
November 8, 2016

Seven Glenrothes

For reasons I’m not aware of, the indies seem to have much more well-aged Glenrothes than the owners do these days. Let’s have some…

Glenrothes ‘Bourbon Cask Reserve’ (40%, OB, +/-2016)

A very humble little NAS, formerly named ‘Alba Reserve’ (I believe), that further scares me with these notes on the label: ‘character, coconut and vanilla’. That could be an example of what I sometimes call the Nutellafication of Scotch malt whisky, but at least there’s no palm oil in Scotch, and no added sugar. GMOs? Not too sure… Colour: straw. Nose: malted barley, porridge, bread, leaven, custard, beer, oak. No excessive vanilla and coconut, what a relief… Mouth: tastes young, barleyish, porridgy again, malty, with some sawdust. Not sure the oak had enough time to mingle with the distillate. Apple juice. Finish: short, beerish. Custard and sawdust in the aftertaste, but little coconut indeed. Phew! Gritty green tea in the aftertaste. Comments: not too bad, but it's probably nothing to write home about. Doesn’t break the three legs of a duck, as we say in France. SGP:341 - 76 points.

I think we’ll need the indies, which happens more and more often I have to say, not only with Glenrothes of course…

Glenrothes 1997/2016 ‘Blossom Nectar’ (46%, Wemyss Malts, hogshead, 325 bottles)

Colour: white wine. Nose: there are similarities and differences. The main differences are that it’s rather more mineral, chalkier, and grassy. I do not get much blossomy stuff, but may is that me. What’s sure I that it’s more mature than the OB, and that it’s now lost any excessive porridge-y/ yeasty notes. Mouth: fruitier, brighter, and more potent than the OB. Apple sweets, Spanish green apple liqueur, white pepper, a little barley syrup, perhaps white cherries… Fizzy orange sweets. Now the whole remains a little rough. Finish: again, rather grassier and more peppery than other (very good) Glenrothes by Wemyss. Comments: I think I missed the flowers. Me, a romantic? Wait, perhaps rose petals in the nose? As they say, if you keep looking for them, you’ll find them… SGP:451 - 81 points.

Since we’re having some Wemyss…

Glenrothes 1993/2014 ‘Kumquat Cluster’ (46%, Wemyss Malts, butt, 730 bottles)

You see, some Dutch friends keep pulling my leg because I sometimes use kumquats in my modest tasting notes. Look, if the bottlers themselves use them, why couldn’t I? Yours sincerely, etc. Colour: white wine. Nose: start with intriguing whiffs of peat, as if this was an ex-Islay butt. Certainly some tequila or mezcal! That’s strange and funny, and certainly not unpleasant. Beyond that, some grapefruit skin, white fruits, a glass of genuine dry cider (not the awful sweetened stuff they pour you in some pubs), and a wee metallic side that, once again, is very pleasant, if rather un-Glenrothes. Mouth: really unusual, and really to my liking. Some peat again, bitter oranges, polishes and waxes, and perhaps some earthy turnips. That could be the peat. Finish: medium, a tad fizzy again, ginger wine, oranges… And there, perhaps kumquats. No, no tulips. Comments: very singular. At some point, you could have believed this was one of John Glaser’s creations. SGP:452 - 86 points.

All right, Wemyss…

Glenrothes 1988/2015 ‘Spiced Rum Baba’ (46%, Wemyss Malts, butt, 388 bottles)

And rum now! Colour: dark gold. Nose: more sherry influence, as the colour suggested. Walnut wine, mild cigars, marmalade, gingerbread, raisins, caraway, and touches of aniseed or fennel. Some salted butter fudge as well. Very nice combo so far… Mouth: really really to my liking, orange-driven at first, then getting spicier, and never, ever heavy, fattish, or cloying. Ginger (is that the spiced rum) and more marmalade, with a soft curry-y side. The strength is perfect, 46% is really an ideal strength in many cases. Finish: quite long, drier as often, going more toards bitter chocolate, while the curry’s still there. A good friend just sent me some chilli chocolate from New Zealand, which I found excellent. We’re more or less in the same category here (but this Glenrothes is a little easier, Paul ;-)). Comments: we’re making good progress, aren’t we. SGP:461 - 87 points.

Glenrothes 11 yo 2004/2015 (46%, Hepburn’s Choice, sherry, 341 bottles)

A wee young Glenrothes by Hunter Laing. Colour: deep gold. Nose: very metallic and walnutty, so with much sherry influence, some big earth and some big tobacco. Rather ‘amontillado’, I’d say. Teds to get very earthy, damp garden peat, humus… Mouth: some salted fudge is talking first, then some kind of all-spice mix, pepper, sweet mustard… And lastly, walnuts and more pepper. Plus, naturally, Seville oranges. Finish: rather long, with litres of walnut wine, liquorice, and a little ultra-dry white Spanish wine that they make down there. Isn’t that Verdejo? Comments: rather unusual, it’s not quite a sherry monster, but it’s one of the Spanishest malts I’ve tried this year. Me gusta. SGP:361 - 84 points.

Glenrothes 12 yo 2004/2016 (48.4%, Douglas Laing, Old Particular, sherry butt, #DL11170, 490 bottles) It’s not surprising that ‘Hunter’ and ‘Douglas’ would issue similar casks, as DL’s inventory was split between them at some point. Colour: deep gold. Nose: a slightly fresher style, without any metallic side this time, and rather the usual nuts, raisins, tobacco, and marmalade. In fact, this one’s rather more leathery, I’d say. A little curry powder again. Mouth: same comments. A little simpler, more straightforward, and certainly more leathery and mustardy. A little more gingery oak, in the style of many a young American craft whiskey. So yeah, more wood impact, as if this was re-racked in new quarter casks – but I doubt they would have done that. Finish: long, spicy. Marmalade, ginger, and pepper. Comments: me gusta tambien. SGP:461 - 83 points.

A last one for the road…

Glenrothes-Glenlivet 14 yo 2002/2016 (57.4%, Cadenhead, Small Batch)

Yes, them again. I also wanted a fresher Glenrothes, and according to the… Colour: pale white wine. Nose: fresh butter, yellow flowers, and orchard fruits. Gooseberries, greengages, apples… The high strength may block it a bit… With water: sweet malt, fresh marzipan, barley water, cherry juice. Mouth (neat): a candy store, as they say in America. Fizzy drops and assorted jelly candies, plus quite some fresh apple juice and, hold on, could this be Red Bull? It’s certainly a little Schweppesy as well… With water: more sweets – and less Red Bull. Orange drops, sweet apples. A drop of Fanta in the aftertaste. Finish: medium, fresh, very fruity. Comments: it’s not Orcadian, it’s orchardian. I know, I need sleep. SGP:641 - 86 points.

Check the index of all Glenrothes I've tasted so far