Glenrothes 31 yo - A Marriage of Casks (SMOS)

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 53.2% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

For this edition of A Marriage of Casks, Elixir Distillers brought together Glenrothes whiskies from two casks: a Hogshead and a Sherry Butt. Rather than a single-cask whisky, this is a Single Malt combining two cask characters from the same distillery. After 31 years of maturation, the release yielded a total of 560 bottles.

Its pronounced sherry character combines dark-fruit sweetness with chocolate, wood and spice. Leather, earthy impressions and subtle tarry notes provide a bitter counterpoint. The whisky is bottled at 53.2%, without chill filtration or added colouring. The 0.7-litre bottle comes in gift packaging.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, blackcurrant jam, raisins and dates meet leather. Plums, maraschino cherries and candied cherries add to the dark fruit. Over time, malty fruit bread and fruity dark chocolate emerge, with subtle tarry notes and the sweetness of PX sherry adding further accents.
• Palate: The whisky is intense on the palate: raisins, charcoal and stewed plums combine with sweet and sour cherries, molasses and gentle oak spice. Tarry impressions, liquorice, dark chocolate, blackcurrant jam and polished oak join them. Ginger cake and chocolate-coated candied ginger bring sweetness, countered by a pronounced earthy impression.
• Finish: Polished oak and fruity jam gradually fade on the finish. Nutmeg, allspice, brown sugar and a subtle tarry nuance remain.

Distillery/Bottler:

Glenrothes stands beside the burn of the same name in the Speyside town of Rothes. The distillery was founded in 1878, and spirit first flowed from its stills on 28 December 1879. Their large, bulbous shape encourages condensation and the return of liquid to the still, where it vaporises again. This design contributes to the spirit’s fruity character.

This independent bottling comes from Elixir Distillers and is released under The Single Malts of Scotland. For this range, casks from Scottish distilleries are tasted individually and selected. The whiskies are bottled either as single-cask releases or as small married batches. A Marriage of Casks takes the latter approach, bringing together a small selection of casks rather than releasing each one separately.

Facts: