Glenrothes John Ramsay

46.7% abv

Score:  90.5/100

To celebrate his pending retirement, Glenrothes’ ‘Malt Master’ (what does one have to do to earn a title like that?!) john Ramsay put together this rather special vatting of sherried single malt.  A range of casks dating between 1973 and 1987 were selected as special vintage, married together and re-racked into sherry butts for a further period of integration.  Two of these butts were then vatted, with an output of 1400 bottles, to make up the Glenrothes John Ramsay Legacy.

Going out on your own terms is something very few of us ever get the opportunity to do in life.  To go out on your own terms and have your swan song be something like this?  Not bad, John.  Not bad at all, sir.

A lovely nose.  As to be expected from a distillery famous for its sherried drams, the primaries here are…well…very typical sherry characteristics.  Sweet and tangy, dark fruit and spice.  Citrus zest (somewhere between orange and grapefruit), French vanilla cream, faded potpourri, sage, eucalyptus and some lovely ‘inexplicable’ fruits.

The palate is tannic and drying with flavours of wine gums and a warming spiciness (clove and ginger, methinks).  On into an almost tangerine note and further into the spices.  There is a creamy sweetness here too that I can only compare to adding honey to tea.  Imagine a spoonful of honey that has only half melted off into the hot liquid before you pull it out and taste the warm sweet melt on your tongue.  A very downhome old school licorice-ness to it as well.  Long and lingering.

I’d love to sip this one late one snowy eve by the fireplace.

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt