There are strong rumors suggesting a re-opening of Rosebank Distillery. Arran Brewery seems to be the revolutionaries whom will be distilling whisky and brewing beer on the site in years to come if everything goes as planned. But let's focus on the Distillery that once was a thriving lowland distillery which produced a great whisky until its closure in 1993. There's said to have existed an illicit still called Rosebank raised in 1773 or 1774, but the legal Rosebank Distillery was first built in 1840. Rosebank did not change much over the years, apart from updating the malting equipment in 1968, Rosebank used the same distilling equipment most of its lifetime. Thus one might claim Rosebank to be a distillery of old style and character. Like some other lowland distilleries Rosebank used triple distillation to get a cleaner and smoother whisky. Most of Rosebank, if not all, stands today but it's been housing some shops and a restaurant among other things the last decade. Let's enjoy some good old Rosebank while we wait for a possible revival.
Rosebank 20yo 1990-2010 46% Dun Bheagan cask#90721,90722
From two french oak casks that held enough for 762 bottles. I remember the 15yo Glenlivet French Oak, quite a good one. The color is golden. It smells of floral, onions, grassy, soapy, hay, dry minty. The taste is wheaty, wheat crackers, buttery, floral, white wine, apple juice and honey. The finish is honey and mustard, creamy, wheat again, floral, honey, syrup, very sweet. The difference between this sweetness and that one from a bourbon cask is that this is more mellow, lingering and lasts much longer, while the bourbon sweetness is shorter and more intense.
Great whisky, perfect example of a mellow lowlander: 8.5
Rosebank 21yo 1990-2011 54.6% Murray McDavid
From a bourbon cask, other than that, and the fact that this is bottled at cask strength its pretty similar to the Dun Bheagan. Good possibility to check out differences between american and european oak. The color is golden. It smells vanilla, oaky, syrup, mint leaves, burnt rubber. The taste is apples, floral, oily, orange zest, peppery, ginger. Time to add some water. Now it turns more peppery, syrup, condensed milk, dark chocolate, burnt. The finish is rubbery, earthy, a bit harsh.
I preferred the european oak: 3.5
Rosebank 16yo 1989-2005 55.3% Cadenhead's
This one comes from a bourbon hogshead. The color is golden. It smells vinegar, citrus, lemon, lime, grapefruit, a lot of sour citrus fruits coming through. I saw a video from whicky commentator Ralfy the other day, stating that Rosebank is a variable malt, I'm already getting that sense, but variation doesn't always have to be bad, remember different folks different strokes, some like them spirity young styles that seems a bit raw. The taste here is peppery, burnt, oaky, spirity, fish sauce, salty, olive oil, chili oil, pretty raw. I'll add some water now. With water it turns much cleaner, peppery, ripe blackberries, morning glory, boiled black beans. The finish is buttery, leather, drying, heather, wheat.
A better bourbon-masked Rosebank: 6
Rosebank 20yo 1991-2011 56.7% Silver Seal
I've not tried much from Silver Seal, but I know they have a good reputation stemming from some decades back. I don't know what cask this comes from, but I assume its a bourbon one. The color is golden. It smells sweet, vanilla, toffee, tea, bitter seeds, lemon zest. The taste is sweet, cardamum, cinnamon, buttermilk, soapy, red gums. The finish is rich, creamy, cinnamon, butterscotch, butter, I must say the finish is the definite highlight in this whisky. But please, this is not bad lowlander at all, not nearly, I know I can come across a bit picky sometimes.
Rich, sweet and peppery Rosebank: 6
Rosebank 16yo 1990-2006 56.7% Malt Pedigree by LMDW cask#1513
243 bottles makes me suggest this comes from a bourbon hogshead. There aren't many european hogsheads around. The color is golden. Its smells honeyed, linseed oil, exotic fruits, papaya, kiwi, grape fruit, sharon fruit, malty and creamy, banana. The taste is sweet, custard, creamy vanilla, barbecue sauce, thyme, lavender, peppery, rich. This is a pretty perfect mixture of rich, sweet and peppery notes, not far from the Silver Seal, but I'd say its even better as the nuances are even cleaner and clearer. The finish is peppery, sour, bitter leaves and lemons.
Seems they hooked a great cask: 8
Rosebank 23yo 1981-2004 61.1% OB/Diageo Rare Malts
I'll have two post mortem OB's in this sitting, the first one starts at no less than 23yo and 61.1%, so it seems they had some very tight casks at Rosebank. The color is amber. It smells of bananas, vanilla, minty sweets, orange liqueur, cointreau, wheat, rich, oily, burnt meat. The taste is rich, honeyed, sweet, lemon meringue, vanilla buttery. It's a rich and intense whisky with no floral lowland-ish notes, but rather some creamy rich vanilla. With water it turns more peppery, earthy, caramel, dark chocolate, intense honey and floral. This is amazing! The finish is sweet and vanilla, some salt water and aubergine.
I imagine Rosebank would be a household whisky if still available at fair prices: 8.5
Rosebank 20yo 1981-2001 62.3% OB/Diageo Rare Malts
I wonder what casks they selected for these Rae Malt bottlings as the strength is far superior to what the age would imply. The taste is rich and sour, grapefruit, buttery, lemons, mango, more sweet and spirity than the 2004. I'll add some water. Now it turns sweeter, rounder, more orangey, white grapes, sweet rieslinger, butter, honey. This is another sweet Rosebank, perfect mellow lowland style with water added, but just a bit too pungent neat. The finish is creamy, vanilla, toffee, buttery.
Another rich and sweet Rosebank: 8
#2
Rosebank 17yo 1991-2008 43% Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice
The CC-series was bottled at 43%abv just for a short while in the late 2000's before once again being upped to 46%abv in 2010. Anyway, good news for a series I think was in need for some. The color on this is golden. It smells bitter and peppery, wasabi, oaky, spirity. The taste is bitter and peppery, dry, rubbery, glue, really raw and spirity. Let's add some water and see if it might help. Now it seems a bit like a lost one. With water it turns more spirity, grassy, bitter, malty, gingery, raw, seems like flawed whisky to me. The finish is soapy an peppery.
Something is off with this Rosebank, it just seems raw and undeveloped: 1.5
Rosebank 14yo 1989-2003 43% Master of Malt
Youngest Rosebank so far. And it seems so too, the color is slightly darker than water. It smells peppery, wheat, vanilla, grassy, bitter, vegetal, vegetable broth, broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, really a lightweighter. The taste is syrupy, honey, sweet white wine, vanilla, citrussy, grape fruit, lime, really clean and sweet whisky. The finish is citrussy, lime, lemon, apple cider and champagne. Great stuff, this is great lowland style whisky, you may like it or not, but its an easily drinkable, smooth whisky.
No flaws, no fun? It's a delightful dram but no thrills here: 7
Rosebank 12yo 1989-2001 43% Signatory Vintage cask#25312
The letters on the small cask at the label is a bit hard to read, but I think its #25312. Or if it's the numbers on the right bottom thats the reference number, its cask#792 I'm about to taste. The color is about as pale as water. It smells peppery and spirity, grassy, weeds, rubbery. The taste is vanilla, pistachio, grape fruit, quite drying. The finish is drying, sweet and peppery. This is just as clean as the MoM version but it lacks some of the sweet nuances, more of a straight-forward experience.
No flaws, less fun: 4.5
Rosebank 9yo 1990-1999 43% Signatory Vintage cask#505 btl.13/1850
The youngest Rosebank in this session, I've seen quite a few Rosebanks from SV at young age and low strength. I hope they didn't buy bottle these just because they came from a closed distillery. The color is light golden. It smells wheaty, citrussy, oranges, white wine, definitely a low strength, hay, grassy, not much to get excited about. The taste is bitter, peppery, oranges, gingerbread, grape fruit, grassy, silver onions, leeks. The finish is drying, wheat, grassy, pine seeds. Water added. Now it turns grassier, banana leaves, pineapple.
Light and mundane, a bit cramping: 3
Rosebank 17yo 1974-1992 43% Signatory Vintage cask#5061 btl.432/2400
Oldest vintage thus far, but also the third Singatory bottling in a row. I guess that is not hard to achieve as I've said there's many young SV Rosebanks from about a decade ago still around, but there sure aren't many from the 70's. The color is hazy golden. It smells cinnamon, butter, grainy, grassy, white wine, leather, rosé wine, oily. The taste is peppery, grassy, bitter, raw onions, earthy, musty, a bit different than the more recent distillates bottled by SV, but not much better. The finish is sugary, sweet, leather, onions, grainy.
A bit more spirity than the recent bottlings, but fun for Rosebank enthusiasts I guess: 3
Rosebank 14yo 1990-2004 58% The Coopers Choice cask#489
First CS in this sitting, I had a full bottle of this, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations. But many other experiences of Coopers Choice have been really good. But my last tasting of tis was many years ago, perhaps years in 5cl miniature bottle have done this one good. The color is golden. It smells spirity, grassy, papery, oily, paint thinner, oak. The taste is raw, peppery, spirity, cinnamon, bitter, needs some water I guess, right now its a bit hard to enjoy. With water it turns sweeter, creamy, aubergine, squash, sweet and wheaty drying vegetables, watermelon seeds. The finish is bitter, lime, lemon, hard to enjoy and way too spirity for a 14yo.
Certainly a whisky that could more time on oak: 2.5
#3
Rosebank 18yo 1991-2009 55.3% Gordon & Macphail Cask cask#2119,2120,2121
This one come from a refill bourbon barrel, as you might know a barrel is a bit bigger than a hogshead, and therefore takes a bit more time to impact the whisky. The color on this one is light amber. It smells wheaty, shoe polish, chalky, dusty, leather, leeks, gorgonzola, rich and bitter. The taste is citrussy, grapefruit, dark grapes, bitter oranges, a bit hard to wnjoy on its own. Lets add some water. Now it turns grassy, whisky sour, lemon, oranges, tomatoes, mangoes, really weird. The finish is peppery, grassy and spirity, just too spirity to fully enjoy for me.
So may whiskies in this series, why choose this Rosebank?: 3.5
Rosebank 14yo 1990-2004 56.3% Blackadder Raw Cask cask#225
Thins one come from a hogshead, but ad shares the same vintage and age as the Coopers Choice, lets just hope that is the only similarities. I love then pieces of oak in this series, not that it delivers anything to the whisky, but its just amazing when crushed between my teeth. The color is amber. It smells spirity, burnt, hay, burnt oak, leather, spirity, citron, grapefruit, bitter and twisted. This one is hard to swallow I imagine. The taste is intensely oaky, buttery, gingery, leather, heather, quite strong, peppery, dry cider. Crazy stuff, gotta add some water. Now it turns bittersweet, sweet white wine, butter, raw onions, earthy, not one of my fvs from this distillery. It's a bit funny how diluted whiskies are on decline, while none if these CS'es so far have seemed to impress me. The finish is sweet, clay, leather, onions, green grapes, club soda. Its much better than the Coopers Choice, but I guess, that only shows the varieties between casks within any vintage of one distillery.
Great stuff, but time and water is needed: 6.5
Rosebank 28yo 50% Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask
This might be the oldest Rosebank I've had, and the way they are selling their old stock these days I don't know if I'll have many older ones in the future. The color is dark amber. It smells dry, sweet, melon seeds, tannins, port wine, dark chocolate, grassy, herbal, perfumy, porter ale. Intense and rich sherry notes. The taste is all on soft licorice, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest, honey, dried fruits, dried peaches, pineapple. Water added. Now it turns more bitter, hay, biscuits, rubbery, leather, canned mushrooms, stale meat. The finish is sweet, caramel, milky way, dates, figs, rather light and mellow.
Let's hope they keep some of the older casks to release in years to come: 7
Rosebank 13yo 1978-1991 58.9% James MacArthur's
Another sherried one. This James MacArthur's should stand apart here as its all from oloroso casks and bottled before the closure of the distillery. I find that if this cask wasn't bottled prior to the closure of the distillery it would probably be in a heavier price range. The color is dark brown. It smells cinnamon, dark roasted coffee, coffee beans, cocoa, dark chocolate, cigars, mustard, honey, meaty, roast beef, dried paprika. This is just amazing sherried whisky. The taste is rich, dark coffee, dark chocolate, honey, dry red wine, tannic, buttery, caramel, cinnamon, cigar smoke, ashes. This is great stuff, the perfect mix of dry, sweet and rich, but no sulphur or rubbery notes, superb! The finish is burning, sweet, caramel, cinnamon, cigar smoke and honey.
Best Rosebank ever? I can't see how not: 10
Rosebank 10yo 1992-2002 60% Blackadder Raw Cask cask#1452
Matured in an oak hogshead. An american one I'd imagine. The color is pale golden with quite some cask sediments. I like that. It smells of wax, vanilla, oranges, pisang liqueur, wheat, peppery, sour milk, acidic, wasabi. The taste is vanilla, peppery, syrup, honey, banana, meringue, sweet white wine, sweet yoghurt, mint leaves, spearmint, a real dessert treat of a whisky. Would suit perfectly as a finish after a better meal, or besides some dark chocolate cake. The finish is peppery, oaky, burning, burnt sugar, a really thick and smooth bourbon-matured Rosebank.
An active cask with lots of vanilla, which dominates this whisky: 8.5
Rosebank then
Rosebank recently
Next tasting: Lochside Distillery
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