Rosebank Distillery 21 Years Old Special Release 2014 55.3% 1992

Professional reviews

Serge Valentin (88)

I had liked 2011’s 21 year old quite a lot (WF 88) but it wasn’t a lemon bomb.

Colour: pale gold.

Nose: a little more closed at first nosing, but that may come from the higher strength. I find it delicately fragrant, with meadow flowers, then rather oranges instead of lemons. A wee touch of earth and sawdust too, lemon curd, and then a very funny and certainly unexpected note of capsicum. With water: more humus, damp earth, mushrooms… No chalk this time. Also chamomile, aniseed and lemon balm. Nice development.

Mouth (neat): thicker and richer again. Vanilla, barley sugar, ginger liqueur, then lemon juice and a little bitter grass. Raw malted barley. With water: excellent. Lemon and grapefruit syrup with some barley sugar and a touch of spearmint, then plums.

Finish: long, clean, zesty, Rosebank.

Comments: excellent. It’s maybe not a hugely complex spirit but if you enjoy citrus in your whisky, you’ll love it.

BOW (89)