Rosebank 28 Years Old 1973 The Old Malt Cask (Douglas Laing)

Bottled by Douglas Laing, this Rosebank, aged 28 year old, from 1973 and bottled at 50%. 270 bottles in all. Established in 1840 beside the Forth and Clyde Canal, Rosebank was shut by its owners in 1993. Its closed era stock became a collector's prize.

It was distilled three times and passed through traditional worm tub condensers, giving a clean, fruity spirit with a worm tub weight. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, the classic wood for Rosebank. Long ageing brings a waxy depth, candied fruit and a mellow grassy note. The light triple distilled base lets cask character show clearly even after long years. 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. Few lost distilleries are mourned, or bottled, as devotedly as Rosebank. Laid down before 1993, this is spirit from a distillery silent for three decades.

At cask strength 50% it is full bodied. A gentle vanilla and coconut from the wood runs under citrus and a grassy freshness. It is refined and deep, the florals woven in. The finish runs clean, grassy and soft. This is stock from a closed Lowland legend, ever scarcer.