Glenrothes Bourbon Cask Reserve

COLOR/ Light Honey, Light Apple juice AROMA/ Apples, Light Pear, Ripe Uncut Pineapple, Ever so light berries in the background, Hint of Florals Lavender and Magnolia FIRST SIP/ Smooth, Berries, Fruity, Woods, Some Earthy TASTE/ Berries, Cherries, Apples, Light Vanilla, Woods (fresh cut and aged), Some Oils, Delicious Smoothness, At the End of Your Taste, you have to look for it, There is a Light Yeasty, Malty, Rising Bread Flavor FINISH/ The flavors are complex, bold, slow to move across your tongue so you can savor the flavor. There is a Woody finish with slight alcohol warmth. MT GLASS/ Sweet Wood, Pineapple, Hints of Coconut, Hints of Floral and Lavender 80 proof This is part of a 2015 Three Bottle Reserve release collection. 1/3 (2nd liked of the 3) This me friends is a remarkably bold Speyside Single Malt scotch whiskey, there is no peatiness in sight! The complexity of this beverage is remarkable. There are so many flavors, scents, and tastes one gathers that it is perfect for any occasion be assured to invite friends, family and loved ones and introduce them to this wonderfully remarkable beverage. I would imagine adding a half cube of ice would bring out even more flavors and complexity. Be Kind, Be Generous, Be Real, Be Responsible!!! CH33RS

Light honey yellow color; ripe corn. Beautiful thick legs that stick to the inside of the glass. The nose is absolutely beautiful: pear, ripe green apple skins. Coconut and vanilla; honey, dried plums. Toasted cereal grains and hay. There is a burnt brown sugar that reminds me of browned butter. Creme brulee. Fragrant, flowery linens? Just a hint of paint thinner. They could make a candle out of this. The flavor is vanilla and creme. Coffee grounds and malt grain. Nutty almonds or marzipan? Pear, honey and apple. The back end has a sherry-like tannic quality. The finish is earthy herbs: brown autumn leaves; heather? A little ashy, a little metallic. I have read about candle-wax in whisky, but this may the first time I've ever experienced it. Nutty coffee grounds and mocha. The Glenrothes Bourbon Cask Reserve is a very soft and inviting Scotch, full of flavors and aromas that are perhaps even more suited to an aisle at a Yankee Candle than a Glencairn. It's got vanilla, coconut, pear and apple; then it's balanced by a nutty, earthy counterpoint. I was a little put off by the grenade bottle at first, but I'm thrilled that I pulled the pin.

A very long time ago, a bottle of Glenrothes Bourbon Cask Reserve was one of the very first "serious" whiskey bottles I ever bought for a friend. At the time, it was because I thought the bottle looked cool and different. What a blind stroke of luck that was, because this whiskey kick started my affinity for bourbon cask single malts. Not considered a complex whiskey by most, Glenrothes bourbon cask reserve is sweet and gentle. It features a flavor profile not typically found in most bourbon cask whiskies and is well worth a try. The nose features aromas of vanilla but I do catch a hint of red fruits there, perhaps some berries. Odd, for a whiskey aged exclusively in ex-bourbon casks. Almost smells a bit tart. That slightly tart, fruitiness extends to the taste which seems oddly red fruit forward for Bourbon Cask, but there's a little bit of sweet spice in there like cinnamon. The finish is dry and almost a bit waxy on the tongue and just slightly tannic. This is a bright, happy whiskey. It isn't terribly complex but its a good drink and honestly, a bit of a bargain.

This whisky is exactly what you expect from its name - but the light version. There is nothing special to report from the nose - you get standard bourbon cask notes of tanin fueled oak with vanilla. The smell is in fact kinda rich but the palate sadly disappointed me. It is watery at the beginning and becomes bitter right after. Not the nice bitterness you get from interesting cask but an unpleasant one. It actually tastes like a whisky you accidentally poured to much water in. I didn’t even finish my 4cl sample, what’s really sad because I was really looking forward to trying a Glenrothes whisky for about a year. I will get back to this distillery sometimes in the future but then with some more mature and more interesting cask style. 2.0 because the nose was enjoyable.

On sale at TW for $35 from 50. I have enjoyed bourbon barrel finished scotch before but was let down by this. Nose is canned pear, malt, vanilla and barrel. Its all very light though. Palate has some vanilla coconut creme, barley malt, a bit of pencil lead and charred wood. Sounds good right? well its a bit watered down and thin, flavors are surface only. Finish is mildly sour malt with some bitter tannins. There is a fading coconut thing which is kinda nice. Perhaps I got a bad bottle(mine is much lighter looking than pics ive seen online) Overall it does not work for me even at 35 bucks nevermind 50......69/100......still some single malt qualities to keep score out of the cellar

Better than average. Low ABV and smooth. My Rating Glossary: Two Stars: "I'd rather be drinking lite beer." Two 1/2 Stars: "Posh rubbish." Three Stars: "I love whisk(e)y. This is average love." Three 1/2 Stars: "May buy again." Four Stars: "I've got to get you into my life." Four 1/2 Stars: "Better than drugs." Five Stars: "Life is good. Whisky makes it better."