Continuing the series of D.Laing expressions , this time we’re taking a look at a single cask aged 12 yo from the Glenrothes distillery. While OB Glenrothes are often quite mediocre, colored with lots of Caramel, and bottled at boring 40% , NAS (Although some vintages are quite nice but expensive), Indie Glenrothes can be spectacular. If you’ve tasted some of the 6/7 year old Adelphi single casks, those amazing sherry monsters, you know what I’m talking about. This is a sherry cask, distilled in 2005 and bottled in 2017, at 48.8% which is not bad at all. This is NCF, Natural color, and by the looks of it, it’s going to be a big sherried dram, let’s try it..
Glenrothes 12 Year Old 2005 (cask 11601) – Old Particular (Douglas Laing) , 48.8% , £64 (UK) / 330 NIS (Israel) 
Nose: Quite a lot of toffee, heaps of that actually, some Werther’s Original candy,vanilla, and a touch of sulfur (there’s quite some of it, but not too much – if you’re not a fan you should be aware), this is a big sherried whisky after all… , some fresh ground coffee, cinnamon , pepper and orange marmalade. A very goos start!
Palate: Big Meaty sherry notes up front, chocolate, and more toffee / caramel candy. Quite rich, with tobacco, wood shavings, mocha,and pepper, sweet chilly, and blackcurrant marmalade. Sweet and spicy, quite oily and viscous mouth feel to it.
Finish: Chocolate and dried fruit (sultana and fig), cinnamon, dry sherry and cocoa.
A rather big, rich and meaty sherry sort of dram. Not your average Glenrothes, but that’s good news! Good VFM, and a good price locally (If you’re in Israel via Sipil online).
Score: 86/100