The Glenrothes releases Vintage Reserve

Berry Bros. & Rudd Spirits has released Vintage Reserve from the Speyside distillery The Glenrothes. As with many single malts, the new expression carries no age statement but, in an unprecedented move, all the Vintages used in this single malt have been revealed.

Vintage Reserve is the expression that best epitomises The Glenrothes vintage single malt philosophy of bottling whisky only once it has reached the peak of its maturity. Vintage Reserve comprises 10 different vintages from the last three decades: 1989, 1992, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007.

The combination of different Vintages aged in a variety of casks creates 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.

Malt master, Gordon Motion has chose the casks using character and flavour as his guide, not a pre-determined age. Motion’s flavour notes appear on the front label: “Mellow, soft fruits, citrus and honey”.

Ronnie Cox, The Glenrothes brand heritage director, states: “Unlike other malts that bottle by age, 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.”

The Glenrothes Vintage Reserve will launch in Taiwan initially in November 2014 with worldwide release following in 2015. The RRP is TW$1,200 (£25) per 70cl bottle.

8 October 2014 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor