Rosebank 15 Years Old 1990 Cask #1755 (Mackillop’s Choice)

Mackillop's Choice selected this Rosebank, a 15 year old from 1990, drawn from cask 1755 and bottled at 43%. Rosebank was opened in 1840 on the Forth and Clyde Canal at Falkirk and mothballed in 1993. Its last spirit ran in 1993, a finite legacy revered ever since.

It was put through three stills and worm tubs for body and finesse, giving the delicate yet weighty character it was famed for. 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. The clean, high collected spirit ages gracefully, keeping its floral lift. Water came from the Carron Valley, feeding a light, ester rich Lowland spirit. The 108 foot chimney remained a Falkirk landmark through the long silent decades. Its final vintages of the early 1990s are among the most sought after of all Lowland malts. The malt was matured slowly in the temperate Lowland climate before bottling.

Reduced to 43%, it is mellow. Green apple and a floral lift sit alongside a quiet vanilla from the refill oak. A green apple and a herbal note lift it. It closes long, floral and honeyed. This is a finite pour from the King of the Lowlands.