Rosebank 18 Years Old 1974 Cask #5048 (Dun Eideann)

Bottled by Dun Eideann, this Rosebank, an 18 year old release, from 1974, drawn from cask 5048 and bottled at 43%. 600 bottles in all. Rosebank stood on the canal at Camelon, near Falkirk from 1840 until it was brought to a halt in 1993. After closure the site fell derelict, and thieves even took the copper stills in 2008.

The spirit was triple distilled and worm tub cooled, the Rosebank way, for the refined Lowland style quite its own. Ex-Bourbon casks held the spirit, soft oak that lets the florals lead. Around two decades the malt gains a waxy weight over its floral core. Long, cool Lowland maturation lets the floral spirit take oak slowly over many years. Ian Macleod rescued the distillery, the trademark and the last casks, reopening it in 2023. The first new make ran on the 5th of June 2023, almost thirty years to the day after closure. Water came from the Carron Valley, feeding a light, ester rich Lowland spirit.

Reduced to 43%, it is mellow. Vanilla and a light cream from the barrel runs under citrus and a grassy freshness. It is refined and deep, the florals woven in. A softly floral finish lingers warm. This is prized stock from a distillery reborn only in 2023.