Rosebank 16 Year SMWS Cask 25.45
In preparation for an upcoming scotch tasting that I’ll be leading at Amherst Coffee I’ve been pondering the question of Summer whiskies, and specifically which whiskies are best suited to Summer dramming. Inevitably this led me to the consideration of Lowland whiskies, a category of scotches that I’ve largely ignored up until now.
I’ve drunk a few Lowlands along the way, and a couple have been very good whiskies. But they’ve never fired my imagination, and really, the problem is twofold.
The first issue is that the two Lowlands that I remember most clearly were an Auchentoshan and a Glenkinchie that I tried way back at the beginning, when I was first learning about scotch. These are both somewhat delicate whiskies, and at the time I really didn’t know what to make of them. They both seemed relatively plain and quiet, next to the smoky whiskies that I was enjoying every other day. I simply didn’t have the background necessary to really appreciate them on their own terms.
This leads into the second issue, which is that the two most commonly available Lowland whiskies are Auchentoshan and Glenkinchie. Of the few remaining Lowland distilleries that are still available, these are the two that you will see most often, owing to Glenkinchie’s being part of the Classic Malts series, and Auchentoshan putting on a big push to raise their profile during the last few years. Given that these were the two whiskies that I tried all that time ago, I’ve come to realize that I’ve developed an unconscious blinder against these two distilleries. This is patently unfair, and I’m sure largely undeserved.
And so as I began to consider the selection for this upcoming tasting and to wonder what whiskies would be best suited to a summer tasting, I realized that this was going to be an ideal time to explore Lowland whiskies in what is perhaps a fitting context. Now, with the benefit of having tried one or two more whiskies in the meantime, I’m convinced that these whiskies have a lot to offer.
Lowland whiskies are typically characterized as being the lightest and most delicate of scotch whiskies. Royalmilewhiskies sums up Lowland whiskies by saying, “The whiskies tend to be light, fruity and dry whiskies that are elegant and subtle rather than robust and peaty.” What better description of a summer whisky could there be? Anyone who has tried to drink a Laphroaig on a warm summer night will know all too well how unsuited to warm weather big, smoky scotches are. I’m increasingly convinced that a good Lowland whisky will not only stand up well to summer weather, but will even shine.
Unfortunately, as I mentioned earlier, only a handful of Lowland distilleries are still operating today. In fact, there are only four working distilleries here: Auchentoshan, Bladnoch, Daftmill, and Glenkinchie. Of these, only Auchentoshan and Glenkinchie are readily available. You can also still find bottles of Littlemill (closed in 1994, demolished in 1995), Rosebank (closed in 1993 and since dismantled), and St. Magdalene (closed in 1983 and since has been demolished), but these are becoming increasingly rare.
And so my mind was very much turned towards Lowland whiskies, the fate of distilling in this region of Scotland, and the increasing rarity of the above three closed distilleries, when the Spring 2009 Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling list showed up on my doorstep and my eyes alighted on a bottling from the Rosebank distillery. With the warmer summer months around the corner, the description made this sound like an ideal whisky.
Rosebank was established in 1840, and during the next 153 years developed perhaps the finest reputation of all the Lowland malts. It was one of only a handful of malts allowed to continue distilling during World War II, and escaped closure in 1983 when it’s parent company, DCL, closed a great number of distilleries in 1983. Unfortunately, its doors were closed in 1993, and despite initial hopes that it may reopen it has since been dismantled.
This particular whisky was distilled in July of 1991 and spent the next 16 years in a refill bourbon barrel before being bottled in February of 2008. This is a cask-strength, unchill-filtered whisky, bottled at 53.5%.
The whisky is the color of light, greeny gold, reminiscent of a sauvignon blanc, with hints of lime flashing around the edges. The nose is bright and refreshing with flavors of mint, lemon balm, grass, honey, and fresh mown hay. The palate is warmly textured, rich, viscous, and mouth-coating. Flavors of raw honey and heather strike first, giving way to rich creme brulee and a deep malty sweetness. Surprisingly drinkable at 53.5%, but a little water really helped to open up the flavors and helped the whisky really show its legs. The finish is perhaps the most surprising part, opening up with grainy, heathery notes, but then lighting up with bright flavors of lychee nuts slowly coming to the surface. A nice surprise there at the end.
This is indeed a fabulous summer whisky, and once again I’m quite happy with my Society choice.. I’ve now had the chance to try a couple of Rosebank malts and must agree with the assessment of its being a fine whisky, and proof that Lowland whiskies can be very good indeed. And what is more, with the summer tasting just around the corner, and three other Lowland malts being featured as part of it (Auchentoshan, Glenkinchie, and Littlemill), I’m really looking forward to seeing how those also stack up to the warm summer days.
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