
October 11, 2021

Little duos, today Rosebank

Let's have two nice older triple-distilled juices while waiting for the new Distillery's first drops. I'll have to ask distinguished owners Ian MacLeod about their current schedule… In the meantime…

Rosebank 21 yo 'The Roses - Fascination' (49.5%, Specialty Drinks for The Whisky Exchange, Edition Five, Madeira cask, 633 bottles, 2021)

This baby, according to the wonderful retro label, is supposed to be 'for contemplation' and to 'change from sip to sip'. This series is released every year to celebrate Valentine's Day (Feb. 14), which can only please me (LOL). Naturally, as Rosebank Distillery closed in 1993, this recent bottling cannot quite be 21 years old, that's probably a matter of London coquetry or something. Colour: light gold. Nose: you feel the Madeira upfront, which is much more pleasant than you would believe. Some kind of sweet mustard sauce mixed with sultanas, I would say, but Rosebank's citrus does the cavalry, with pink bananas, tangerines, viognier, young Sauternes and then a drop of chartreuse. Nutshell: lovely! Mouth: punchier than you would have expected, with once again these notes of Madeira sauce, a little leather, tobacco, some saltiness, then the lemons chime in, together with orange blossom honey, earl grey, cane syrup, perhaps curaçao, jelly babies and quite some lemon curd. Lovely 'nervous' sweetness which reminds me of some proper riesling vendanges tardives. Finish: medium, on pretty much the same flavours and some slightly spicy/salty honeyness in the aftertaste. Comments: you could have wondered why one would have buried a Rosebank under Madeira. The answer might be: it wasn't really buried.
SGP:651 – 90 points.

Rosebank 30 yo 1990/2020 'Release 1' (48.6%, OB, refill casks, 4350 bottles)

It is rather fantastic that the new owners could gather enough old Rosebank to be able to release such a large batch of 30 yo. Colour: gold. Nose: it really is the 'Fascination' minus the Madeira. Which means that it may be a tad less complex, but on the other hand this pristine herbal citrusness is just amazingly fresh, and pure indeed. A little fennel, aniseed, rhubarb, cider apples, oranges, gooseberries and then just vine peaches. Oh and citrons (you know, cédrat, cédratine and stuff) and pure fresh-pressed cane juice. Mouth: just perfect, vertical, all on lemons and granny smith, then those vine peaches again. Rather oily mouthfeel. I wouldn't say it is very complex, but it is very perfect, almost abstract, moving very elegantly. Some mobile-whisky by Alexander Calder, perhaps. Finish: medium, ultra-clean, this is almost some kind of best limoncello in the world. Or there, a kind of Limoncello spritz (limoncello, cane syrup, Perrier and really a lot of champagne). Comments: probably one of the most spectacular uncomplicated distillates in Scotland, just the opposite of the other great Distillery in the Lowlands, the sorely missed St Magdalene.
SGP:651 - 90 points.

Check the index of all Rosebank we've tasted so far