Glenrothes 23 yo 1988 (48,9%, Liquid Treasures 2011, ex-bourbon hogshead)

Nose: sweet start on buttercups, dandelions and a fair dash of honey. Some sweet oranges and a moscatel aroma. Baked apples. Hints of vanilla and caramel. Nice combination of sweet fruits and flowers. Mouth: sweet and creamy, with malt cookies, vanilla and quite a lot of honey again. Orange marmalade. Fruit cake. Evolves on soft spices (cinnamon, subtle pepper). Finish: medium long, with the same malty / honeyed character.

Quite a typical Glenrothes (albeit without sherry). Rounded, sweet with soft spices. Available from eSpirits. Around € 90.

Score: 85/100

Glenrothes 41 yo 1970 (47,7%, The Whisky Agency ‘Romantique’ 2011, ex-bourbon hogshead, 197 btl.)

Nose: quite brilliant! Lots of fruit jams, tangerine, apricot pie, pineapple. Plenty of honey and touches of beeswax. Hints of vanilla pastry. Some buttercups. After a while it gets a tad more spicy and herbal with mint, soft ginger and thyme. Leather. And even bigger hints of juicy apricots. Mouth: creamy start, still plenty of fruits at first (oranges, banana) with waxy notes. Some coconut. The oak then starts to move forward. It throws in some spices (ginger, soft pepper, gingerbread) but no excessive dryness. Some fruit liqueurs and fruit tea in the end. Finish: long, half spicy, half fruity. Mainly oranges now and oak.

A great Glenrothes that combines a nice fruit basket with balanced oak. Too bad the price has taken quite a hike recently. Around € 235.

Score: 90/100

Glen Speyside Class 18 yo
(50%, Malts of Scotland 2011, batch n°1)

Nose: fruity and honeyed. Baked apples sprinkled with cinnamon. Pear syrup. Apricot jam. Some great pastry notes. Demerara sugar. Heather and hay. Mouth: similarly sweet and fruity, very honeyed. Apple pie with raisins. Fructose. All sorts of fruit jams. Sugar coated nuts. Heather and light pepper in the end. Even a faint hint of smoke. Finish: sweet, softly spiced.

This Glen Speyside Class is much better than the Glen Grain Class in my opinion, and more typical for its type of whisky. Sweet, rounded, with decent complexity. Good to see it’s still possible to find a tasty 18yo single malt under € 50, bottled at 50%, uncoloured and un-chillfiltered. Around € 45.

Score: 84/100

Glenrothes 1995 is composed of 30% sherry treated casks (both American and Spanish oak) and 70% refill casks. I was able to try it at The Whisky Fair in Limburg thanks to Stefan, their German ambassador.

Glenrothes 1995 (43%, OB 2011)

Nose: high on butterscotch, milk chocolate and toffee notes, which is very typical for Glenrothes but the recent releases (1991, 1994, 1998) didn’t seem to focus too much on these characteristics. Great to see they’re back in the 1995. There’s also quite some honey and vanilla. Malty notes. Cake. Raisins. Apples and cinnamon. Mouth: very sweet and rather thick. Vanilla custard and fruit syrup. Sweet malt and caramel. Soft oak spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper). Toffee and honey again. Peanuts. Subtle lemon. Finish: medium length with citrus and caramelized spices.

Good to see The Glenrothes is moving back to its rich toffee and butterscotch style. Nothing mind-boggling but good value for money. Around € 50.

Score: 83/100

As a matter of fact, the Duncan Taylor casks are so good that Glenrothes decided to buy back a whole bunch of casks. Does it mean there’s a very expensive official release planned in the near future?

This is slightly darker whisky than yesterday’s Glenrothes 1968 by Malts of Scotland.

Glenrothes 41 yo 1968 (43%, Duncan Taylor 2010, cask #9974, 139 btl.)

Nose: this one is much more biscuity than the Malts of Scotland version. More vanilla custard, great white chocolate notes and something caramelly. Over time it smells like a chocolate store really. Lovely dusty elements. The same kind of freshly sawn oak. Then back to gooseberries and apricots, pineapple, honey, even some volatile strawberry notes. Slightly wider and more complex than the other. Mouth: creamy, with the same kind of sweet / fruity vs. sour / oaky combination. Thicker and creamier than the Malts of Scotland, despite the slightly lower strength. Soft fruits (oranges, mango) and soft spices (cinnamon, cardamom). Custard with caramel. Finish: long and sweet, half spicy / half citrusy with apples and hints of aniseed.

A great cask, no doubt, showing both fresh fruits and warmer vanilla / chocolate notes. The thicker structure seems to hide the oak influence more. More expensive though: around € 260.

Score: 89/100

Glenrothes 42 yo 1968 (45,2%,
Malts of Scotland 2011, bourbon hogshead #13509, 108 btl.)

Nose: fresh and fruity, but not a fruitbomb as there’s also a certain oaky dryness. Lots of citrus notes (especially orange and tangerine), hints of passion fruit and some new leather. A bit of wax. Hints of dry flowers and hay. Over time it seems to fade out a little and focus more on the (nicely fresh) oak. Faint hints of moccha. Mouth: quite a sour attack with plenty of oak. Ginger, cinnamon and lemon with the warmer fruits being pushed to the background. Hints of cardamom and cloves. Slightly tannic but still very enjoyable. Finish: drying and spicy with lingering fruits and hints of tea.

A Glenrothes of this age usually can’t hide the oak influence. This is no different, but only on the palate did it bother me a little. Other than that, it’s a bright Speysider with sparkling citrus fruits. Around € 200.

Score: 87/100

Glenrothes 1991 (43%, OB 2008)

Nose: honeyed and buttery aromas (butterscotch, mocha). Caramel. Roasted nuts. Vanilla. Quite some heather. Cooked fruits with gentle spices. A hint of leather. Mouth: similar toffee / mocha notes. Baked apples and a lovely hint of coconut cream. Roasted nuts and barley sugars in the aftertaste. Fading on spices (ginger, cloves). Finish: not too long, with cocoa and subtle oak.

For me, this is one of the most archetypal Glenrothes expressions because of the buttery qualities, nutty flavours and spices. Of course the old versions offer more complexity and roundness, but this one is considerably less expensive.
Around € 55.

Score: 83/100

Glenrothes 1978 
(43%, OB 2008, 5600 btl.)

Nose: stewed fruits and apricot marmalade with dashes of honey. Less tropical than most 1968/69/70 Glenrothes, with much more beehive notes and a rather uncommon heathery note. Also intense spices (cinnamon, mint, aniseed, vanilla). Very light sherry influence (raisins, chocolate). Mouth: not the most powerful attack, but very balanced. We get sweet citrus fruits, plenty of honey again, some vanilla. This evolves into spicy fruit cake with a little ginger and liquorice. Is that a delicate whiff of smoke in the background? Finish: half sweet, half spicy. Quite long.

A sweet and spicy Speysider. When I opened this during a tasting with friends the other day, it was well received. Nonetheless most people prefered the Glenrothes 1970 by Dyncan Taylor. The 1978 is quite expensive: € 300 and more.

Score: 89/100

Glenrothes 35 yo 1970 (43,5%, Duncan Taylor Rare Auld 2006, cask #10574, 162 btl.)

Nose: instant fruitiness, with banana, apricot, passion fruits and pineapple. Plenty of youth here. Some green notes (mint, herbs) and spices (cinnamon, vanilla). A little honey. Mouth: gentle attack but not too soft. I get some almonds and fruits, together with oak and spices. Pine resin. Faint hints of sweet gingerbread. Banana. Powdered sugar and a hint of cocoa. Less superb than on the nose, and a tad less complex than sister casks. Finish: long, with apricot marmalade and sweet lemonade.

These old Glenrothes are really recommended, although they are slowly reaching their limits. Keeping them in the cask much longer will cause some of them to drop below the minimum strength (like the Glenrothes 1969 in the Lonach series) or become too woody. Around € 125 at the time. Now difficult to find, but keep your eyes open for similar releases.

Score: 90/100

Glenrothes 33 yo 1972 (56,6%, Signatory Vintage 2006, sherry butt #12368, 549 btl.)

Nose: not so sure… On the one hand, there’s plenty of fruits (tangerine, banana) with honey, but on the other hand there’s a faint sulphury / rubbery smell that I don’t like (fortunately it’s almost gone after 20 minutes). Hints of roasted sesame and moss. Nutmeg. Old roses. Beeswax. Pine needles. A bit unusual but very complex. Mouth: quite a peppery attack. A lot of resinous oak and grapefruit. Tangerine again. Peppermint. Fades out on more gentle flavours like honeyed pastry. Finish: rather hot, spicy and fruity. Quite long and intense.

A highly expressive Glenrothes, but it takes some time before you discover its strengths. Better enjoyed neat. Still available in several stores. About € 165.

Score: 85/100

It’s interesting that SMoS chooses Glenrothes casks with a very light sherry influence since nowadays most of the independent bottlings seem to be heavily sherried.

Glenrothes 18 yo 1990 
(46%, SMoS 2009, cask #3331, 785 btl.)

Nose: a characteristic Glenrothes nose with butter toffee and some dry flowers but punchier than most official releases. Freshened by big hints of orange juice. Nectar. Something that reminds me of Swedish mustard. Hints of roasted nuts. Cake. The sherry influence is certainly there, but it’s very subtle. Mouth: not too bold. Quite malty and sweet. Spicy (nutmeg, herbal sweets) with hints of liquorice. Interesting roasted / bread crust notes in the aftertaste. Finish: rather long and spicy, with beautiful candied notes, even hints of violets.

This bottling shows a slightly different side of The Glenrothes. An all-round charmer. Around € 50.

Score: 82/100

The 1994 vintage was composed as a lighter, stimulating and uplifting expression of The Glenrothes.

Glenrothes 1994 (43%, OB 2008)

Nose: the first few seconds are filled with buttery toffee which is typical for The Glenrothes. After that, a wave of zesty lemon shows up and make it a lot fresher. Its spring-character shows juicy pears and orange fruit gums with a touch of vanilla. Very citric. Lemon pie. Slightly flowery with hints of Cif (the cleaning cream). None of the spices that we see in older Glenrothes bottlings. Mouth: rather weak and watery. Quite malty with a fruity layer of fresh plums. Hints of hazelnuts in the aftertaste. Finish: not very long and quite soft. Pears. Light ginger and nuts.

On the nose, this is the closest to a Lowlander that The Glenrothes will probably ever get (although the trademark toffee is still there). Great to see such a variation on the distillery profile. Probably very teasing as a summer dram, although I prefer the spicier profile. A higher alcohol volume could make it more punchy as well. Around € 55.

Score: 82/100

It is the first bottling to carry the signature of Gordon Motion, the new Malt Master, after the retirement of John Ramsay. It is also the first available vintage that was specifically laid down to become a vintage. Previous releases were selected out of the existing cask stock in the warehouses. Note that the 1995 vintage was the first to be designed as a vintage, but that year’s production is not ready to be bottled yet.

Around a third of the selected casks were seasoned with oloroso sherry by three bodegas in Jerez de la Frontera. The other casks were ex-bourbon.

Glenrothes 1998 (43%, OB 2009)

Nose: initially hints of dry flowers, cereals and butter caramel / toffee. Easy to see this is a sibling of the Glenrothes Select Reserve, but with a more refined character. Quite fresh with a slight nuttiness. Notes of vanilla and citrus fruits. Lemon grass. Sweet honey. Mouth: starts gently on honey, fruity marmalade and apple. Quite sweet and vanillated. Some coconut. More depth when the spices kick in (mostly cinnamon). Finish: medium length with a lovely spicy profile (nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla).

This Glenrothes 1998 has more depth than you would expect from a 10 year-old. Not overly complex but fresh and well-made! Around € 42.

Score: 84/100

Lonach is a series of bottlings by Duncan Taylor meant for “under proof casks” i.e. casks of which the alcohol volume dropped below (or just above) the limit of 40%. The usual remedy is to mix two casks in order to obtain a final volume of more than 40%.

Glenrothes 39yo 1969 
(42,7%, Duncan Taylor Lonach 2008)

Nose: very fruity, tropical even. Ripe apricots, tangerines, oranges. A fruit basket in a great mix with creamy vanilla. Not weak at all. Subtle hints of wax, almonds and white pepper. Wonderful notes of guimauves (marshmallow candy). Mouth: this is where you notice the lower alcohol volume. A subdued start, although it picks up very well. Again very fruity (orange marmalade). Honey. Vanilla. Perfect oak influence now, with spices (nutmeg, pepper) and a bit of tannins. Finish: not too long, but fruity and spicy in a near-perfect balance.

As Bert told me the other day, there’s a huge difference between a cask strength whisky of 43% and a higher strength whisky that has been diluted to 43%. He’s absolutely right. This is wonderful old whisky, aromatic, complex and perfectly gentle. One of my best Glenrothes ever. Still to be found in some places. Around € 140. Thanks Bert!

Score: 92/100

This 1970 cask was selected by our Belgian bottler The Nectar.

Glenrothes 39 yo 1970 
(47,9%, Duncan Taylor for The Nectar 2009, cask #10567, 127 btl.)

Nose: superb Speyside associations: candied apple, very ripe bananas, passion fruit, pineapple. Some spices. Lovely hints of furniture polish and beeswax. Hints of cherries as well, which is less common. Citrus. Honey. Very attractive overall. Mouth: oaky but not at all drying. Hints of coconut which are quite spectacular (Malibu!). Bananas again, with vanilla. Hints of bubblegum and cream. Almonds. Spicy gingerbread. Very balanced and perfect strength for this kind of profile. Finish: long, on fruit jams with just enough wood influence (ginger and cinnamon). A touch of butter.

Another great Glenrothes from Duncan Taylor.
I hope they keep these casks coming! Around
€ 170, which is quite pricey (previous Glenrothes by Duncan Taylor were around € 120-150).

Score: 91/100

The name derives from Quercus Robur, the Latin name for European / Spanish oak. This Glenrothes was matured in first-fill ex-sherry casks. There’s no age statement.

Glenrothes Robur Reserve
(40%, OB 2008, 1 liter)

Nose: instant toffee. Some vanilla, dried fruits and oranges. Hints of leather. Some soft flowery notes as well. Mouth: very velvety and smooth. Malty and fruity flavours, vanilla again, rather sweet sherry. Fresh plums. Caramel. Hints of clove. Finish: medium long, starting rather sweet and developing on toffee and spices.

Not bad, although it won’t blow you away. Really mellow and easy-going, but less sherry than you would expect from first-fill casks. Anyway better than the Glenrothes Select Reserve yet at the same price: around € 50 (1 liter).

Score: 79/100

Cutty Sark

Cutty Sark 18y (43%, OB, blend)

Nose: fruity (peach, orange) and honeyed. A bit of sherry, vanilla, cereals and very light hints of smoke. Mouth: soft and sweet. Toffee, caramel, lots of oranges (Cointreau) and other fruit. Spicy edge and something vaguely chemical. Rather weak attack, but it grows bolder, to a sweet, warm and smokey finish.

It’s quite elegant and smooth, very drinkable and more complex than you would expect from a blend. But for its price (€ 50-60), you could also buy a good single malt.

Score: 76/100.