The Glenrothes Glenrothes Sherry Cask Reserve

Let the good times roll.

Glenrothes is a life-lesson in overcoming obstacles. The distillery was founded near the Burn of Rothes in Speyside in 1879 by James Stewart. It had some bad luck over the years, to put it mildly. The still-house was badly damaged by fire in 1896 and then an explosion in 1903. Their warehouse burned up in 1922 along with all the aging Whisky. Another major fire facilitated a complete make-over in 1962. Ouch. Thankfully, calamities slowed down a bit in the last couple of years so proper work could commence.

They've always done things a bit differently up there. There are many factors in play when they consider an expression worthy of bottling. The Glenrothes Sherry Cask Reserve is matured entirely in first-fill sherry casks. European oak from Jerez. This bottling is a part of the brand’s core “Reserve” line, but doesn’t carry their usual house feature - a vintage year printed on the bottle. The fact that they’ve used Spanish oak instead of the typical ex-bourbon casks, really gives this dram a special essence and a greater range of flavors than the American wood. The creamy texture, which is a trademark of Glenrothes, plays of the overtones of sherry oak. The result is an extremely approachable, easy drinking Whisky that hits all the right notes. Pure delicacy.

The dram is a prime example of the fact that the distillery is really finding its groove in the single malt market. The majority of Whisky here has been traditionally used in popular blends, but the trend started changing in recent years. Of course, only when bottled alone, can a Whisky realize its full potential. And Glenrothes Sherry Cask Reserve has that in bucketloads. The sales and stature of the distillery are growing every day. Critics love them and so to the fans. They are experiencing their best moment in history. And that means something, since we're talking about a lot of history. The greater the obstacles, the more glory in overcoming them. Good for them. And good for us.