Glenrothes Distillery Marries 10 Vintage Expressions Into One New Scotch

The Glenrothes distillery is often known for publishing on the label of its Scotch whisky the vintage (year) it was laid down into barrel. The result of these bottlings obviously varies by a range of characteristics, but what would it be like if a mix of select vintages were blended together into their own expression? Such is the case with the newly announced Vintage Reserve.

Glenrothes officials said Vintage Reserve, while having no specific age statement of its own, comprises 10 different years from the last three decades, including 1989, 1992, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. The marrying of these together, all of which were aged in a variety of casks, has created something the distillery feels is

a balanced whisky with mature experience and vibrant youth: the most venerable constituent (a full 25 years old) is Vintage 1989, bringing mellow oak and dried fruits; the greatest proportion is Vintage 1998, adding soft, mature, sweet vanilla; the more youthful vintages add exuberance and lemon citrus notes. 

“Unlike other malts that bottle by age,” said Glenrothes director Ronnie Cox in a statement, “we choose whiskies that represent the best of a particular year and marry them together when they are ready. Whisky enthusiasts want to know what they are buying and, as ever, we are happy to oblige by being open and transparent about the 10 Vintages assembled together for Vintage Reserve, our most complex Reserve to date.”

This new whisky is expected to hit globally in 2015.