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Glenrothes 1998 vintage

Delightful dessert in a dram

0 094

@DavyReview by @Davy

2nd Jul 2013

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  • Nose
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  • Taste
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  • Finish
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  • Overall
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Four years ago, on a particularly joyous payday, I walked across the street to my local package store with a mission. I was about to "get into" whisk(e)y. After much deliberation, I purchased three bottles: a bourbon, Russell's Reserve; an Irish, Michael Collins; and a scotch, The Glenrothes Select Reserve. From the start, I was more interested in the scotch, and my first bewildered tastings confirmed the hunch. The bourbon was too harshly sweet and the Irish a touch too oily, but the Glenrothes was wonderful. My fascination with scotch whisky -- it's flavor, it's culture, and it's history -- began there.

I couldn't tell you why it's taken me so long to revisit the distillery, but I'm certainly happy I did. What a pleasure to taste this spirit again, and what a wonderful surprise to find that the 1998 vintage is even better, on every level, than the budget-priced entry bottle I enjoyed years ago.

The nose is clean and bright and irresistable -- a dessert tray arranged in shades of yellow: the bold whiff of lemon bars, a soft undertone of banana pudding, a handful of butterscotch candies. Fingernail polish-like vapors appear and disappear, firming up the bouquet.

On the palate, this whisky is sweet and creamy, pleasantly mouth-coating. Custard flavors emerge -- vanilla, and a second helping of that banana pudding.

The finish lingers warmly, butterscotch candies transforming gracefully into spicy red hots.

Water strengthens lemon in the nose and honey on the tongue, but sacrifices some of that rich creaminess.

Highly recommended, especially during these heavy, humid summer nights.

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