THE GLENROTHES
The Glenrothes Distillery lies on a tributary of the River Spey in the region of Speyside – the heartland of single malt Scotch whisky. Since first produced in 1879 The Glenrothes has had a reputation amongst elite master blenders as a top-class malt, distinguished by its complexity, balance and above all its flavour. Such is the demand for the whisky that, even today, only 2% of the total output of the distillery is bottled as The Glenrothes single malt.
Each Vintage of The Glenrothes is unique; every expression manifests the distillery character but with distinct variations in personality. The differences in personality are a result of the skilful combination of different cask sizes, types of wood and lengths of time maturing in cask. By their very nature, The Glenrothes Vintages are rare and finite; when the whisky has sold out the Vintage is extinct.
Although maturation is key, you can’t make great whisky without excellent spirit in the first place. Unusually slow distillation in tall copper stills at The Glenrothes delivers a distinctive sweet, clean and fruity spirit. It is the maturation in oak casks that develops the additional characteristics of The Glenrothes; the signature flavours are ripe fruits, juicy citrus, creamy vanilla and hints of complex spices.
These four flavours constitute the house style, as exemplified by The Glenrothes Select Reserve, At the 2007 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, The Glenrothes Select Reserve won a Double Gold Award – the highest accolade – in recognition of its exceptional quality and flavour.
In his 2007 Whisky Bible, Jim Murray scores The Glenrothes Select Reserve 24 out of 25 points for flavour and describes it as “One of the softest deliveries on Speyside, the silky barley and citrus caress the tastebuds with rare tenderness.”