Review by: TOModera
Went to one of my favourite Toronto pubs this past weekend, just for a break from my World Whisky kick. Don’t worry, I’ll be going back to some world whiskies after this tiny break, and then probably taking a break again when I go back to the pub again next week. With friends, not like “I have to go back” sorta thing. Don’t judge me!
The Lowland region is my second favourite region, after Islay. And that’s kinda crazy, when you think about it. One is very floral and light, and the other is smokey and ballsy. Don’t know how to explain it, maybe it was going into a florist before hitting the pub, but I’ve been wanting a light, floral whisky.
Usually I go for Auchentoshan. Not only does it have the added benefit with being impossible for me to pronounce, it’s also not that pricey and typically in stock. But when the specific Auchentoshan I wanted wasn’t available, I decided it was time to try another distillery from the region I enjoy. I mean, maybe I only enjoy Auchentoshan?
Enter the Rosebank 8 year Cadenhead Authentic Collection. It’s Cask Strength, there’s no colouring, it’s young, and it’s Independently bottled. Seems like a good idea.
I knew nothing about the distillery when I ordered, however it turns out they’ve had some trouble. They were bought out, the distillery demolished, tried to start again with the stills somewhere else, metal thieves stole them, and now Diageo has stated they aren’t starting up the name again. So any bottles you try are limited releases.
Distillery: Rosebank Distillery.
Bottler: Cadenhead’s.
Region: Lowland.
ABV: 57.9%. Cask strength.
Age: 8 years. Distilled in 1989. Bottled in 1997.
Cask type: Oak Cask.
Price: $172.34 (CAD). Can’t actually get this one in Ontario, however I did find some auctions that had this price
Color: Vidal white wine
Nose: Violets, grapes, chocolate, raspberries, dry grass, rose water
Very floral. Like sticking your head in a bouquet. I don’t know why you’re doing that, but hey, it’s the internet and there are weirder things out there, so shine on your crazy rockets, shine on.
Stronger than other Lowland’s I’ve tried. Not bad, very nice.
Taste: Mineral water, sour peach, burn, jalapeño, peppery steak, grapefruit, cherries, lime
There’s a lot of mineral taste at first, which I don’t really know how to react to. I mean, why do people drink mineral water? Water is better. Mineral water tastes like rocks. Wait, what was I doing…. oh yeah, Scotch review.
Remember that sour peach flavour, cause it’s going to kick your head in over and over. Very fruity, yet there’s more to this one. I like it, has more to it than you’d think.
Finish: Basil, oregano, sour peach, lime, earthy, zucchini, dry, earth, smoke
Medium length, though I’m kinda bummed on this one. The sour peach is there, but it’s trying to be a Cambelton or a generic ending. I mean, it’s refreshing, in that dry sorta Chardonnay way, but after the Taste, I was hoping for more fruit, and not just an Italian pasta sour peach mixture. TOModera = Sour Panda.
Conclusion: This is a nice dram, except for the finish, which is generic and kinda boring. There’s so many things going nicely for this; it’s fruity, it has a nice nose, and it should be great. I recently reviewed two drams that I enjoyed a lot (Belgian Owl and Armorik), and this one falls between them. Belgian Owl had a better finish, and more of what I wanted. Armorik could learn from this one, as the taste is better.
Final Score: 83.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 