A hand blown, lead crystal decanter may hold a great many things. In this instance though, it holds a very special single cask Scotch from The Glenrothes. These bottles are drawn from a second fill hogshead cask that was put down to rest in 1968 before being bottled in its naturally colored state at a strength of 41.9% ABV.
The Glenrothes has been distilling whisky since 1879 in the Speyside region of Scotland. With a great nod to tradition, and a little superstition, they have been putting high quality scotch that is commonly used for blends (such as Cutty Sark and The Famous Grouse) on shelves since.
This very limited edition release of just 145 bottles drawn from cask #13507 follows two other sets that were laid down in 1970 and 1969, both of which are now sold out. It is generally considered rare to see a single cask bottling from The Glenrothes, as they only release bottles if the cask is at the highest of their standard, and aged to what they feel is prefect maturity.
The taste of course, follows many of the usual Glenrothes notes, according to the distillery. From its spring-like nose, to the creamy palette drinkers would know well. Here are some official tasting notes for it:
Color: Bright gold with scarlet notes of burnished copper.
Bouquet: The Glenrothes in its spring-like idiom. Rose petals and face cream, tinned peaches, apricots in syrup, mirabelles in honey. Beeswax polish and candles.
Palate: Text-book Glenrothes creamy texture with exemplary integration; mascarpone with orange blossom, very lively with white pepper and Turkish delight.
Finish: Leathery and spicy dryness with a reprise of the Turkish delight. A single cask of extreme complexity and elegance.
Getting a hold of what’s called The Glenrothes Extraordinary Single Cask 1968 may be a bit harder than enjoying it, as until the end of February it’s only available at a DFS retail outlet in Singapore’s Changi airport. Afterwards it will then hit select outlets starting at £5,500 or $8,500 USD.
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