Whisky: Glen Rothes 15 Year Old Signatory Vintage
Producer: Signatory Vintage Independent Bottling
Distillery: Glen Rothes Distillery
Whisky Type: Single Malt Scotch (100% malted barley)
Region: Speyside, Scotland
Age: 15 years
ABV: 46%
Cask: Hogshead (presumably ex-bourbon)
Price Range: $$
The Glen Rothes Distillery is in the town of Rothes in Speyside. Founded in 1878 by James Stewart, Robert Dick, John Cruikshank, and William Grant (not the same as the founder of Glenfiddich and the Balvenie)
In 1887, Highland Distillers (owners of brands like the Famous Grouse, The Macallan, and Highland Park) used Glen Rothe’s malt as the top blending element for the Famous Grouse and Cutty Sark blends.
In 1987 London-based wine merchants Berry Brothers & Rudd (partial owners of the Cutty Sark brand) gave the single malt more notoriety by packaging it differently and changing from the traditional age statement format to vintage releases from 1993 onwards.
In 2010 Berry Brothers & Rudd sold Cutty Sark to the Edrington group in exchange for ownership of the Glen Rothes brand. At this point, the Edrington group has been owners of Highland Distillers since 1999.
Finally, in 2017 the Edrington group bought the Glen Rothes brand back from Berry Brothers & Rudd with the goal of growing the brand in international markets.
The house style of Glen Rothes is sweet, fruity, and spicy. However, independent bottlers like Signatory can put a different spin on the flavor profile.
Tasting Notes for Glen Rothes 15 Year Old Signatory Vintage
This expression was distilled at Glen Rothes Distillery on 11/19/1999 and bottled by Signatory on 03/16/2013 without chill-filtration and no caramel added and natural color. Cask# 12575 and bottle# 330.
Nose: Delicate aromas of malt, vanilla, and honey.
Palate: A vanilla and honey arrival that develops quickly into an intense wave of licorice, leather, spices, and bitterness. Adding a teaspoon of water makes the vanilla note move to the front while the sharp and intense flavors move to the back of the bus.
Finish: Long and intense with plenty of leather and spices. Adding water dials down these flavors.
Conclusion: Glen Rothes was one of the first malts I tried several years ago when I was getting started in the single malt category, and I remember it as very sweet and comforting. This expression is quite the opposite. It is intense and peppery.
The nose does not prepare you for what is coming. The vanilla and honey flavors come and disappear quickly, leaving the stage for robust and spicy flavors that feel too intense for my taste. However, the water transformed this malt into a thing of beauty. I do not think this is a malt for beginners, but I find this one an interesting expression of Glen Rothes molded by Signatory. I recommend it to those already in the know.
Score: 3.75/5 ⭐
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If you would like to learn more about Signatory visit https://www.signatoryusa.com/distillery/
Legend
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