Rosebank 14 Years Old 1979 (Connoisseurs Choice)

A Rosebank single malt, selected and bottled by Gordon & MacPhail, a 14 year old Lowland malt, from 1979 and bottled at 40%. Rosebank, first established in 1840 on the banks of the canal in the central Lowlands, was silenced in 1993. Ian Macleod bought the site, the trademark and the last casks from Diageo in 2017.

The spirit was run three times through copper pot stills, then cooled in worm tubs, for the elegant, floral style that crowned it King of the Lowlands. A refill American oak cask held it, keeping the Lowland character to the fore. Past a decade and a half the florals deepen into honey and soft tropical fruit. Time in the cask deepens the delicate spirit into honey, tropical fruit and beeswax. Rosebank stood on the Forth and Clyde Canal, which once carried its casks to market. The pairing of triple distillation and worm tubs was unique to Rosebank among Scotch distilleries.

At 40% it is clean and elegant. A delicate floral, waxy depth sit alongside soft vanilla and honey from the cask. It is clean and elegant, the grassy spirit shining through. A delicate, fruity finish lingers long. This is a revered triple distilled malt from a distillery silent for thirty years.