glenrothes – grey whisky

Whisky 2021 – 14-18

14 – Glen Grant 1995 24yr by The Whiskyfind “The Drunken Cat” Bourbon Hogshead #119469

Nose is super floral, rose hip syrup, milk chocolate and vanilla pods. It’s quite densely packed on the nose. Pink bubblegum.

Palate is pink flowers, pink jelly, grassy, citrus fruit, grapes and nutty.

Finish continues with the pink flowers, it has a lovely toasty note, melted butter and some vanilla.

4/5 Stars

15 – Tormore 1992 27yrs by The Whiskyfind for The Mash Tun, Bourbon Hogshead #101154

Nose is really waxy and fake banana flavouring, burnt banana bread with a lick of old butter.

Palate is reminiscent of 1970s whisky with an initial hit of tobacco. Elegant and pretty with bright fruit, green figs and fig leaf.

Finish has slight saltiness and more green figs, and hint of milk chocolate.

4/5 Stars

16 – Glenrothes 1987 32yr by The Whiskyfind for The Mash Tun, Hogshead #9980

Nose is mainly ginger ale but has good apricot notes with salty caramel, salted lemons and black tea.

Palate is hot and spicy. The flavour of cloves, cola and sarsaparilla. Feels like it is too old.

Finish is grassy and salty with cream and woody tannins.

3/5 Stars

17 – Arran 2012 7yr for The Mash Tun’s 16th anniversary, 1st fill sherry #12/2768

Nose is smoked paprika, dates, medicinal honey, honey ham chips. Flambéd Xmas pudding. Cola.

Palate is initially dark fruits followed by some refreshing flinty/minerality. Honey dipped orange pith.

Finish is steely, sweet and stony. There is some good orange zest notes in there.

4/5 stars

18 – Clynelish 1999 21yr for The Whisky Exchange & The Mash Tun sherry butt #305054

Nose is honey, cream and wax. With some slight rubberiness. Maraschino cherries and rich dark dried fruit.

Palate is big and powerful. More dark fruit! Honey and loads of citrus and stone fruit. Some really balanced and integrated cask influence. It’s good.

Finish is musky and sweet almost like fresh cut strawberries. The sherry shines with bruised apples, salty and woody notes.

4.5/5 Stars

Whisky 2020 – 13-18 – North Star Tasting

13 – North Star Inchgower 11yo, Bourbon Hogshead, 52.5%
Interesting nose of honey, mandarin and menthol. Cold salted butter and Some steely notes.

Palate is consistent with the nose and shows loads of honey and dry spice, salty melted butter on toast. It’s quite hot.

Finish is surprisingly ashy, salty and woody.

***^

14 – North Star Girvan 26yo, Bourbon Barrel, 53.5%
Nose is bounty bars, marshmallow and woody which leads to pine resin, apricot brandy

Palate is initially light, loads of cream and vanilla hits and leads into saltiness and stone fruit.

Finish salty whipped cream, green plants, and some coconut cream

***^

15 – North Star English Whisky Co 11yo, Burgundy Barrel, 49.8%
Very sherry like nose woody, lpg, funky and tannic, honey, heather and medicinal, quite meaty. It promises a lot.

Palate is confused with intense green capsicum, some pepper. Late there is some old tired wine casks, tannin and some positive minerality.

Finish is rubbery

16 – North Star Blended Grain 36yo, Bourbon barrel 52.5%
Nose is crushed ants, butter, and quite bourbon like with notes of vanillin and pancakes. Some lemon balm and cherry strudel adds some real intrigue.

The palate is all toffee and stewed fruits. Some varnish, melted butter and brown sugar. Interesting fatty nuttiness like Brazil nuts.

Finish is great fruit sweetness, salty and clear… and super juicy.

****^

17 – North Star Glenrothes 11yo for ralfy.com 10th Anniversary, Oloroso Butt, 51.4%
Nose is typically sherried Glenrothes that salty boiling caramel thing I really like. Then some prunes and muscat grapes, honey, maraschino cherries.

Palate is super honey, prunes with great minerality. Later there is cold sweet ice tea and apricot jam.

Finish is simple and a bit surprising with river stones and ash.

****

18 – North Star Caol Ila 9yo, PX Sherry Finish, 51.8%
I found the nose quite exciting with pine, tar and Cheetos and some fruitiness from prunes.

Palate is bushfire with some nice seaside elements like crushed prawn shells and seaweed. Some fruit with prunes again and then with water a wonderful cinnamon sugar donut.

The finish maritime and boot polish.

***^

Whisky 2018 – 115-119

115 – Bruichladdich 8 Years Maltbarn 2009 Lafite Cask
Nose – Honey, chlorine, salt, lemon balm, raspberry lollies
Palate – honey, lemon zest, sulphur, waxy vanilla pods
Finish – salt and a lick a peat, brown sugar, honey on crumpets

116 – Cadenhead blend bottled for Whisky and Alement 56.5%
Nose – apricots, bitter chocolate, leather, tobacco box
Palate – honey, salt, butter, marshmallow,
Finish – vanilla cream and salty butter

117 – Glenrothes 2006 by Wilson and Morgan casks 6160-61-62
Nose – leather, flinty, manuka honey
Palate – honey, prunes, salty butter, Xmas cake,
Finish – slight rubbery note, prune, dates, sulfur

118 – Glendronach 1995 for the Whisky Exchange PX Cask 4028 55.4%
Nose – plum jam, marshmallow, toasted hazelnuts, stewed apricots
Palate – sarsaparilla, cream, woody, light honey and butter
Finish – red wine tannins, woody

119 – Konigsmann Whisky Mortlach 1997 Cask 10092 Bourbon Cask 2015
Nose – tobacco, cream, kiwi fruit, weak green pepper and cream
Palate – eating tobacco, salt, cream, smoke(?), cream, rock melon
Finish – drying white wine tannins, malt cake, chewy

Whisky 2018 – 85-87

85 – Burnside (Balvenie) Silent Third Kyoto by Whisky Find Cask 5749 Sherry Hogshead
Nose – rock melon, wax, cake mix, hot chocolate, dried banana
Palate – coconut, dried apricots, chocolate, salty cream
Finish – coconut cream, apricots, bounty bars, burnt butter

86 – Glenrothes 20 Years old by Drunken Master Bar 1997 Cask 7162
Nose – brown sugar, soy sauce, maple syrup, cold salted butter
Palate – cocoa, leather, vanilla, musk, woody, tomato paste, chicos, dark chocolate
Finish – woody, salty, butter, ice coffee

87 – Okayama Takashimaya Buyers Select “Sherry cask debut” 58%
Nose – meringue, caramel, burnt marshmallow, honeycomb, dark toffee, liquorice
Palate – honey ice cream, chocolate, Xmas spices,
Finish – melon, chocolate, cream

Whisky 2018 – 51-54

51 – Old Particular Glenrothes 2006, 11 Years “Yagyu Challenge” for Whisky Find and Shinanoya
Nose – raspberries, raspberries sticks, woody, leathery, burnt caramel, pine resin
Palate – liquorice, wood, wax, melted butter, salt, milk chocolate
Finish – woody, sherry, salt, rubber

52 – The Single Cask Linkwood 1984, 26 Years Cask 4238
Nose – bananas, yeast, menthol, pine, glacé fruit, rock melons
Palate – medicinal, gentle, grains, old whisky, tobacco, honey
Finish – tobacco, old whisky, old apples

53 – Ichiro’s Malt and Grain “World Blend Whisky”
Nose – apricot, spices, marscapone, chicos, crushed ants, pineapple
Palate – apricots, peaches, cream,
Finish – old apples

54 – Glenrothes 19 Years, 1997 for Eiling Lim 50.2%
Nose – blackberry jam, caramel, purple plums, musk, vanilla, honey comb
Palate – sucking cream through a sherry cask, butter, shaving cream, black currants, blackberry, grilled lettuce, peanuts
Finish – tannic, rubber, butter

Whisky 2018 – 20-24

20 – The Ultimate Macduff 2008 9 Years Sherry Butt 61%
Nose: honey, aspirin, bananas, caramel
Palate: caramel, flinty, mineral, grilled pineapple, lemon zest
Finish: sherry, rubber

21 – Wilson & Morgan Glenrothes 1997 18 Years Marsala Cask #8731 56.4%
Nose: Soy sauce, caramel, coffee,
Palate: caramel, stone fruit, rubber, milk duds
Finish: short, caramel

22 – Wilson & Morgan Tobermory 1995 21 Years Marsala Cask #1397
Nose: caramel, cream, rubber
Palate: kiwi fruit, milk chocolate, rock melon, dusty, rubber, soy sauce, caramel
Finish: tropical fruits, rubber, black beans

23 – Silver Seal Clynelish 1993 22 Years 51.7% Cask #7562
Nose: birthday candles, fruit, banana leaf,
Palate: wax, tropical fruit, dusty, caramel, chocolate
Finish: dust, wax, old apples

24 – Silver Seal Pluscarden (Miltonduff) 1977 38 Years Cask WA021 46.7%
Nose: leather, vanilla, cherries, wax
Palate: caramel, leather, melted butter, rock melon, dusty, hazelnuts, toasted almonds
Finish: fruit, old apples

Whisky 2018 – 6-12 G&M Tasting

6 – Gordon & Macphail Teaninich 2009/2017 8yo Refill Sherry Hogsheads 46%
Nose: apples, glue, box wood honey, soap, leather, sherry funk
Palate: roasted plums, Waldorf salad, bitter herbs
Finish: cream, dry Xmas spice, dashi

7 – Gordon & Macphail Tomatin 1997/2014 17yo Refill Bourbon Barrels 46%
Nose: vanilla cake, lemon butter, salt, peaches, fruit salad,
Palate: Great mouth feel, loads of fruit and melon (honeydew and rock)
Finish: Crushed ants, toasted almonds

8 – Gordon & Macphail Mortlach 15yo Refill Sherry Casks 43%
Nose: musk, green strawberries, soy sauce, hand cream
Palate: raisins, apple pie, sherry funk, white pepper, black beans
Finish: sherry, rubber

9 – Gordon & Macphail Ledaig “Hermitage Cask Finish” 2005/2017 12yo 45%
Nose: bacon, roasted carrots, medicinal, Cheetos, chlorine
Palate: intense apples, smoke, roasted capsicum, pencil shavings
Finish: Cheetos

10 – Gordon & Macphail Mannochmore Cask Strength 2006/2017 11yo Refill Sherry Butt 59.4%
Nose: lemon drizzle cake, menthol, rubber, soy, new sneakers,
Palate: dry, flinty, loads of fruits, honey, soy

Finish: sherry tannins, rubber, cream

11 – Gordon & Macphail Glenrothes Cask Strength 58.1% 2005/2017
Nose: honey, honey, honey, toasted coconut, coconut rough, crushed ants, grilled pineapple
Palate: honey, caramel, coconut, salted brown butter, loads of raisins and pastry with water
Finish: leather and dried tropical fruit, green mangos

12 – Gordon & Macphail Balblair for The Whisky Hoop refill bourbon 1996/2015 Cask 414 51.1%
Nose: chicos, milk chocolate, terry’s chocolate orange, candied lemon zest, meringue
Palate: pavlova, lemon zest, cream, honey, fruit cup
Finish: cream, heather

Whisky 2017 – 106-110

Perhaps the best tasting I’ve been to ever. Finished it off with something different with the Jack Wiebers’ Classic of Islay.

106 – Glenrothes Single Cask Australian Exclusive Single Cask #5579 OB 2003 13yo 56.6%
Butter, aspirin, plastic, quince jelly, egg pudding. Soy sauce, chocolate, black beans, orange zest, mandarin, cream, cocoa powder, sarsaparilla, red apple skins.

107 – Eld Vatten Single Cask Glenrothes 2006 10yo 57.3%
Honey, aspirin, lavender, sight matchhead, banana caramel pie, bacon fat, burnt butter, pine needles, butter, verjuice, pound cake. Honey, salt, heather, thyme flowers, sulfur, rubber, melted butter.

108 – North Star Single Cask Glenrothes 1996 20yo 54.6%
Wood glue, marzipan, toasted coconut, apricot delight, kiwi fruit, pavlova, dry ginger. Banana, stone fruit, passionfruit vine, cream, wine, toasted macadamia, glacé ginger, brown butter, potato skin.

109 – The Maltman Glenrothes Single Cask #7476 1989 27yo 46%
Sulfur, gun powder, apple snow, pouch tobacco, stewed apricot. Red apple skins, flinty, leather, stewed apricots, white pepper.

2017.84 – The Whisky Agency Glenrothes 1997 for The Elysian Whisky Bar & 5 Other Bars 1997 19yo 51.8%

2014.102 – Adelphi Glenrothes Australian Exclusive 2007 7yo 67.6%

110 – Classics of Islay Vintage Malt Whisky Co, Jack Wiebers Whisky World Cask 7118
Butterscotch, kelp, moss, butter, glue, flinty, smoke. Strawberries, seaweed, smoke, flint, seaweed butter on fresh bread, metho (but not in a bad way).

Whisky 2017 – 85-86

85 – Wilson & Morgan 2006 Glenrothes bottled 2016 Butts 6160-61-62
Honey, hazelnuts, glue, rhum baba, ice coffee, dried strawberries. Rubber, sulphur, coffee grounds, honey, toffee, walnut muffins.

86 – Gordon & MacPhail Glenburgie 1995 Cask 6346 1st fill puncheon
Wood, clover, milk chocolate, old apricots. Fruity Christmas cake, tropical fruit, rubber, leather, toffee, honey, toasted almonds, tea tannins.

Whisky 2017 – 82-84

Three outstanding drams last night. How do these become independent bottlings? Glenrothes really need to look at what IBs are doing with their casks – heavy and black sherry bombs!

The Glenrothes was bottled for 6 bars across Asia, including my local The Elysian Whisky Bar and my favourite Tokyo bar, The Mash Tun. It’s an incredibly heavy and complex dram – a huge congratulations to Kelvin and Yao and everyone else involved in this bottling.

82 – Club Qing 1975 40 Years Speyside Sherry Fino Butt, Cask KT518
Wood glue, hazelnuts, vanilla essence, white pepper, cardamom meringue, pound cake, warm Coke. Golden syrup, loads of brown butter, stewed stone fruit, egg white, raspberry, raspberry leaf, milk chocolate mousse, tropical fruit, licorice. Wow!!

83 – Three Rivers Glen Garioch 1995 21 Years Whisky for Whisky Lovers Nagoya
Coconut rough, turps, cold butter, tropical fruit. Green grass, pepper, tropical fruits, peach Melba, salty butter, old pop corn (but not in a bad way).

84 – The Whisky Agency Glenrothes 1997 (for 6 bars including The Elysian and The Mash Tun)
Butter, rubber, musk, lpg, roast chicken gravy, leather, roasted shallot sweetness, grilled pineapple. Rose hip jam, musk lollies, tea tannins, old butter, cola, salt, coffee grounds, ice coffee, fried eggs, camomile tea. With water maple syrup, pancakes, breakfast fruits – watermelon and mint, brown sugar.