William Grant & Sons Opens Representative Office in Malaysia!

That was my first time heard about William Grant & Sons when I got the invitation to the party. William Grant & Sons Ltd. is actually an independent, family-owned Scottish company which distils Scotch whisky and other selected categories of spirits. It was established in 1887 by William Grant and is now run by the descendants of the founder.

William Grant & Sons, award-winning distiller celebrated its latest stage of evolution and increased presence in the Malaysian market with the opening of its Representative Office and change in route to market, at an event at the Glasshouse, Seputeh today. Named 'Distiller of the Year' and ‘Scotch Whisky Producer of the Year’ at the prestigious International Spirits Challenge awards in 2017, William Grant & Sons distils some of the world’s leading spirits and builds some of the most distinctive premium brands in the world, for example, Glenfiddich.

That night, William Grant & Sons featuring 4 core brands of the company which were Hendrick's Gin, Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, and Monkey Shoulder. I visited every corner of the place where they showcased the brand image and products besides tasting the drinks prepared by the bartenders. Well, I had fun too taking photos around with the props and the beautifully decorated event backdrop for a photo op.

Hendrick’s Gin is a deliciously super premium gin, made with a number of unusual twists to deliver a most curious arrangement. Unlike ordinary gins, Hendrick’s Gin is distilled in Scotland, in small batches of only 500 litres at a time. 

Only Hendrick’s Gin is made with infusions of cucumber and rose petals, alongside a blend of 11 botanicals, producing a wonderfully refreshing gin with a delightfully floral aroma. Hendrick’s Gin is made in a combination of a Carter-Head and copper pot still, creating a divinely smooth gin with both character and balance of subtle flavours. I really like the infusion of rose and cucumber in the gin and would like to say it is suitable for ladies to drink.

In 1886, William Grant founded William Grant & Sons and built the Glenfiddich distillery in a valley in the Highlands of Scotland. On Christmas day in 1887, the first drop of spirit was produced. William Grant & Sons has been staying true to its dream and has built a renowned, multi-awarded brand with a devoted spirit in pursuit of perfection.

I never heard of William Grant & Sons but I have seen Glenfiddich before even though I might not able to spell it right, LOL. Glenfiddich was my first stop to explore that night. I got myself Glenfiddich's signature single malt Scotch whisky aged 12 years old to try. The flavour and texture inside the mouth are so rich and I could feel the little heat and spiciness they called in the throat aftertaste.

I was super impressed with the new technology presented during the event at Glenfiddich's booth. They have a big sized table (about the size of a billiard table) which will display the information about the drinks when you put the glass on top of it. The secret lies to the chip stick to the glass. But how the chip runs is still remain unknown. I saw an ang moh guest also delighted with such technology. What a brilliant innovation right?

Next, I moved to The Balvenie to have a look. The Balvenie is a unique range of single malts created by David C. Stewart MBE, The Balvenie Malt Master who was awarded an MBE for services to the Scotch whisky industry by Queen Elizabeth II in 2016. Each expression has a very individual taste, but is rich, luxuriously smooth and underpinned by the distinctively honeyed character of The Balvenie.

The Balvenie is dedicated to the five rare crafts that are used to create The Balvenie’s distinctive taste. It is the only distillery that still grows its own barley, uses traditional floor maltings and keeps both coppersmiths and coopers on site – making The Balvenie the most handcrafted of single malts.

We got our own customized notebook at The Balvenie's booth. We were given 3 colour choices of the rings and embossing for our name (limited to 5 letters) to choose and custom make for the notebook as our bring-home memory.

Showcasing The Balvenie's handcrafted Scotch whisky and my personalized notebook with my name at the cover :)

Monkey Shoulder is a malt whisky blended from three of Speyside’s finest single malts, using batches of just 27 casks for a smoother richer taste. The name is rooted in malt whisky history and inspired by the maltmen who turns the malting barley by hand. Years ago, some Maltmen used to develop a strain injury known as Monkey Shoulder. Thankfully practices have changed and the condition no longer exists!

I made a frequent stop at Monkey Shoulder to play at its claw machine while trying my luck to get the grand prize which is an electronic device as told by the staff. But unluckily, I did not manage to get it after a few tries. LOL

Tong Woh Enterprise Sdn Bhd, Luen Heng F&B Sdn Bhd. and CSS Food & Beverage Sdn Bhd. have been appointed as William Grant & Sons’ official importers to help distribute the market leading premium portfolio of brands within their stable. The importers will provide activation, logistics and customer support to the market. They will also be able to continuously supply outlets, wholesalers, local merchants and re-sellers with the portfolio of William Grant & Sons brands.

“Tonight’s trade party gives a glimpse into the various activations and experiences that each brand will bring to the market in the near future, and we want to thank our partners for embarking on this exciting journey with us,”said Sharma-General Manager - Singapore, Malaysia and Philippines.

ABOUT WILLIAM GRANT & SONS

William Grant & Sons, Ltd. is an independent family-owned distiller headquartered in the United Kingdom and founded by William Grant in 1887. Today, the luxury spirits company is run by the fifth generation of his family and distils some of the world’s leading brands of Scotch whisky, including the world’s favourite single malt Glenfiddich®, The Balvenie® range of handcrafted single malts and the world’s third largest blended Scotch Grant’s® as well as other iconic spirits brands such as Hendrick’s® Gin, Sailor Jerry®, Milagro® Tequila, Tullamore D.E.W Irish Whiskey, Monkey Shoulder® and, most recently, Drambuie and Hudson.