The Glenrothes Distillery

Since 1879 the small Speyside town of Rothes has been home to The Glenrothes – a single malt distillery recognized for its craft and for its immaculate and unchanging whisky. Glenrothes is equally recognized for the very distinct and aesthetic clear, rounded bottles adorned with colorful labels. The whisky distillery might have been somewhat off the radar for a wide scope of people, however, the true whisky connoisseurs will undoubtedly have familiarised themselves with a Glenrothes expression.

Although riddled with disasters The Glenrothes has remained afloat, and besides its survivability, Glenrothes is also characterized by a sherried and oaky flavor profile with notes of vanilla, caramel, berries and spice coming through. The distillery is commended for the quality of the whisky and for being the best the Speyside has to offer. The latter point may seem tenuous, however, it was substantiated when The Glenrothes 25 Year Old received the Chairman’s Trophy for Best Speyside Single Malt at the 2018 Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

The Background

The Glenrothes was originally established for blending, and when Bunnahabhain acquired the distillery in 1887 Glenrothes whisky was used in the blends of The Famous Grouse and Cutty Shark.

The distillery was initiated and envisioned by James Stuart with the help of Reverend William Sharp, who helped raise the funds to save and realize the venture. James Stuart was a natural whisky maker: he understood the value of proper wood and a timely maturation, and he abhorred shortcuts. The summer of 1878 meant a financial crisis throughout Scotland, which caused James Stuart to bow out of the distillery, which was then taken over by Robert Dick, John Cruickshank and William Grant (unrelated to Glenfiddich).
Before he left the project, James Stuart instilled his belief in using traditional distillation methods but along with the production technology’s latest advances. His conviction consisted of four principles:

1. Having a nearby water source and thus the surety of excellent and pure spirit – The distillery’s water source is the Burn of Rothes.
2. Distilling slower than usual to make a mellower single malt.
3. Maturing in the best sherry-seasoned casks to provide a wider flavor range.
4. Bottling the whisky at the natural color, i.e. no additives.

Today the distillery refers to these principles as “the four corners”, and these four corners naturally create the backbone of every Glenrothes expression.
Production began December 28th in 1879, coincidentally on the day of the Tay Bridge disaster. Could this be an ominous beginning? The distillery has been through its fair share of trials and tribulations.

A Story of Ghost and Fire

A great part of the Glenrothes legend is the story of their very own visiting ghost. A worker on the Glenrothes distillery reported seeing a ghost in the stillroom in 1978. It was Biawa Makalaga, better known as Byeway. Byeway had passed away in 1972 on the grounds of Glen Grant, where he had worked in service for much of his life – Byeway was also a footballer and had served for the Brits under WWI. Major James Grant had taken him as ward when Byeway was a boy and had been orphaned because of famine and drought.

As he never had a connection to Glenrothes, it’s unknown why he would haunt it – especially as he reportedly never got a taste for whisky, but was instead a gin & tonic sort of man. However, he’s occasionally felt and seen wandering around the distillery, and as such his legend has become a part of the Glenrothes legend.

In 1897 Glenrothes produced high proof whisky, which also meant it was incredibly flammable, and a huge fire was set off. The distillery was severely damaged, and it wasn’t yet back to normal by 1903 when it was almost destroyed by an explosion. Another two fires hit the distillery in 1922 and 1962. The Great Fire of Glenrothes refers to the 1922 fire where the catastrophe caused amber nectar to burst from its stores, and it then trickled down the streets. The locals were quite pleased, as they could contain the whisky – for free. However, the cattle and fish probably didn’t share the joy, seeing as the whisky also reached the fields and rivers. Ominously out of luck Glenrothes was deeply affected by The Wall Street Crash of 1929, and for a time production was halted.

The fire in 1962 might have been a blessing in disguise because from the disaster arose the chance to turn a frown upside down with an expansion. Between 1963-1986 the distillery has gone from four to ten stills, and today the capacity is strong at 5.6 million liters a year.

The Scottish spirits company Edrington along with William Grant & Sons (related to Glenfiddich) acquired Glenrothes in 1999, who then sold the brand to Berry Brothers & Rudd in 2010. In the sale Edrington got Cutty Shark and remained the owners of the distillery, supplying the Berry Brothers & Rudd with the spirit.

The Collection

Quite characteristically Glenrothes applies a slow distillation, which affects the level of productivity, but it’s a principle Glenrothes has upheld since the days of James Stuart. The slower distillation provides the spirit with the sought after lightness and fruitiness. Another characteristic and principle is the use of sherry casks. Glenrothes mainly matures in American oak casks and sherry casks from Jerez – occasionally former bourbon casks are also used.

The Glenrothes collection offers multi-dimensional single malts with an extensive flavor spectrum. The assortment naturally changes with the rare, limited edition expressions such as their single cask releases. As of October 2019, the special release is The Glenrothes Halloween Edition 2019. The expression is a 13-year-old peated single malt, matured in sherry and bourbon casks and then finished peated casks. The 5000 bottles of the limited-expression celebrate the ancient traditions and rituals, which are connected to Halloween, which is, in fact, one of the many Scottish inventions.

Currently, the assortment consists of two ranges: The Aqua Collection and The Soleo Collection.
The Aqua Collection is home to The Glenrothes Whisky Maker’s Dram and The Glenrothes 12 Year Old. The former is unaged and developed by Master Whisky Maker Gordon Motion – it was matured exclusively in 1st fill sherry casks, and it offers a flavor profile of oranges, candied orange peel, and vanilla.

The Soleo Collection is comprised the following expressions:

• The Glenrothes 10 Year Old
• The Glenrothes 12 Year Old
• The Glenrothes Whisky Maker’s Cut
• The Glenrothes 18 Year Old
• The Glenrothes 25 Year Old

The Glenrothes 25 Year Old has garnered an immense amount of praise. A huge achievement is being named the Best Speyside Single Malt, which is the top honor at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

The expression has matured for 25 years in 1st fill sherry oak casks, and it showcases a significant bouquet of pineapple and mango. The palate is defined by coriander seeds, salted caramel, and violets, and the finish offers both sweetness and citrus, but it’s equally floral and long-lasting.

According to Alasdair Anderson, who manages the distillery, Glenrothes doesn’t exactly offer something especially unique. However, the way Glenrothes puts everything together is unique, and Alasdair Anderson credits the distillery’s craftsmen, the raw materials and the production’s speed with turning Glenrothes single malt into something very special.

For over a century Glenrothes has produced some of the finest single malt whisky in the Speyside, and every whisky aficionado ought to include Glenrothes in their collection. Glenrothes can boast of quality assured and authentic single malt, and their full-bodied, complex and balanced whisky expressions have earned their way to the front line of every collector’s shelf.