I’m Very glad to be able to feature some new Glenrothes tasting notes on the blog. God knows I’ve not tasted anything new from the GR in a long time. I’m really a fan of their range and their lovely simplistic packaging (cardboard, and not much bling) .This time it’s 3 new Travel Retail expressions, a NAS, and two (thank goodness, we’re had enough NAS duty free whiskies recently, thank you very much!) Age statement drams (18, and 21) which are rather brilliant.
These 3 expressions celebrate the spiritual home of The Glenrothes: named after the street on which Rothes House, stands, the Manse Brae range comprises Manse Reserve, Elders’ Reserve and Minister’s Reserve.
Rothes House was formerly the Minister’s home, known as the Manse; overlooking the town below, it was a place where the Elders of the Kirk would meet. The history of Glenrothes Distillery is inextricably linked with the Church of Scotland: the United Presbyterian Church of the nearby village of Archiestown lent the sum of £600 (equivalent to £50,000 today) to the distillery in its infancy, without which the distillery would never have been built. Interesting stuff indeed. The Church lending money for a distillery to be build, Amen to that!
The Glenrothes Manse reserve , 43% ABV , £33 / €40 / $55
Nose: Fresh and citrusy with ginger and vanilla cream coated apples. Some floral notes as well. Light yet sweet and creamy.
Palate: Spicy and nutty. Stewed pears and creamy vanilla.Nice and to the point. No frills sort of textbook summer Whisky .
Finish : Fruity and spicy with ginger and some milk chocolate.
A true Summer whisky, easy sipping, fresh, and creamy. lovely for the price, I can definitely see myself sipping on lots of this malt even in the nasty Israeli summer.
Score: 83/100
The Glenrothes Elders’ reserve , 43% ABV , £80 / €99 / £145
Nose: Toffee, fresh ginger, lemon zest , lots of spice, some freshly baked Bagels, blood orange, and a slight minty hint.
Palate: Ripe Oranges, dough, vanilla, and lemon, spiced wood (cinnamon, cloves, ginger) , reminds me a bit of Furtnum & Mason Ginger and orange jam biscuits, very appetizing. a lovely mouth feel to it.
Finish : Toffee, spice, and pepper.
A Solid Evening time whisky, more complex, and deeper than the Manse. Not a bad price as well, but certainly not cheap, as there are many other 18 year olds of similar quality that do cost less.
Score: 87/100
The Glenrothes Ministers’ reserve , £115 / €140 / $225
Nose: Ok. That is very different. Considerably older. And much more sherry cask influence. I dig that! Forget freshness and citrus. This is the real deal. Deep sweet nectar. Sultans and ripe oranges jam. Old leather. Chocolate. Raisins dipped in mulled wine. Old wood cabinets. Yum yum. This is a superb older nose kind of style. Loved it.
Palate: Sultans and ripe oranges dipped in chocolate. Vanilla and some dark chocolate mixed with exotic fruit and older wood. Superb.
Finish: dark chocolate. Wood. Kirsch.
Brilliant stuff. Not a summer drink. But rather an autumnal dram. 100 quid or so is not cheap, but It’s damn lovely.
Score: 90/100
Official samples Provided by Quercus Comms