The Glenrothes usually bottle vintages as opposed to age statement (you can do the math yourselves), but they do have a few NAS offerings (the select reserve, the alba reserve, and the robur reserve), and now there’s a new NAS around by the name of Vintage Reserve. Vintage Reserve comprises 10 different Vintages from the last three decades: 1989, 1992, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 – making it about 7 year old if they wished to indicate the age statement. If you’re wondering about the ratio of vintages in the blend: The combination of different Vintages aged in a variety of casks creates a balanced whisky with mature experience and vibrant youth: the most venerable constituent (a full 25 years old) is Vintage 1989, bringing mellow oak and dried fruits; the greatest proportion is Vintage 1998, adding soft, mature, sweet vanilla; the more youthful vintages add exuberance and lemon citrus notes.
The vintage reserve is bottled at 40%, not surprising for an entry level whisky, but we’d love to see 46% and up… Anyways, the dram is available in Taiwan at first, then will be globally available in 2015…
here we go:
The Glenrothes vintage Reserve, 40% abv, ~TW$1200
Nose: Although this features some older vintages as well as new it does feel a bit young and spirits on the nose. When that passes it’s clearly a recent glenrothes. The caramel and creamy vanilla with some citrus and butter.
Palate: Creamy and caramel-y with dark chocolate and cereal. Again it’s a bit spirity and rough and not as Rounded. But it’s very easy drinking with biscuits cereals and chocolate.
Finish: Milk chocolate covered lotus biscuits and orange peel.
Frankly, this tastes like many other Glenrothes whiskies, it has the GR DNA alright, nothing new here, easy drinking, not very complex, but can’t complain as the price is very very approachable. (under $40).
Score: 81/100
Official sample provided by The Glenrothes.