Girvan
Translation: - (proper name of the place)
Region: Lowlands
Nine years for eternity.
From 1966 to 1975 existed on the grounds of Grain distillery Girvan also a Malt distillery with meanwhile almost mystical reputation: Ladyburn. Due to the record-breaking short life, bottlings of this distillery are extremely rare and therefore precious. There is a persistent rumor that the owners William Grant & Sons have kept somewhere else one or two barrels of this legendary malts ...
But maybe there is only the wish father of the thought. And you might be disappointed if you actually got a live ladyburn in the glass. Because a myth is usually larger than a real taste experience can ever be.
A little history
In 1963 William Grant & Sons founded the Grain distillery Girvan in the town of the same name. The family business, which already owned Glenfiddich and Balvenie, wanted to expand its field of activity to include blended whiskeys, and needed its own distillery to make the needed grain whiskey. Because with the Distillers Company Ltd (DCL), which controlled the majority of the grain production at that time, they had been divided. In the small coastal town Girvan was found after some searching a suitable terrain. The plan worked. The distillery, one of the largest in Scotland, has been operating consistently throughout the world and Grant's Blended Whiskey has been internationally successful ever since.
In 1966, William Grant & Sons also opened the Malt distillery Ladyburn on the Girvan site. The company was set back in 1975 to allow an extension of the Girvan distillery. In 1976, the Ladyburn buildings were demolished.
Recently, however, there is another malt distillery by William Grant next door: Ailsa Bay, founded in 2007.
What do I actually have in the glass?
For a grain whiskey the Girvan is even available in quite a lot of bottlings. Common to them are the Grain-typical vanilla notes, the delicate sweetness and fruity aromas in addition to impressions of caramel.
3 reasons to love Girvan
1) Because the world would be significantly poorer without myths and legends.
2) Because the Girvan Single Grain is simply a treat in itself.
3) Because without Girvan there would not be some good blends.
The one drama for the lonely island
The 20 year old Vintage 1993 from the Clan Denny series is a prime example of the potential of a single grain: vanilla, toffee, honey and oranges enter into a highly harmonious marriage.
numbers and facts
Address: Girvan, Ayrshire KA26 9PT
Founded: 1963 by William Grant & Sons
Status: active
Owner: William Grant & Sons
Capacity: about 15,000,000 liters
2 Coffey stills
Water: Penwapple Reservoir
Visitor Center: -
Telephone: +44 (0) 1465 - 713091
Website: -
