A Speyside Icon in an Ultra-Rare Single Cask
2005 Glenrothes 16 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Single First Fill Sherry Butt Cask Strength Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($119.99)
“An absolutely stellar cask with tons of distillery character that continues to open for hours after your first pour.” — David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer
Our friends at Old Particular have come through with a barn-burner of an Exclusive Cask. From one of Scotland’s most famous blue-chip names, this 2005 Glenrothes single cask is a rarity to be coveted by any serious Scotch aficionado. Due to the distillery’s business model and brand philosophy, it’s quite an unusual occurrence to find a Glenrothes cask on the independent market, but it’s simply unheard-of these days to find one with this kind of age and in a top-quality, first-fill sherry butt, no less. Needless to say, the spirits team is thrilled to the core with the finished product. For fans of the distillery, this stupendous dram has everything you’re looking for. Buyer David Othenin-Girard declares, “This is really the quintessential profile from this distillery, its rich earthy character tempered by a top-quality, nicely active sherry butt, without being totally overpowered and losing its uniqueness.” Apart from being authentically Glenrothes, it’s just an eminently pleasurable whisky by its mind-boggling complexity (especially with a few drops) and its rich, decadent profile. David’s colleague Andrew Whiteley notes, “This is the kind of fun, middle-aged malt that really knocks your socks off and reminds you just how purely enjoyable Scotch is.” You’ll want to beat a quick path to securing your bottles, as we don’t expect to see the likes of this again any time soon.
2005 Glenrothes 16 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Single First Fill Sherry Butt Cask Strength Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($119.99)
K&L Notes: The Glenrothes distillery has become one of Scotland’s most prominent and recognizable over the years. They were once famous for relying exclusively on vintage releases. Situated on the Burn of Rothes in the town of the same name, it was founded in 1879. The distillery is just a quick jaunt from the famous Glen Grant and less famous Speyburn distilleries, as well as the notable still manufacturer Forsythe. The distillery had long been a part of the Edrington Group and its predecessors, but in 2010 it was sold to famous wine merchant Berry Bros. & Rudd in exchange for their famous, old, blended scotch brand, Cutty Sark. After seven short years, Berry Bros. sold the brand back to the Edrington. Over the next year or two, the brand was retooled to move away from the vintage offerings and toward a traditional core range. Usually when we see stocks outside of the distillery releases, they’re offered as part of what would obviously be considered blending stocks, that is to say refill hogsheads rather than sherry butts. We’re very lucky to have gotten access to this rare expression, made even rarer by the change in the distillery’s own line-up. The style is distinctly Glenrothes, not diverting significantly in character from the distillery’s other offerings. Expect the classic flavors of earthy malt and dark sherry character that surely won’t disappoint any lover of this special little Speyside charmer.
David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: June 08, 2022
If you’re a Scotch fan, then you’ve almost certainly come across a Glenrothes in your journey. The Speyside blue chip was renowned for its exclusive devotion to single-vintage releases but has recently moved toward more standard age statements. It’s extremely rare to see Glenrothes being offered by independent bottlers, and when we do see it, it’s often outrageously priced and filled into old, boring casks. In any case, we’ve not bottled one in more than seven years and never in such high-quality sherry. What so intrigued me about this cask, besides the obvious quality, was how much it truly tasted like “Glenrothes”! This is really the quintessential profile from this distillery, its rich, earthy character tempered by a top-quality, nicely active sherry butt, without being totally overpowered and losing its uniqueness. The color is deep copper/burnished (1.0-1.1). The nose is a pungent mixture of creamy vanilla and dark, earthy malt. The dark, woodsy sherry frames with a charred orange peel, roasted sugar character, and with some air the bold, savory spice comes forward. Dark Espresso Romano served with lemon rind, chocolate malt, butterscotch, candied nuts, and sweet sugar syrup build on the palate. The texture is very rich. With the tiniest drop of water the nose loses its earthy edge, offering sweeter confectionery notes and the nutty oloroso character. On the palate, the fruity citrus and dried raisin character now plays perfectly with chocolate Raisinets! A hint of mossy old dunnage funk reminds us that this is indeed Glenrothes, before a long, gorgeous finish filled with honeyed sweetness and building spice. An absolutely stellar cask with tons of distillery character that continues to open for hours after your first pour. Highly recommend some water here, unless you really love the earthy side of things. If the distillery was selling whisky like this, it would be the hottest damn distillery in Scotland, but finding a single sherry butt (or even a cask-strength version of any kind) is next to impossible. It’s a terrible shame, but it’s also the beauty of the single cask market—sometimes a single piece can be greater than the whole.
Andrew Whiteley | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: June 08, 2022
Hedonistic is the first word that pops into my head when I nose this whisky. It’s rich and succulent right off the bat. Toasted crème brûlée, sweet dates, sultry spices, orange marmalade, sandalwood, peach and nectarine, citrus zest. Moving onto the palate, a more dessert forward profile emerges. Baking spices, cocoa dust, orange peel, candied nuts, a touch of savory herbs, and just a bit of heat. At 57.2% ABV, it is not overwhelming but very pleasantly punchy. A drop or two of water and more candied citrus comes forth. The wood tannin takes a bit of a back seat, but vanilla steps forward. The finish feels very classic. It’s malty, fruity, a bit sweet and herbaceous like wild mountain honey and sweet tea. This is the kind of fun, middle-aged malt that really knocks your socks off and reminds you just how purely enjoyable Scotch is.
Austin Jenkins | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: May 24, 2022
Caramelized brown sugar and baked cinnamon for days on the nose! What a treat! There’s a present scent of chocolate shavings, a touch of maple also. A lot of things to explore here! Palate is wonderfully biting. Maple persists on the front and the finish, some stone fruit also—ripe white peaches. Barrel influence is not too overpowering considering its first fill profile. Gorgeous color too. This is an easy dram to get lost in!
Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: May 27, 2022
A sherry-aged single malt lover’s delight. This Glenrothes has a nice, deep color. In the mouth, it is rich and full-bodied with a nice mouthfeel. The finish is mouth-coating with wonderful nutty and dried fruit flavors. With a little water, it is the same as above but slightly softer. I think that one can enjoy this single malt with or without water.
