The Glenrothes Bourbon Cask Reserve

Very, very light. Oaky aroma. Give it to your Scotch adverse friends.

This is another whisky from our group distillery tour that was supplied by my buddy, Ryan. The Glenrothes Bourbon Cask Reserve is a replacement for their older Alba Reserve. It's blended down to the standard, minimum 40% ABV and was aged in first and second fill American oak casks. It's a pale, yellow in the tasting glass and leaves behind very skinny, short legs when you give it a twirl. The nose is lightly toasted oak, vanilla and candle wax. There's also a yeasty, baked bread note. The palate is just as boring. Oak barrel spices that are muted by vanilla and juicy berries. Mouthfeel is thin and dry, while slightly warming. It's an attempt at being non-offensive to all tastes. Sadly, it's closer to a weak, American bourbon than a single malt scotch. The finish is medium length with a dry, charred oak aftertaste. Those in our trade group have probably noticed by now that Ryan is a big time bourbon fan and all of his samples to this point are of him obviously trying to buy scotch that's as close to American whiskey as possible. This leads to a lot of one-dimensional, uninspired malts IMO while also keeping us somewhat diversified. I think the rest of us would drown our group in sherry, peat and port wine finished stuff. While I can appreciate that it also leads to me giving some lower scores as well. I've only had a 50ml sample pack from Glenrothes: 1998/2001/Select Reserve. Based on this sample and those, I can't see buying much from these guys. They are just "too light" in most aspects for me, as a scotch fan. I hate to give this a low score but it's just boring stuff. I'm glad to be able to mark this one off on the tour, but that's about it. 2.5- 2.75 stars. Cheers.

Sunday evening and it’s the start of Shark Week. A nice way to unwind before the start of the work week. Will Michael Phelps outswim a Great White? I will find out while sampling this whisky provided by Ryan. A easy and straightforward nose containing tropical, floral and sweet notes of coconut, honeysuckle and vanilla. Give it more and time and you get the same (or at least I do). A thin body that delivers sweet and spicy brown sugar, maple syrup and white pepper and toasted marshmallows. Nothing too demanding. The finish is medium in length. Notes of cinnamon, spicy ginger root and drying oak all remain. This was somewhat akin to a Balvenie 12. Makes a nice summer sipper that is easy, safe and approachable. A profile that works well when you just want to sip without complexity; when simplicity is all you need for that moment. In this complex and fast-paced world, a little simplicity is refreshing, like this whisky. (Spoiler alert: Michael Phelps lost by 2 seconds) [Dry Glass: Butterscotch][86/100][Tasted: 7/23/17]

After a week of traveling to Phoenix, working 14 hours a day on a divestiture, I was looking forward to finally coming home and trying some whisky. This is a Balvenie killer. This reminded me of the Balvenie 12. Soft and delicate, but that doesn't mean it lacks personality or depth. It's heather and honey, loads of beeswax and ginger. Thanks to Ryan for the sample as part of our SDT team, round 2. Solid whisky, worth having around as a regular.

Stop number 20 on the SDT is Glenrothes. This is a first for me from this Speyside distillery so I didn't really know what to expect going in. This NAS single malt was previously known as the Alba Reserve, the name was changed for better clarity as to what was actually in the bottle and I have to say it is a change for the better. 40% ABV and it appears to be natural color of a pale gold, but it is not stated anywhere if it is indeed natural that I could find. I do believe that it is chill filtered. This is matured exclusively in first and second fill ex bourbon barrels. The nose give the impression that there are both young and old casks at play here, but mostly young. Lots of coconut and vanilla with some dust oak. It's soft and creamy with a sort of berry medley. Raspberry, strawberry and blackberry. Floral honey and more vanilla and lightly toasted oak. There is also a waxy quality to it. It's a light nose, but very pleasant. The palate very much echoes the nose. Plenty of vanilla, floral honey and berries and cream. Soft oak. There is a subtle bourbon note and possibly sweet red wine that produces a dryness, very light though. Coconut and a mild spice cap everything off. Again, light but enjoyable. Light bodied with a creamy but somewhat thin mouthfeel, semi dry. The finish is medium length with soft oak and coconut fading away. Given the light color and overall light feel, I would think it's safe to say that there are many more second fill casks than first fill. Not knowing the rest of the expressions from this distillery it's hard to give an experienced opinion, but this one feels more like a Highland malt than a Speyside, closer to Tomatin or Glenmorangie than say a Cragganmore or Craigellachie. It's very approachable and would be great for warmer weather, even on the rocks on a hot day, relaxing in the sun. Great for the scotch noob too. 43% ABV would have been a better strength, but I think 46% would have changed it too much and taken away from its delicate nature. The die-hard Islay fans (like myself) may not think too much of this one because of its light and delicate nature, but it's a damn good dram for what it is. 3.75-4. Thanks to Ryan for the sample. Cheers

Very strong malt and orchard fruits on the nose. This could pass for hard apple cider. On the tongue, doesn't depart much from the nose. Very smooth on the front end, sharp on the back, acidic heat concentrates on the back of the throat. Some wood and light spice show up as well. Pleasant and straightforward. 6/8/17