Famous for its use in the Cutty Sark blend, Glenrothes is a highly-respected Speyside distillery whose make takes sherry maturation particularly well.
This is from a 1st fill sherry hogshead giving the whisky a wonderful polished rosewood colour even after only 6 years! With a Guinness bead (settling to frog spawn) you know that this is going to be a special whisky.
A great, full-fudge nose with bags of raisins and almonds (even Cadbury’s Fruit & Nut), then through the Oloroso sherry stage and briefly, top class balsamic vinegar, before reverting to toffee (now treacle).
Wow! The flavour at full strength is sweet, then dry with herbs and brimstone (the latter is very faint and blows off quickly).
A little water is enough, retaining the vinegar note with burnt sugar and even the de-glaze after roasting game.
A big mouthfeel: sweet start, tannic middle, long, dry finish with herbal notes. An exceptional, young whisky!