The Glenrothes Vintage Reserve

Vintage Glenrothes Single Malt blended to taste.

In 1879 the Glenrothes Distillery was founded James Stewart near the Burn of Rothes in Speyside. James also worked at the nearby Macallan Distillery, and he brought the knowledge he gained there to his new venture. The distillery itself is owned by The Edrington Group, but the Glenrothes Single Malt Whiskey produced there is owned by Berry Bros. & Rudd in an odd cooperative arrangement. What’s not bottled as Glenrothes Single Malt is in high demand as a core component of various blends, including Cutty Sark and The Famous Grouse.

First released in 2015, Glenrothes Vintage Reserve is an incredibly interesting idea. Where normally we think of “vintage” as being limited to a single selected year, Glenrothes Vintage Reserve is a combination of ten special vintages of Glenrothes Single Malts — in this case, 1989, 1992, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007. Each year was selected to bring a unique addition to the final spirit. For example, the1998 is said to bring enhanced vanilla notes, and 2007 is alive with citrus zest.

Smartass Corner:
The Glenrothes Distillery has had some bad luck over the years. The still-house was badly damaged by fire in 1896, and then an explosion in 1903. In 1922 a fire in Warehouse No. 1 resulted in the total loss of the building and nearly a million liters of aging Whisky. And another major fire in 1962 required a complete remodel.