Scotch Review #61: Glenrothes 12 Year

Distillery: Glenrothes

Region: Speyside

ABV: 40%

Age: 12

Price: $10.50 during happy hour for a 2 oz pour ($14 normally)

Color: 0.5, Yellow Gold. Natural color but chill-filtered.

---

Nose: Light and sweet. There’s a bit of fruit but I can’t quite place what it is. There’s a bit of the ethanol burn in the nostrils which isn’t that pleasant.

Palate: Thin-ish mouthfeel. It starts off with some malt sweetness and a bit of cream along with vanilla and a hint of lemon. Then the main note takes center stage: melon, melon, and more melon. It’s lovely and juicy, like biting into a nicely ripened cantaloupe melon. Delicious.

Finish: Medium in length. There’s a bit of caramelized sugar and some more melon.

Conclusion: I haven’t had a Glenrothes before but I have to say I love this. I’m a sucker for anything melon flavored and the sheer amount of it that comes through in this dram is oh so delicious. The nose sucks and the palate really could a little more depth beyond just melon but I still love it for what it is. Would I buy a bottle? Probably.

Final Score: 77.

Scotch whisky review #61, Speyside review #28, Whisky Network Review #81

---

Scoring Legend:

• 96-100: The perfect dram, nectar of the gods.
• 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky.
• 85-89: Amazing, will always try to keep a bottle of this in my collection (if feasible).
• 80-84: Very Good, maybe only one minor nitpick about the whisky keeping it here.
• 75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink.
• 70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get it.
• 60-69: Meh, still drinkable.
• Below 59: If you have a bottle of this, start cooking with it instead.