Glenrothes 24 Years Old 1997 Cask Series 020 (North Star)

North Star Spirits is a Glasgow based independent bottler founded by Iain Croucher in 2016, presenting numbered Cask Series releases that present curated bottlings drawn from the firm's working inventory. The firm operates with a strong focus on transparency about cask provenance and bottling decisions. This Glenrothes 24 Years Old, distilled in 1997 and bottled in 2022 at 47.1% from Oloroso casks, runs to 250 bottles within the Cask Series 020 release for the German market.

Twenty four years in Oloroso casks produces a richly developed sherry profile through accumulated cask interaction. By this age the cask's first fill activity has tapered, with secondary extractions of lignin and hemicellulose dominating: syringaldehyde, vanillin and eugenol alongside furfural from hemicellulose chemistry. The residual Oloroso sherry's sotolon contributes the savoury walnut backbone that distinguishes long aged sherry. Vatting multiple casks smooths individual cask variation while preserving the developed signature.

On the nose, hay barn warmth sits with honey, vanilla pod and a citric lift, dried and fresh fruit threading through. The palate moves through fig, raisin and a polished oak undertone, with 47.1% strength delivering balance without harshness. A faint walnut depth emerges mid palate. The finish runs long and softly drying, the European oak's grip framing the cask's accumulated sweetness.