The Glenrothes Whisky Maker's Cut

This nose has some harsh alcohol, but it also has some nice hints of citrus and cherry. The palate is sweet and fairly full with some nice sea spray backing. It has that nice high-proof warmth and sweetness. The sweetness, sea spray, and wood here are very nicely presented. This is different from but also better than Glenfiddich 15 Solera Reserve. It's a very enjoyable sipper. There's some really nice butterscotch going on here. The spice relative to the Longmore 15 gives it a bit of a kick, but it's a nice one. This isn't an excessively sweet drink but it has some nice sweetness to it and a lot of elements going on. If say it's better than the Longmorn 15 but a clear margin. There's some nice wood in here that reminds me a bit of Glenfarclas with its dryness and assertiveness. There's also some nice mild red fruit. There's a lot going on and all of the flavors are quite good. I think I'll need to try this again because it's really good. The balance is fantastic and the minerals don't overwhelm. There's tones of complexity and it's very enjoyable to sip. What a great drink. This is substantially stronger than Strathisla 12 (Chieftain's) in a nice Glenfarclas way. It's a great drink. There are a lot of flavors in here that pronounce "scotch!". There is a nice balance that gives several elements their chance to shine. It's a bit rough compared with Macallan 15 in terms of integration, but the flavor is very good and the finish is nice. There is vanilla, sea spray, fresh apple, a little strawberry, some richness from the barrel, and an appropriate amount of sweetness. The hint of smoke is just enough to add some scotch depth here. There are some issues with the integration and the bitterness that hangs out there, but there is enough flavor and complexity to make this a great scotch. Following the Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 14, the nose has more seaside presence and might be a tad less sweet, but it's also a bit less smoky. The palate is a harsher with a spicier bite. There's more of a sugar syrup flavor - or rather, there's less strawberry in the syrup flavor. There's a fair amount swirling around here, though I wouldn't say that there is more than in the Quinta Ruban 14. Additionally, the lack of additional flavor in the syrup stand out more. There's still some smoke and vanilla and salt. It still has some nice umami. I'm not sure whether it's better than Springbank 10 though. It has a terrific base to its flavor, but it's a bit light. It's a bit better than Oban 14 in how it avoids sickly sweetness, though it is still sweet. Despite being a bit on the light side, the balance is quite good. This is a very well executed scotch that could use some more oomph. The spiciness is essential in counterbalancing the sweetness.

Chocolate

Another "90" eh? Nose is vanilla and sweet sherry. There's a bitter oak note here as well, a bit off putting and giving me lingering feelings of young raw whisky. I even get what could be a hair of banana. Taste - Citrus fruit, creamy milk chocolate, some dark fruits, spices, and young oak on the back end. Overall this is a pretty run of the mill NAS sherry whisky. I think the casks are decent. The ABV is a really nice place where I think most will be able to go right in drinking but adding water is perfectly acceptable as well. Yes it's a bit sparky and young, but it's 75 bucks and I think it's hitting a sweet spot between the spice and sweet notes. 2 stars, very average whisky. I think those who enjoy younger whisky will find this more like a 3 star and the price while I would still say it is a bit high it's getting hard to be critical of a bottle at an ok proof, with sherry casks, under 100 bucks today.