Origin: Speyside (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 43%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Sherry first fill
Chillfiltered: Yes
Added coloring: Yes
Owner: The Edrington Group
Average price: € 50.00
Official website: www.theglenrothes.com
Vote: 74/100
Introduced in 2014, this NAS from Glenrothes is the first to be matured entirely in Sherry, moreover from mostly European first-fill casks, presenting itself as a Sherry bomb. sparking as much love as hate among enthusiasts.
At the time, the brand was still managed by Berry Bros & Rudd, as you can see from the image, until it passed entirely into the hands of Edrington Group in 2017.
This expression has since been removed from the distillery’s offering, but is still widely available.
Tasting notes
More than the sherried notes, which are present, what immediately jumps out at the nose is the youthfulness of this whisky: herbaceous, with lots of malt and a distinct hint of yeast. There are also vinous notes, with sultanas, prunes, marzipan, pineapple, spices (cinnamon, nutmeg). In the background, baked apple, liquorice and honey. Along the length, the herbaceous and fresh part becomes more intense, with a drop of lemon.
Light-bodied, the palate expresses the contribution of wood with ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon, which initially take centre stage, leaving citrus and iron notes in the background. Liquorice, freshly baked bread, pineapple, lemon, marzipan, rhubarb and malt notes.
The finish is quite short and dry, of spices, wood, liquorice.
The intrusiveness of the wood is remarkable and does little to complement the youthfulness of the whisky, making it in fact monotonous and ungainly.
Reviews of Glenrothes whisky on the blog
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