Rosebank 18 Year (1991) Gordon & MacPhail Cask Strength

Review by: zSolaris

Distillery: Rosebank.

Region: Lowland.

Age: Distilled July 3rd, 1991. Bottled August 22nd, 2009.

ABV: 53.30%. Cask Strength.

Cask Numbers: 2119 – 2121.

Cask Types: Refill Bourbon Barrels.

Price: Sample courtesy of /u/federalagents.

Color: 1.1, Burnished.

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Nose: The nose does not inspire much confidence. It is fairly ethanol heavy, far more than this probably should be. Notes of malt barley and flowers are the most prominent after the ethanol, dandelion and chamomile are what come to mind. There’s an earthy-flowery-sugary note as well, perhaps a bit of demerara sugar and an elderflower syrup.

Palate: The nose teased it but this is basically jet fuel. It’s hot, incredibly so and incredibly unpleasant. At full strength, it just burns. After dousing it in water, it becomes drinkable but is far from anything impressive. It is fairly bready in flavor, there’s something that reminds me of the semolina bits from the bottom of a pizza crust. It remains ethanol heavy, even after drowning it, though it does become drinkable. A bit of floral liqueur and vanilla icing wrap things up.

Finish: Medium in length. Warm at best, searing hot at worst. Bit of lemongrass, a bit of malt, and a bit of yeast come through when it isn’t trying to burn your tongue off.

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Conclusion: It may sound a bit callous, but I’ve been of the opinion that some distilleries probably closed for reasons related directly to the spirit they produced and less for reasons related to overarching market factors. My experiences with Rosebank, while admittedly limited, have not impressed and this Gordon & MacPhail bottling is the worst of the lot. With a ton of water, it is barely drinkable and lacks in flavor even when you get something other than pure ethanol. Unimpressive and ultimately I’m left thinking Rosebank closed for a reason.

Final Score: 60.

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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.