The Glenrothes
Encyclopedia
The Glenrothes is a single malt
Scotch whisky
, produced at the Glenrothes Distillery, beside the Burn of Rothes
in the Speyside
region. The Glenrothes is used in blended scotch whiskies
such as Cutty Sark and The Famous Grouse
. The Glenrothes is owned by Berry Brothers and Rudd
, after being bought from the Edrington Group in 2010.
. The Glenrothes is also sold as "Select Reserve", a recently introduced non-vintage line.
The Glenrothes is mainly matured in Spanish ex-Sherry
casks, and some ex-Bourbon
casks.
Special bottlings include "Single Cask" bottles, which are taken from one single cask
of whisky from a particular year. In the late 1980s, a few years before Glenrothes Distillery decided to bottle The Glenrothes as vintages, some casks of whisky prior to 1974 were left to mature together. These casks were bottled as a 30-year-old Glenrothes. Only 1134 bottles were produced.
describes the house style as being "Perfumy, sweet, spicy-fruity. After Dinner".
distillery. The first whisky ran off the still
s on the 28 December 1879, the same day as the Tay Bridge
disaster.
The distillery itself had a shaky start and a chequered history. Over-proof
whisky is notoriously highly flammable and the distillery has paid the price. Extension work began in 1896 on a second malt kiln, and an increase in stills from two to four but, before the work was finished, a fire in December 1897 caused serious damage. The distillery saw further damage with a serious explosion in 1903.
Then, in 1922, a fire in Warehouse Number One caused the loss of 200000 gallons (909,218 l) of whisky. Another fire in 1962 afforded the opportunity for expansion and a further re-build in 1982 extended the still hall to five wash stills and five spirit stills.
Single malt whisky
Single malt whisky is a whisky made at one particular distillery from a mash that uses one particular malted grain, which is ordinarily barley.Single malts are typically associated with Scotland, though they are also produced in various other countries...
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
, produced at the Glenrothes Distillery, beside the Burn of Rothes
Rothes
Rothes is a town in Moray, Scotland, south of Elgin and on the banks of the River Spey. The village has a population of 1209 .At the south end of the village lie the remains of Rothes Castle, which dates from the 13th century...
in the Speyside
Speyside Single Malts
Speyside single malts are single malt Scotch whiskies, distilled in Strathspey, the area around the River Spey in Moray and Badenoch and Strathspey, in northeastern Scotland....
region. The Glenrothes is used in blended scotch whiskies
Blended whiskey
A blended whisky is the product of blending different types of whiskies and often also neutral and near-neutral spirits, coloring, and flavorings...
such as Cutty Sark and The Famous Grouse
The Famous Grouse
The Famous Grouse is a brand of blended Scotch whisky, first produced by Matthew Gloag & Son Ltd. in 1897, and now produced by The Edrington Group. The malt whiskies used in The Famous Grouse blend include The Glenrothes, Highland Park Single Malt and Macallan Single Malt. Its emblem is the Red...
. The Glenrothes is owned by Berry Brothers and Rudd
Berry Brothers and Rudd
Berry Bros. & Rudd is a wine and spirits merchant based in the United Kingdom. The company sells wine from around the world, including en primeur wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Rhône and Italy. The company also sells a number of wines and spirits under its own label 'Berrys' Own Selection'...
, after being bought from the Edrington Group in 2010.
Production
The Glenrothes is different to many other single malts in that since 1993 the bottlings are not determined by age but by vintageVintage
Vintage, in wine-making, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product . A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certain wines, it can denote quality, as in Port wine, where Port houses make and...
. The Glenrothes is also sold as "Select Reserve", a recently introduced non-vintage line.
The Glenrothes is mainly matured in Spanish ex-Sherry
Sherry
Sherry is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the town of Jerez , Spain. In Spanish, it is called vino de Jerez....
casks, and some ex-Bourbon
Bourbon whiskey
Bourbon is a type of American whiskey – a barrel-aged distilled spirit made primarily from corn. The name of the spirit derives from its historical association with an area known as Old Bourbon, around what is now Bourbon County, Kentucky . It has been produced since the 18th century...
casks.
Special bottlings include "Single Cask" bottles, which are taken from one single cask
CASK
Peripheral plasma membrane protein CASK is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CASK gene. This gene is also known by several other names: CMG 2 , calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine protein kinase 3 and membrane-associated guanylate kinase 2.-Genomics:This gene is located on the short arm of...
of whisky from a particular year. In the late 1980s, a few years before Glenrothes Distillery decided to bottle The Glenrothes as vintages, some casks of whisky prior to 1974 were left to mature together. These casks were bottled as a 30-year-old Glenrothes. Only 1134 bottles were produced.
Character
The house style is a warming, mouth-coating creamy spirit, with the classic Speyside "pear drop" character. Thanks to its ageing and production, Glenrothes whisky is known for its spicy, rich character. Critic Michael JacksonMichael Jackson (writer)
Michael Jackson was an English writer and journalist. He was the author of several influential books about beer and whisky.-Life:...
describes the house style as being "Perfumy, sweet, spicy-fruity. After Dinner".
History
The distillery was built in 1878 by James Stuart & Co, who then also worked the nearby MacallanThe Macallan
The Macallan is a brand of single malt Scotch whisky first distilled in 1824 at The Macallan Distillery near Easter Elchies House, at Craigellachie, in Moray...
distillery. The first whisky ran off the still
Still
A still is a permanent apparatus used to distill miscible or immiscible liquid mixtures by heating to selectively boil and then cooling to condense the vapor...
s on the 28 December 1879, the same day as the Tay Bridge
Tay Rail Bridge
The Tay Bridge is a railway bridge approximately two and a quarter miles long that spans the Firth of Tay in Scotland, between the city of Dundee and the suburb of Wormit in Fife ....
disaster.
The distillery itself had a shaky start and a chequered history. Over-proof
Proof (alcohol)
Alcohol proof is a measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage. The term was originally used in the United Kingdom and was defined as 7/4 times the alcohol by volume . The UK now uses the abv standard instead of alcohol proof. In the United States, alcoholic proof is defined...
whisky is notoriously highly flammable and the distillery has paid the price. Extension work began in 1896 on a second malt kiln, and an increase in stills from two to four but, before the work was finished, a fire in December 1897 caused serious damage. The distillery saw further damage with a serious explosion in 1903.
Then, in 1922, a fire in Warehouse Number One caused the loss of 200000 gallons (909,218 l) of whisky. Another fire in 1962 afforded the opportunity for expansion and a further re-build in 1982 extended the still hall to five wash stills and five spirit stills.