maintaining vertical integration (maltings, cooperages, R&D).

• Pioneering sustainability, achieving 100% renewable electricity across Scottish sites in 2022.

• Training more master blenders and stillmen than any other distiller through its apprenticeship programme.

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