The Glenrothes 1998 Review
In-Depth Review
At last, we have reached the end of my 3-bottle Glenrothes sampler set. And as always, I have saved the best for last. While these were only 100ml sample bottles, I have certainly taken my time to explore this little Speyside distillery located in the town of Rothes. And so far, I haven’t come away impressed. In front of me is another one of the “vintage” bottles. This time I’m drinking the 1998 vintage which was bottled in 2013. This means that the 1998 should have has whiskies in it that are 3 years older than the 2001 vintage that was also bottled around the same time. Will this make a dramatic impact? Let’s dig in and find out.
Age: Non-Age Stated
ABV: 43%
Cask: Ex-bourbon casks and sherry casks
MSRP: $60
Distillery Name: The Glenrothes
Review Date: 4/18/22
Color: Brighter copper than the 2001 vintage
Nose: The nose starts off fragrant and strong, with a wafting sherry funk that gives us musty, sweet, floral vibes. There is overripe citrus, sticky toffee pudding with a bit of orange curacao thrown in. There’s also an undercurrent of clove and ginger that gives off a touch of heat. Overall, a great nose that I keep coming back to.
Palate: First impressions is that this has a heavier mouthfeel and a deeper richer feel than I was expecting from a relatively young 43% whisky. The sherry is definitely apparent, with a sweet syrupy character that reminds me of a banana split covered in chocolate sauce. There’s more of the funky overripe fruit notes found in the nose, but it tones down the grassy floral notes and instead throws in some toasted oak and 62% dark chocolate.
Finish: Medium length finish with a building heat of cinnamon sticks and roasted black pepper. It leaves an unusual tingling sensation in my mouth – similar to when you’ve had too much sugar and your mouth feels like you’ve beaten your tastebuds into submission. So while this isn’t a particularly strong whisky, it did leave an impression.
Final Thoughts: Out of my flight of three Glenrothes, this 1998 was by far the most impressive. It reminded me a bit of Yamazaki 12, but less clean and refreshing. This 1998 vintage did have some funky to it – which I liked – but didn’t have the full on tropical refreshing feel of the Yamazaki. I found myself continuing to return to the nose (my favorite part) and even poured a bit more just to keep digging into it. On a completely unrelated note, I find that I don’t love the bottle design of the Glenrothes. I think the hand grenade shape bottle makes it look like a cheap and cheerful brand instead of the historical Speysider that it is. But if you don’t have such strong feelings about bottles (like I do) than I would recommend grabbing a bottle of this 1998 vintage – if you can still find it!
