
April 28, 2016

Three older Glenrothes

A short follow-up session, with only three older Glenrothes. Well, only one's really old.

Glenrothes 24 yo 1990/2015 (55.7%, Cadenhead, Small Batch, 966 bottles)

Let's see if once again, a real small batch (not 30,000 bottles) beats single casks because of some additional complexity. Colour: coffee. Nose: coffee. I'm not joking, this reeks of coffee (with schnapps), with also a good deal of gunpowder and flints. Quite a lot of burnt black raisins too, very dark caramel, then black tobacco (Gauloises) and touches of leather and perhaps fennel. With water: burnt cardboard, black cigars (maduros, or this funny cigar made in Italy called Toscani - kills a rhino)... In short everything's quite black. Mouth (neat): heavy, bitter in a good way, very burnt, with many spicy fruitcakes and loads of muscovado sugar. Cloves and tar. As 'black' as it gets. With water: becomes kirschy and funnily spicy-fruity. Mulled wine, more burnt sugar. Finish: very long. Coffee-slivovitz. Comments: a very extreme one, perhaps for lovers of sherry monsters only. Some sides remind me of the old Macallans Cask Strength. SGP:462 - 87 points.

Good, it was so extreme, that we might need another 1990 just to be on the safe side...

Glenrothes 25 yo 1990/2015 (56.6%, Douglas Laing, Xtra Old Particular, sherry butt, cask #10784, 285 bottles)

Yes, sherry again, but the colour is lighter. Colour: deep gold. Nose: better balanced, to say the least, but also less demonstrative. There is a little leather and whiffs of used matches, but also oranges, dandelions, and golden raisins. Not the big black ones ;-). Also a nice minty maltiness, which makes it kind of chartreuse-y at times. With water: lovely citrus and ginger, with an earthy and malty background. Mouth (neat): really punchy, with a sweet bitterness that, again, hints at some kind of herbal liqueur, although that wouldn't be chartreuse. Hold on, Unicum? Some cloves for sure, and some spicy marmalade. Indian marmalade? With water: classic fruity development. Raisins, figs... Very good. Finish: medium, on mixed jams and spices. Never heavy. Comments: I find this one totally excellent, and probably more 'drinkable' than the slightly monstrous Cadenhead. SGP:551 - 89 points.

Glenrothes 34 yo 1980/2014 (48,5%, The Whisky Agency, Private Stock, refill hogshead, 180 bottles)

Ooh, 1980, that's the year of one of my favourite Glenrothes ever, the official 1980/2004 cask #17563 (no less than WF 93). Colour: white wine. Probably the opposite of the two sherried ones that we just tried. Nose: we're closer to the late 1960s or early 1970s, with a subtle and delicate honeyness and many ripe orchard fruits, as well as a wonderful floral side. Nectar, ripe plums, peaches... Really very lovely, it's just the palate that may be a little more tired given the style. Let's see... Mouth: not at all, even if the oak's very noticeable. It's a rather mentholated oak, a little sappy, but that goes well with the peaches, apples, and plums that really abound. There's also the expected honey (light) and just hints of cinnamon. The whole's perfectly fresh. Finish: medium, more honeyed, with a fruit salad and juices. This one's totally drinkable. Comments: wonderful. More delicate than DL's XOP, but perhaps a tad less immediate. Same score. SGP:541 - 89 points.

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