Whisky : Glenrothes 12 Year SMWS 30.109 “Strangely smoothing”

Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside

ABV : 64.9%

Cask : First Fill Ex-Sherry Butt

Age : 12 Years (Distilled 6 June 2007)

Nose : Rich and heavy with tons of caramel, toffee, Turkish delight, and sweet coffee desserts.  Chocolate ganache, cream cheese brownies, and green herbaceous tobacco leaf gave way to fruity hookah bar smoke and stewed plums.

Palate : Thick and tannic with loads of oaky structure.  Opened with black coffee, nutty almond, pistachio pastries, and Turkish delight.  Malty milk duds and whoppers came arrived with spicy ginger and cola.  Chocolate and fruit developed on the finish with cherry coffee cordials and coca-cola brownies.

Finish : Lingering rich toffee, milk chocolate, and malty shortbread.

Score : 7

Mental Image : Midnight Shisha Parlor

Notes : Thick and sweet this was ‘strangely soothing’ in the manner of a subdued midnight hideaway.    Ensconced with friends, tobacco and molasses burning atop a hooka, there comes a feeling of quiet repose as smoke and low rhythmic music hang in the air while city nightlife buzzes dimly outside.

This was absolutely loaded with tons of oloroso driven notes of fudge, coffee, and tobacco, while beautiful notes of cola, nuts, and pastries offered great contrast.  This had a thick mouthfeel with bold flavors and a finish that lingered for a good long time.  For someone who has not typically been a fan of oloroso bombs, I found a lot to love with this Glenrothes.  A few drops of water brought out a rich creaminess and accentuated some of the fruit and coffee notes.  This was a treat and Glenrothes continues to be one of my low key favorite distilleries.