Slainte-Mhath
Rosebank 12 Year Flora & Fauna
Single Malt — Lowlands, Scotland
Reviewed
June 6, 2020 (edited June 20, 2020)
Arguably the most famous expression of the Flora & Fauna range, Rosebank 12 has become a rare find. Fresh, delicate and complex, the aroma enchants with yellow fruits, blossom honey and subtle hints of chamomile. Red currants, kiwi and corn flakes emerge. Creamy, floral and slightly astringent at first, the taste is shifting towards barley sugar, honeydew melon and sour tangerines. Mint leaves, wood spices and a touch of white wine accompany the crisp and elegant finish. Time will tell if the 'new' Rosebank can live up to the quality of this iconic malt.
RATING: 4.0/5.0 stars ≙ 88 pts → FIRST-CLASS
489.0
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@Soba45 Then you have something to look forward to! I have yet to taste a Rosebank which disappointed me.
Nice review! One of the last ghost distilleries I have a sample of to try. I think I have this one as well.
@cascode Very interesting, thanks! Sounds like it was a combination of reasons which led to the decision to close Rosebank back in 1993.
@Slainte-Mhath @PBMichiganWolverine According to Brian Townsend in "Scotch Missed" there were several reasons that contributed to the decision to close Rosebank. It was located straddling the Forth & Clyde Canal (which was due for redevelopment and rebuilding) and although a practical location it was not an attractive one that would suit the developing whisky tourist business, and DCL was looking for a distillery to be their lowland showcase. They were also slapped with a 2 million Pound order to upgrade the effluent discharge system (which was a lot more of a hit in 1993 when they were mothballed than now). Glenkinchie was more attractive, handy to Edinburgh, produced whisky that was popular for blending, had higher output and was not in need of a refit. Sadly, the fact that Rosebank was (and still is) a better single malt than Glenkinchie just didn't matter at the time.
@PBMichiganWolverine Yes, prices will go up up up. The Rosebank 21yo 2014 Special Release which I reviewed earlier went up from 500 € to 1000 €...
@PBMichiganWolverine Maybe. I read different stories, e.g. that Glenkinchie had the 'better' Gaelic name, and that it was more closely located to Edinburgh.
@Slainte-Mhath it’ll be interesting to see what impact the new Rosebank will have on these from the older days. I’m thinking it’ll go more in demand.
@Slainte-Mhath i’m guessing because back then, Glenkinchie was more suitable in blends than Rosebank.
Additional comment: I never quite understood why Diageo (or DCL for that matter) chose Glenkinchie over Rosebank when they had to close one of these distilleries. Rosebank is sometimes described as the 'King of the Lowlands', and rightly so. This expression demonstrates that Lowland whiskies can be on par with any Islay malt!