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The Glenrothes Distillery is located in Rothes in the heart of the Speyside. It looks back on a very turbulent history. The day the first spirit was distilled at Glenrothes was 28 December 1879 and this might have been seen a bit as a bad omen: It was the day the Tay Bridge at Dundee collapsed. Several times The Glenrothes was hit by fire and it burnt down at last, but as a phoenix it rose again and today it’s back on the stage and playing a big role in the Whisky game.

The Whisky of the Glenrothes is not released regarding its age and writing 10, 12 or 18 year old on the label. The Glenrothes is famous for its Vintage Releases. Maturation takes part in Spanish Sherry casks and to a smaller amount as well in American oak to look for an ideal balance of the aromas. The light, clean and fruity new spirit that leaves the stills with their tall swan necks is matured to be a Whisky with a ripe bouquet of berries, candied fruits, sometimes more spicy, sometimes more floral. Each of the Glenrothes Vintage Releases has its own variation of aromas, blended from Whisky that was distilled in the same year.

Besides these Vintage Releases that make up the heart core of Glenrothes there are some other releases called “Reserve”. A Glenrothes Sherry Cask Release for example, batched only from Whisky of Sherry casks, or Glen Rothes Alba Reserve, for which only Ex-Bourbon-Casks are used.

The Glenrothes Distillery is situated at the foot of the Mannoch Hills beside the Rothes Burn. Two natural springs, the Ardcanny and the Brauchhill that also feed this burn, are the natural water sources Glenrothes uses. Malting is not done at The Glenrothes, but it doesn’t come from far away: malting happens at Tamdhu Maltings, about 12 miles away. Milling, mashing, distilling are done at the Glenrothes as it is usual for Scottish distilleries but they are proud to have their own cooperage on site which is very uncommon toady.

The Mashing

Mashing at Glenrothes is done in a large mash tun with a capacity of 5 tons. The tun is copper topped and filled three times with hot water for each mashing: The first two waters that wash out the sugar from the malt, the so called “wort”, is cooled down and then led into the wash-backs. The third water washes out the little rest of sugar and used to be the first water for the next mashing.

The Fermentation

Twenty wash-backs are the hosts for the fermenting wort, each of them with a capacity of 25.560 liters. Twelve of them are made of Oregon pine, 8 of stainless steel. Distiller’s yeast is used for fermentation that lasts about 55 hours at the Glenrothes and ends up with a beer 0f 8% ABV.

The Distillation

10 pot stills work in the stillhouse of the Glenrothes. 5 wash stills and 5 spirit stills work pairwise and because of their high shape produce a light, fruity and elegant spirit. The heart of the run makes up about 20% of the distillate and has a strength of 68 – 72% ABV.

Cooperage and Warehouses

At Glenrothes casks are filled with an average strength of 68.9% ABV which is more than most distilleries choose; those use 63.5% ABV. You can say that casks are filled with spirit as it comes out at second distillation. The casks that are used are mainly Sherry casks to achieve a fruity, aromatic taste the Glenrothes stands for, but also Bourbon casks for a nice balance of aromas. The Whisky that matures here is carefully watched and chosen for bottling at the peak of maturity.

The History

1878 works on the site begun that in former years had been home of a sawmill. James Stewart started to build the distillery but because of financial problems Robert Dick and William Grant took over and completed the building and started production in December 1879. Economic situation got better; there was a big demand for Whisky.  In 1887 when Glenrothes and Bunnahabhain formed Highland Distillers the annual production of the Speyside distillery was already 360.000 liters and it increased to 1.36 mio liters in 1898 after in 1896 two more stills had been installed.

Fires in 1897 and 1922 caused damages and an explosion in 1903 had nearly totally destroyed the distillery, but it always was repaired and rebuilt again. Prohibition, the First World War and the Wall Street Crash in 1929 achieved what the fires didn’t: production went down and the distillery closed down at last. But not for long and soon after the end of taste the Glenrothes stands was back in business.

In 1963 a third pair of stills was installed and heating changed from direct fire to internal steam.1979 was not only the year the fourth pair of stills arrived, it was also the year the Whisky that would be bottled as the first Glenrothes Vintage was laid into casks. 1989: Fifth pair of stills installed that helped to increase production to 5.6 mio liters.

Sale of the Glenrothes Vintage 1979 started in 1994 and marked the beginning of a new area. 1999 the Edrington Group bought Highland Distillers, including The Glenrothes, but sold the distillery to Berry Bros&Rudd in 2010.

Visitor Center

There’s no visitor center at the Glenrothes and the distillery is not opened to the public.

The Glenrothes Highland Distillers Ltd 100 Queen Street Glasgow G1 3DN Email:  hello@ remove-this. theglenrothes.com

User Notes about the Distillery

Share your experience with other whisky lovers. Write a note about your trip to the Glenrothes distillery.

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Glenrothes Distillery

The distillery.

The Glenrothes is one of the great Speyside distilleries located in the village of Rothes. It was built in 1878 by James Stuart who at the time worked for the famed Macallan distillery. It released its first whisky in 1879.

Glenrothes gets its water from a private spring called “’The Fairies’ (or Lady’s) Well” which runs nearby. It still uses exact replicas of the stills installed when it was founded, although the numbers have increased to ten in total, five being wash stills, five being spirit stills.

Its malt is well known for its structure and flavor and is partly used in some of the most popular blends in the world, including the Cutty Sark and the Famous Grouse. It is also a bit unusual in the sense that it does not mark its whisky by years but by vintage, the reason being that the distillery releases only when it is satisfied with its spirit, irregardless of how long it has aged. Having said that, independently bottled releases do feature age statements.

Most of its whiskies are matured in sherry casks but some bourbon casks are also used.

Well known for its spicy and rich character, you might want to give Glenrothes a try if you have not already. Exquisite whisky.

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SWB | Somerset Whisky Blog

Reviews and opinions with a focus on single malt scotch whiskies since 2011.

Visit: The Glenrothes Distillery

Anyway, I start with an early 7am flight up to Aberdeen from Bristol… as ever the BMI flight excites me, I love the Embraer Regional Jets they use, plus BMI gives you breakfast (I’m usually an EasyJet flyer)! It’s the little things. Saying that, I’d already had breakfast in my B&B… and I couldn’t help but have another breakfast in the Aberdeen airport Weatherspoons on arrival… Three breakfasts! What’s wrong with that?! They’d do that in the Shire . 🙂

We end up in one of the old dunnage warehouses where we are able to all have a go at using a valinch to extract whisky from three different types of casks. We were all invited to have a wee taste to see if we could work out which was the oldest whisky before it was revealed… I massively over-thought it and assumed there was some trickery going on and so got it completely wrong… the young sherry was much younger than I thought!

We sadly pack our bags and leave (after a quick look around the house cellars and the good amount of goodies down there) to head back to the airport after what was a fabulous trip away. Many thanks to all involved, Sophie, Ronnie, etc.,  for a memorable experience and some great new friends made along the way.

Quick tip while I remember… many of The Glenrothes drams can be purchased in little 10cl bottles, which they call a Double Double . A great way to try their wares!

 Tasting Notes

Most of these are very hastily scribbled down, but who knows, you may find them interesting and or useful…

New Make – unknown abv

Sweet and fruity, light and smooth, very easy drinking and enjoyable.

Alba Reserve – 40% abv

Info: It’s NAS (min 8yo max 15yo). It’s also Kosher! i.e. it’s all bourbon matured, no sherry. Colour: Light Golden, ripe straw. Nose: Light newish wood, honeyed malt, vanilla. Light, sweet and tasty. Palate: Vanilla, light and woody with a citrus and coconut note. Finish: Fairly short but sweet and tasty. Tip: Freeze it for a flavour burst when you try it. Thoughts: I rather like it, it’s nice / interesting to try Glenrothes without sherry in it. Available: Master Of Malt – £39.95 (3cl taster drams available too).

2001 Vintage – 43%

Colour: Full gold. Nose: Sherry, but a fine and light sherry, honey and malt, leather, sweet. Cream and butter, vanilla and a dry citrusy note. Palate: Fairly full, slight spice, almost fizzy. Citrus and sherry fruits. Half light, and half dark. Finish: Longish, gentle and slightly warming with puffs of smoke. Thoughts: An early to mid evening type of dram. Available: The Whisky Exchange – £54.95

Cutty Sark 25yo – unrelease sample – 47% abv

Info: 2% grain (North British), Tamdhu and Glenrothes. Nose: Very full, soft but an old bruiser, gorgeous nose that you could smell all day. Palate: Thick, oily and gorgeous. Sherry sweetness but not cloying. Fine, light & old, some desert island citrus. Finish: Fab. Best dram of the trip. Available: Not available (we finished it!).

Oldest Reserve – 43% abv

Info: NAS but a large proportion of 35yo in it. Nose / Palate: Robust, old and grand, very nice indeed. Finish: Long, gently sweet, sherry, leather. Not tannin lead which is good in my books. Thoughts: Suggested to be somewhat along the lines of the Cutty above, and it wasn’t overly far off, a lovely rich dram that ticks the boxes for me, very enjoyable. Available: Travel Retail (price unknown), but also The Whisky Exchange – £199.

1998 Vintage – 43% abv

Info: Bottled 2012. Colour: Medium to full gold. Nose: Rich vanilla and citrus but also sherry rich, honey and biscuit malt. Palate: Fairly thick and easy going, puffs of smoke, honied. Finish: Sherry with more puffs of smoke (from the cask char). Light. Available: The Whisky Exchange – £59.95

1988 Vintage – 43% abv

Info: Bottled 2011. Nose: Deep, rich and relaxing. Furniture polish, dried fruits, backdrop of citrus notes, a touch of freshness and candied peel. Palate: Quite full, even at 43% abv. Rich sherry and peel, with herbal qualities. Finish: Long, warming and relaxing. Medium sweet, not too tannin lead. Available: The Whisky Exchange – £363

1978 Vintage – 43% abv

Info: Bottled 2008. Colour: Fully golden with hints of orange. Nose: Surprisingly light for such an old dram, however don’t be fooled, it’s deep, and gently sweet with slight seville orange citrus tones, leather and aged oak. Palate: Medium thickness on the palate, makes it easy, but I’d wish for thicker. The gentle sweet orangey citrus tang found on the nose is there on the palate along with honey and malt, what seems to be a signature. Finish: Very long, just like you’d expect from an old dram, hints of cask char gives it puffs of smoke. Thoughts: I love it, but then it’s my birth year so I would. It’s a gentle grand old dram, some sherry, but not a sherry bomb. A relaxed and enjoyable well aged dram. I wish they’d bottle it at 46% when you pay that much. Available: The Whisky Exchange – £399

1975 Vintage… No Comment!! (It was bloody good)

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Sunny days, sweet whisky: A visit to The Glenrothes Distillery in Scotland

• Tipsy Turvy

Tuesday, 19 Dec 2023

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A visit to The Glenrothes Distillery offers a unique experience that is a far cry from some of its more visitor-friendly contemporaries. — Photos: MICHAEL CHEANG/The Star

It was a nice sunny day in Rothes, Scotland. The sheep were baa-ing nearby as we took a nice morning walk up a hill to see one of the natural spring water sources that are so essential to making The Glenrothes single malt Scotch.

The Brauchhill spring itself was just a little bubbly hole in the ground, but the water that we drew from it was as fresh as the lovely sunny Scottish air around us. It also tasted brilliant when splashed into a dram of Glenrothes 12 Year Old, which we got to enjoy as we basked in the sunshine (a rare occasion in Scotland, we were told).

The Glenrothes 12YO is a lovely dram with a grassy and fruity nose and paste and even some hints of mint, and is the epitome of the distillery’s DNA of a light, fruity spirit which is complex and refined at the same time.

Founded in 1878 by James Stuart and his business partners in Stuart & Co, namely bank agents William Grant and Robert Dick and solicitor John Cruikshank, Glenrothes is situated in the little town of Rothes, which boasts not one, but four whisky distilleries in its vicinity.

The first whisky ran from The Glenrothes’ stills in 1879, but it has been hit with quite a number of disasters throughout its history, including a ravaging fire in 1897, an explosion in 1903, and a further fire in 1922, that consumed hundreds of gallons of ageing stock. But still it persisted.

The distillery is also a short drive away from another Scotch distillery also under the Edrington portfolio, The Macallan, but is a far cry from the latter's modern state-of-the-art, visitor-friendly experience. For while the Macallan distillery was custom built to incorporate the visitor experience, The Glenrothes doesn’t even have any visitor facilities to speak of. No visitor’s centre, no tours, no gift shop. Just a distillery making some pretty darn good whisky.

But it was still a thoroughly unique experience nonetheless, one which started with us putting on knee-high boots and orange worker vests at the Rothes House, an impressively stoic but elegant mansion atop a hill that was the starting point for our journey.

From there, we walk down a peaceful pathway through a cemetery down to the distillery proper, passing by the grave of James Stuart himself along the way.

After the short trip to the Brauchhill spring, we then visited the Glenrothes’ cooperage and warehouses, and also got up close with their wash backs, mash tuns, and stills. We even got to try some low wines and new make along the way, which helped us to understand The Glenrothes' process better, and why their whisky turns out the way it is.

Stuart’s initial goal for Glenrothes was to build a distillery that would pioneer cutting edge techniques and harness the latest innovations in whisky making in order to distil a lighter, fruiter spirit than ever before, in pursuit of the perfect blend (this was early on in the era of blended whisky, when the category was becoming increasingly popular in the Scotch market).

While The Glenrothes was originally calibrated for blending, the distillery eventually began to release its own standalone single-malt whiskies around 1994. After an initial period of releasing malts by vintages, the brand revamped its core range to the current age statement in 2018.

The whiskies are mainly sherry matured, like Macallan, but the use of much taller stills and spring water from two natural springs, the Ardcanny and the Brauchhill, give their whiskies a unique fruity, candy-like nature that sets it apart.

After our tour, there was a tasting of the Glenrothes, of course.

We started off with the Whisky Maker’s Cut, matured in first-filled sherry-seasoned American and European casks, which despite its 48.8% ABV, was a good starting whisky to introduce drinkers to its signature fruity style.

Then we tried the Glenrothes 18 Year Old, aged in first- and second-filled American and European casks, which for me was a slightly more elegant and refined version of the 12YO.

The highlight for me, however, was trying the Glenrothes 25 Year Old (first and refilled US And European sherry casks) for the first time.

On the nose, that candy fruitiness is stunning, with more dried dark fruits and sultanas, hints of nuttiness and sherry-influences coming through on the palate. The finish was long and rich, with a perfect balance of honey and dark fruits lingering long after the last dregs of liquid had been downed.

For me, it was the perfect dram to end our visit to the distillery that I think is arguably the best kept open secret in Edrington’s Scotch portfolio.

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Tags / Keywords: The Glenrothes , Scotch , single malt , whisky

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Sunday, October 24, 2010

Distillery visit > glenrothes.

Very nice! I like the fact that you decided to expalin the procees of the making as part of the visit to the distillery, but wish you had wrote more about the distillery visit experience - how it was for you etc. Thanks for the post, I think I'll direct to it whisky newbie friends who want to learn about the process of whisky making in an easy welcoming way! Cheers!

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Glenrothes Distillery - Innovation in Scottish Single Malt Whisky

Located in the famous Speyside region of the Scottish Highlands, Glenrothes Distillery stands as a tribute to innovation and quality in whiskey production. Known for its method of selecting whiskeys based on maturity rather than age, Glenrothes has carved a niche for itself among single malt whiskey enthusiasts worldwide.

History and Heritage

Glenrothes was established in 1879 in the town of Rothes. Since then, the distillery has undergone several changes and renovations, but it has always remained committed to creating exceptional Speyside whiskies. This commitment is rooted in the distillery's belief that it is not age but quality and maturity that defines a great whisky.

The production

Glenrothes' approach to whiskey production is both traditional and innovative. The distillery uses traditional methods such as pot stills and oak aging, but differs by choosing its whiskey releases based on maturity rather than age. This means that each bottle of Glenrothes whiskey is a unique expression of the specific year in which it was distilled.

Whiskey Assortment

Glenrothes' range includes a number of releases selected by their Master Blender. From "The Soleo Collection", which is a range of aged whiskies, to their "Reserve Collection", which includes some of their most exceptional matured expressions, there is a Glenrothes whiskey for every taste.

Visit the distillery

A visit to Glenrothes Distillery is an opportunity to delve deeper into the fascinating world of single malt whisky. The distillery offers guided tours that give visitors an insight into their unique distillation process and a chance to taste some of their fine whiskies.

Glenrothes Distillery is more than just a whiskey producer. It is a place where tradition meets innovation and where passion for whiskey goes hand in hand with an unwavering commitment to quality. For those looking for a single malt whiskey that breaks with tradition, Glenrothes is an obvious choice.

See the range of whiskeys from Glenrothes Distillery

Macallan 12 Years Old Double Cask

Hibiki Japanese Harmony

Macallan A Night On Earth - The Journey

The Macallan Quest

Macallan 18 Years Old Double Cask 2023

Maker's Mark Bourbon Whiskey

Glenrothes (Glenshiel)

• Region Speyside
• Founded 1878
• Find Available Casks from Glenrothes ( glenshiel)

The Glenrothes distillery was established in 1878, with production commencing in December of the following year.

Glenrothes is a complex, full and beautifully balanced, every dram. The new make spirit is carefully nurtured in tall copper stills at the distillery for much longer than is strictly necessary. Slow distillation provides a lighter, fruitier spirit, eliminating more impurities and allowing for the production of a more delicately flavoured spirit. Glenrothes is one of the last distilleries in Scotland to maintain an in- house cooperage. That’s why the majority of The Glenrothes is matured in sherry seasoned oak casks from produced to our e Jerez, Spain.

Price Range

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The Glenrothes Distillery, Speyside

The Glenrothes is sought-after by Master Blenders across the land as a 'top dresser' for their blends, contributing an extra dimension of elegance, complexity and quality . 

The Glenrothes Vintage Malt is the product of one year of distillation. Unlike wine, where climate is key in determining the quality of the vintage, with Single Malts it is the quality of the wood used in the oak casks which is of greatest influence.

Once a prospective Glenrothes vintage malt has been identified, its casks are systematically checked until such time as the malt is judged to be at its best for drinking; then it is bottled. Normally this ageing process is between 10 and 16 years after distillation , producing a malt characterised by a fruity, spicy nose and a heathery-honeyed palate . On rare occasions, this ageing process can be longer, producing classics with dried fruit character and real mellowness. Recent Awards: The Glenrothes Vintage Reserve won a  Double Gold Medal at the China Wine and Spirits Awards 'Best Value' 2015. The Glenrothes Extraordinary Single Cask 1970 picked up the whisky industry’s highest accolade for design at the World Whisky Awards 2013.   It won first the sub-category for ‘Best Design – Limited Edition’ followed by the overall prize for ‘World’s Best Design’.

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Glenrothes And Markinch

Glenrothes is one of Scotland's post-Second World War new towns.

Located in central Fife, the town was developed during the 1950s and 1960s. It has excellent recreational facilities, including parkland, various sports venues and two golf courses.

In recent years, Glenrothes has become a focus for electronics manufacturing, earning it the nickname 'Silicon Glen', after Silicon Valley in the USA.

Markinch lies a few miles east of Glenrothes and combines a historical setting with excellent access to modern amenities and a strong sense of community. St Drostan's Church is the focal point of town and the surrounding conservation area.

Although a relatively small town, Markinch has two major parks within its boundaries: John Dixon Park provides children's all-weather play facilities and football pitches while Balbirnie Park is a unique facility containing bridle paths, picnic areas, woodland walks, wildlife areas, a caravan site and golf course.

Every summer, the Markinch Highland Games are held in John Dixon Park.  

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Visiting Glentauchers Distillery, Chivas’ Centre of Excellence

Situated between Craigellachie and Keith is Glentauchers, just off the A95, nestled into a friendly valley. It is one of many distilleries owned by Chivas, and usually it is not open to the public. Only once a year a small number of visitors are allowed inside Glentauchers.

Glentauchers opens its doors during the Spirit of Speyside Festival, which I’m currently attending. That means that you’ll probably see some more posts about distillery visits in the coming weeks, maybe even in the next few days, depending on how much time I have to write. Either way, something to look forward to, I hope.

It’s immediately obvious that Glentauchers is not equipped to handle visitors. There’s a car park somewhere, but I only recognize it because a few other fellow whisky enthusiasts were already bold enough to park their vehicles there. There’s no signs whatsoever, but after a short walk I notice a few people huddled together inside an office/welcome room.

Waiting inside is Mark Cruickshank. He is Distilleries Manager, plural. At Chivas he is responsible for Longmorn, Strathisla and Glentauchers. I might’ve forgotten a fourth, but three is impressive in and of itself. They call Glentauchers their ‘Centre of Excellence’, Mark explains. It is the only fully manual operated distillery owned by Chivas.

While there are computers inside the distillery, nothing is controlled by the computers. That’s all up to the operators, of which there are two at any given time. When the distillery was in need of refurbishment in 2007, a conscious decision was made to not modernize the distillery. Now it is Chivas’ training distillery, as Glentauchers is where all their operators, warehouse managers and even directors spend time to learn the trade, which explains the nickname.

An interesting part of the distillery, Mark tells, are the former maltings. They’re in the old parts of the distillery – Glentauchers expanded in 1965 – stemming from the late 19th century. Apparently, they are quite the sight to behold, but they’re not part of the tour, since the stairs leading up to them aren’t quite sturdy enough to accommodate a group of people going up them.

Nothing to do about that, so instead our first stop of the tour is, as is generally the case on these types of things, the mill room. Connected to it, and easily spotted, are the grain bins. Ten in all, although only five are in use currently. Since the maltings aren’t active any more, they don’t need as much storage capacity for (malted) barley as they used to.

Currently Glentauchers takes in about 147 tonnes of malted barley in a week. Which sounds like a lot, and actually is a lot, but pales in comparison to Glenlivet, where 1160 tonnes a week is needed to keep the distillery running. In total roughly 4 million liters of alcohol is produced at Glentauchers annually, with the distillery in operation five days a week.

The copper-domed mash tun (which is huge) and the six washbacks (also quite large) are all in the same spacious room. When the current lauter mash tun was installed in 2007, it had the slowest rotating rake in the Scotch whisky industry, completing a revolution every 12 minutes. It was so slow in fact, Mark says, that at times the rake used to stop completely – an issue that since has been fixed.

The washbacks hold up to 56,000 liter of wort each. Liquid Kerry yeast (330 liters) is added after about 2,500 liters is filled into a washback, but only after the temperature is checked – any higher than 16 to 18 degrees Celsius and the fermentation might not be optimal.

Fermentation time at Glentauchers ranges from fairly short (56 hours) to fairly long (approximately 106 hours). Half of the work week a short fermentation is employed. Since no one works at the weekend to empty the wash backs, that’s when the fermentation becomes quite lengthy. After distillation all spirit is blended together, so the different fermentation times balance each other out.

It’s a this point that Mark fishes out some wash (or beer, whatever you want) out of a washback that had been fermenting for about 44 hours up until that point. The wash was supremely nutty at that point, and I suspect the fruity compounds hadn’t yet fully formed, as they tend to arrive a little later on during fermentation (if I remember correctly).

Entering the Glentauchers still house is an experience. You travel across a small walkway that spans the length of the room, and is actually pretty high up. You watch the six copper pot stills from atop the shell-and-tube condensers, with the hilly countryside of Speyside stretching out behind them. It’s a beautiful view, in large part because of the unique vantage point. I wasn’t allowed to take a picture up there, sorry about that.

One thing (or two things actually) that immediately catches your eye in the still house, is a duo of big stainless steel tanks propped up behind the pot stills. As Glentauchers doesn’t really have enough washbacks, Mark tells, the wash is pumped into the tanks before it goes into the wash stills. As a side effect of this, the yeast receives a bit of a kick start because the temperature in the still house is very high. It undoubtedly has an effect on the final spirit.

We ended the tour where we started it, in the office/welcome room, where a dram of 11 year old Glentauchers was poured for everyone. Heavily sherried, to the point that it was almost obscene, especially since it was bottled at 64.1 percent also. Not quite my style, but it went down well among my fellow participants.

I never really had much feel for Glentauchers. It doesn’t have much of a single malt presence (although Mark hinted that might chance in the near future), and mostly produces spirit for blends. However, after my visit, seeing how fond Mark was of the distillery, and experiencing Glentauchers myself, I can certainly see myself exploring more independent bottlings from this Speysider. Looking forward to it, actually.

Anniversary Post: Glenlivet 1954 & Caol Ila 1968 (Gordon & MacPhail)

Tamdhu 18 Years (2022)

First look: new tamdhu 18 year old.

Glenburgie 1998 22 Years (Gordon & MacPhail)

Well Thijs, I’m prettig sure The Dutch Whisky forum 10th anniversary Glentauchers is a whisky that will tick several of your boxes

I’m sure of it, looking forward to trying it 🙂

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