ALPINE CONFECTIONERY – Score: 7/10
Glenrothes has always had a soft spot for dates. Long before age statements became the industry’s favourite marketing tool, this Speyside house was labelling its whiskies by vintage, inviting drinkers to think of a malt the way they might think of a particular year in a vineyard. A 2015 distillate bottled at nine years old fits neatly into that tradition — a young snapshot, but one with a clear sense of place.
The distillery sits in the town of Rothes, where it has been producing spirit since 1879. For most of its life it worked largely in the background, supplying blends, while its own bottlings built a quiet following among those who prefer generosity to fireworks. Rothes itself is something of a whisky crossroads, with several distilleries sharing the same small valley, yet Glenrothes has kept a recognisable, rounded house character.
That roundness shows up immediately. Raw sugar cane opens the palate, sweet but not sticky, soon joined by plump raisins and a firm strand of liquorice that gives the whole thing the feel of a mountain sweet shop’s top shelf. A vinous note runs underneath, lending depth to the fruit, while pepper builds steadily towards the finish and keeps the confection from turning cloying.
It is not a whisky that tries to reinvent anything, and it doesn’t need to. Balanced, cheerful and well put together, it delivers exactly the kind of sweet, spiced comfort its youth promises — the sort of glass that disappears faster than expected and leaves you reaching for the bottle again.
