Review #901 - Glenrothes 1995 (2015)
In the past, a bit like Balblair distillery, the Glenrothes distillery produced quite a few official bottlings that revolved around the concept of a distillation vintage, though that practice has mostly gone with rebrands over the years. Here we have a Glenrothes distilled in 1995, and it was bottled in 2015; there's no age statement, but we know that it was aged for 19 or 20 years.
The cask makeup isn't disclosed, but based on the types of casks that Glenrothes typically uses, as well as some of our tasting notes, we're guessing there was at least some amount of sherry influence used in the maturation. When this was bottled in 2015, they chose a strength of 43% ABV.
Glenrothes 1995 (2015)
Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt
Price: USD 185 (2026, based on recent auction prices)
Age Statement: 19 Years
Strength: 43% ABV
Details: Distilled October 26, 1995; bottled 2015
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times (once blind) over 6 months from a sample. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Very musty, a little bit savory, and fruits dominate: oranges, grapefruit, apples, a bit of pear. We even get a hint of watermelon later; it takes on a darker complexion with raisins and grapes then. Wildflower honey, malty grains, and soft old perfumed oak build. Nice complexity, but it's relatively subtle.
Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thin; it's a softer palate, a bit subtle again, but we get nice notes of sweet old oak, lots of orange and sugary cranberry, maybe even strawberry. There's a mild savory side again, and in the background, we find soft malt, a bit of hot honey, and a mild nutty note.
Finish: Oak builds, but we get syrupy strawberry, raisins, prunes - more of a sherry influence now. It's still a bit delicate or subtle in general with that lower strength; soft tannins, grapefruit, maple wood, and floral perfume arrive. It's a medium length finish.
Final Note: This shows some nice age, but it's also quite delicate with that lower strength, so you have to dig for the nuances in it. There are nice flavors here and good complexity, but it's a little bit too watered down for us to give it a higher score. Good whisky, a pleasant sipper that you can spend some time with.
Value isn't as good just because this is a long-discontinued bottle which can only be found on the secondary market at this point. Consistent pricing is hard to find, but as far as we can tell, this would generally sell between $175 and $200, which is no surprise given the age statement. Mediocre value, but if you're a fan of Glenrothes and their house style, this could be one to try.
Our Rating: 7.3 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.07
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
