Hailing from the heart of Speyside, The Glenrothes Distillery is secreted away in a hidden glen located near the town of Rothes. It's one of the few Scottish distilleries that own the land on which its water is sourced.

The location was selected by its founders in 1878 for its ample supply of fresh spring water contributed by nearby glacial runoff, which are then filtered through layers of rocky volcanic rock beneath the glen which act as a sort of charcoal filter, supplying the distillery with soft and pure water. The distillery's land was eventually expanded to its current 1.3m sqm private estate to protect the purity of its water supply.

The Glenrothes sources it water from the nearby River Spey. More recently, the distillery had also acquired land upriver to safeguard its water supply

After it was established, Glenrothes Distillery quickly earned a reputation as a key player in the Scotch whisky scene, known for supplying the single malt components essential for some of the most famous blended Scotch brands such as The Famous Grouse. Today, the distillery is owned by the prestigious Edrington Group, also known for its portfolio of Scotch brands such as The Macallan, Highland Park, and fittingly, The Famous Grouse which is made from a blend that comprised of whisky from both Macallan and Glenrothes.

The distillery's early history was not as smooth as its offerings. In fact, right after its construction, the collapse of the Glasgow Bank left the distillery's early investors penniless. It was only through a generous loan from the United Free Presbyterian Church of Knockando that Glenrothes was rescued – a twist of irony, considering the Church's Rechabite teachings, which required members to completely abstain from alcohol. Despite this rocky start, Glenrothes flourished, establishing itself as a source of high-quality malt whisky sought after by blenders.

Glenrothes's stillhouse.

Glenrothes's initial setup included four stills, but as demand for its whisky grew, the distillery underwent several expansions. The first expansion in the 1960s saw the addition of two stills, followed by another two in 1980 and yet another two in 1989 which brought the total number of stills to ten.

The distillery prides itself on a “slow distillation process” – roughly half the speed of many other Scottish distilleries. This approach, combined with the use of exceptionally tall stills, maximises copper contact and eliminates heavy flavour compounds, resulting in a spirit that is bright, fruity, and remarkably refined. This contrasts with the approach taken by its sibling distillery, The Macallan, which is known for its unusually small stills which leads to a denser distillate.

After distillation, Glenrothes primarily matures its spirit in sherry-seasoned oak casks, a choice that imparts the whisky with its signature richness, roundedness, and a delightful medley of dried fruits, vanilla, and warming baking spices.

Up until very recently, The Glenrothes's core range features the 10, 12, 18, 25 and 42 Year Old single malts, which replaced the earlier which focused on specific vintage years (released from 1993 through 2004).

The previous Glenrothes design.

The Glenrothes has recently refreshed the design of its core range in a move that sees the signature squat Glenrothes bottle gain a little bit more height, with a slightly slimmer profile to provide better ergonomics for pouring. The bottles are also presented in a recyclable sheath with a center that spins around to reveal the bottle in all its glory.

We recently had the opportunity to attend Glenrothes' "The Timeless Artistry Experience" at Singpaore's Mandala Club to learn more about the refreshed Glenrothes 18 and 25 years old expressions and have a taste of them.

We were greeted by a welcome highball made with the Glenrothes 12 Year Old, which was a good signifier of the things to come; the highball was refreshing yet surprisingly savoury, and I could not get the idea out of my head that the whisky was minutely peated. Honeyed with hints of floral notes, I would suspect a neat dram to be fairly chewy. It was overall a lovely insight to the 12 Year Old!

After an immersive tour into the lore of this esteemed distillery, we joined a tasting session led by a very lovely, spirited lady (Hats off, Min!) who brought us through a tasting of the new Glenrothes 18 and 25 expressions before encouraging us to pair them with some chocolate truffles.

Both the Glenrothes 18 and 25 were matured primarily in a mix of first-fill Sherry-seasoned oak casks made from European and American oak

So let's see how they taste!

The Glenrothes 18 Years Old Single Malt, 43% ABV - Review

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Rich, inviting and expressive. Opens with bright candied orange melding into dried fruit notes of plums and dried apricot. A luscious dessert-like caramel aroma weaves through, evoking spun sugar and a touch of toffee. There's no harshness, just warmth. As the spirit opens up, deeper notes emerge with vanilla bean, polished oak and a subtle earthy undertone.

Palate: Rich, spiced and festive. Opens with a moderate tingle on the tongue; warm spices that gradually migrate from tip of tongue toward the back palate as candied ginger, cinnamon and a touch of aniseed come to the fore. Texture is pleasantly oily, coating the mouth with a medley of red fruits; notably ripe dark cherries and fresh raspberries, and a subtle cedar wood tannin. The whisky mellows quickly and spice gives way to a more rounded experience – nutty marzipan and some toasted almonds.

Finish: Medium in length, with lingering sweetness balanced by delicate dryness. Develops towards orange oil and orange zest with a touch of dry European oak and soft, welcoming tannins. Some impressions of warm pastry – perhaps a baked apple turnover while the gentle warmth of oak spices continue to radiate from the mid-palate.

My Thoughts:

I'm genuinely impressed by the taste-to-ABV ratio here. It strikes a remarkable balance between fruit, wood, spice, and sherry – each element contributing without overwhelming the others. It's sweet but restrained; oaky but vibrant; spiced but not aggressive.

Unlike many high age Sherry-influenced whiskies where oak begins to dominate, the oak plays a supportive role here, adding depth without overshadowing the freshness of the fruit. I believe it’s a testament to the exceptional quality of oak in Edrington’s wood policy.

My Rating: 7.5/10

Glenrothes 25 Years Old Single Malt, 43% ABV - Review

Nose: Rich and rounded embrace, even more honeyed and expressive than its younger counterpart. A delicate meadow-fresh greenness leads the way to a medley of summer fruits, with sweetness of soft pear and red apples, complimented by a layer of vanilla and cream. As the whisky breathes, deeper honey notes emerge, accompanied by richer notes of milk chocolate, dried red fruits, toasted hazelnuts, baking spices, and just a sprig of mint leaves.

Palate: Very approachable and nuanced, offering a slightly fuller mouthfeel than the 18. Despite its older age, the Sherried notes seem to remain quite well-balanced because I’m getting a brighter, fresher experience than the Glenrothes 18. Clean and vibrant honey intertwined with gently torched (but not burnt) crème brûlée custard, gradually giving way to a basket of more stewed orchard fruits – tinned peaches, baked apples, and poached pears. All of which is integrated and nestled within some aromatic cedar wood.

The flavours deepen and warm as the palate develops, revealing espresso and a gradual build-up of spices that culminate in a smooth peak at the finish.

Finish: Pretty similar to the Glenrothes 18 but considerably longer. Spiced and sweetish, it’s got notes of orange peel with gingerbread, cardamom, coriander seeds, and some other indistinct dried herbs reminiscent of an apothecary. Some a subtle nuttiness and tannins from toasted hazelnut accompany a comforting warmth extends down to your chest.

My Thoughts

Here’s a lovely aged expression with much of that Glenrothes DNA of approachable, balanced spices and Sherry influences, while still preserving tons of freshness and nuance – remaining delightfully clean, agile and luscious for its age.

I’m personally partial to Sherry but I’ve consistently been a big fan of bright, luscious, orchard fruit-forward Scotch. If you haven't already guessed, my preference is firmly for the Glenrothes 25. (More on this later) 

My Rating: 8/10

The Bottom Line

Leaving price point aside, each of these whiskies offer a rather different theme, making them a matter of preference rather than one being objectively superior.

While the 18-year-old sibling seems to focus on being bolder and more indulgent, revealing more of its sweet oak character with confidence, the 25 seems to be a showcase of the distillery’s blending capability, offering a much more nuanced and refined experience that harmonises lighter orchard fruits with the richness of dried fruits. I also quite enjoyed the grassy - herbaceous notes on the 25 that linger in the glass. Stronger than the 18, it leaves me pleasantly (albeit unceremoniously) sniffing my glass to get that wonderful smell that I've always liked).

Nonetheless, both are great offerings whose nature is both subtle yet bold. You might need to have a few sips before you can identify everything going on, but it's a world of flavour that will make it worth the effort. 

Both of the new Glenrothes 18 and 25 Years Old are now available in Singapore from 1855 The Bottle Shop, Mandala Club, 67 Pall Mall and Sommer Dining.

Lok Bing Hong A budding journalist that loves experiencing new things and telling people's stories. I have 30 seconds of coherence a day. I do not decide when they come. They are not consecutive.