The Glenrothes has a way of categorizing their scotch that is markedly different than most other distilleries. Rather than bearing a standard age statement or name in lieu of one, the Glenrothes labels their offerings by the year in which the barrels were first laid down. The bottle details tell you when the scotch was bottled, letting you do your own math to figure out the age. The Vintage 1998 is from their Core Vintage line, though there are Reserve, Special Release, and Classic lines too.
Distillery: Glenrothes
Region: Speyside
Age: NAS
Strength: 43%
Price: $49.99
Bottle: Distilled 12/17/98; Bottled 2/11/09
Location: Rothes
Nose: Caramel, cinnamon, almond, sugared pecans, pineapple, apple, smoke
Palate: Butterscotch, leather, floral, vanilla, orange, milk chocolate
Finish: Butter, floral, nutmeg, clove, allspice
Comments: Do not be alarmed if you see cask residue. This is normal. We hope. Letting it oxidize also rewards.
Adam – The Vintage 1998 is very peculiar. It smells like a woodworking shop, full of leather and spice and wood shavings. A little whiff of flowers blowing in from the open window too if you let it sit and open up. There’s an acridness on the palate I’m not a super fan of. The palate is pretty brief too, if delivering one the fruit and floral tones promised in the nose. The finish seems to just kind of fizzle out into nothingness, like a bad cocktail. Reminds me of a nice hand soap, like you’d find in fancy hotel trying to lure you in with a promise of the corporate outdoorsman.
Meghan – This is another one of those whiskies where there is a mismatch between the nose and the palate. I found the nose rather bright, with hints of smoke, caramel, and apple. I even detected a touch of milk chocolate. After letting it oxidize for a while, touches of apple, cherry, and lilac came to the front. The nose is rather spring like: woody but grassy, earthy but sweet and floral. The palate, however, seems like to belongs to a different whisky. It is very smooth and a bit sweet but without any of the brightness of the nose. I found caramel and butterscotch but in a dilute way- like they had been sitting for months in a car. As it sat, I did detect some interesting tea-like notes, which isn’t something I normally discover. A bit like a weak pu’er tea or an overstepped English Breakfast. A gentle earthiness with woody overtones. Deep down, I did also note a touch of milk chocolate and orange- very slight, but present and adding to the sweetness. The finish complemented the palate in that it was nice and warming. It isn’t a deep or lingering finish, but one that attempts to marry the nose and the palate (not overly successfully, but it tries hard and one can’t expect much more than that from a Speyside finish). There are some hints of nutmeg, allspice, and clove in the finish, something I did not detect elsewhere. I wish it was more balanced in flavor, but it’s a nice whisky.
A gentle earthiness with woody overtones.
Mary-Fred – I like the nose. It’s very sweet, a little nutty and almond-y.
Peter – I think this whisky is very round and full. It just feels like a big round water balloon. It’s very sweet and syrupy. The Vintage 1998 feels just right. It’s full and wet and luscious. How could anyone not like this?
Caitlin – Smells like summer sun tan lotion a little.
Ben – The Vintage 1989 smells like a seafood restaurant. It smells like shrimping boats on the Texas coast. Kinda like pink paint.
Henry – I love a summer dram with a hint of smoke. Just a hint, not a passionate embrace or the love of a lifetime. A passing glance that intrigues and beguiles. Behind the frisson of tar and green pepper lies honey and sweetness, with a finish that leaves you at once a bit surprised at its parting and wishing it lingered a bit longer.
