Aptly named, Glenrothes Distillery occupies the point where the river Spey runs from the nearby hills into the town of Rothes in the Speyside region. ‘Glen’, of course, meaning ‘valley’, but you already knew that.

What you might not know, however, is the sheer size of Glenrothes: 10 stills fill a still house that is busy all day every day, producing over 5 million liters of spirit every year. Not bad for a distillery that is tucked away so nicely.

Whisky from Glenrothes has always been very popular amongst blenders, and is still today often used as a top dresser in blends. Furthermore, it can often play a prominent role in big-brand blended malts, but we’ll not mention names.

What’s its character, you may ask. A touch on the heavier side, due to its relatively short fermentation period, which means a nice, strong spell in quality wood does it the world of good, allowing rich and viscous character to shine. Often matured in sherry-seasoned wood as well as ex-bourbon casks, a wide variety of expressions of flavor can be enjoyed. Furthermore, Glenrothes tends to release its own single malt expressions as vintages, which ever-contributes to the excitement of tasting its goods.

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