The 48th release and also the oldest whisky release until now from The Whisky Jury: a Glenrothes 1986 (I believe the Cognac Prunier 1960 was the oldest spirit so far?). This comes from a refill hogshead, with a gentle ABV.
Glenrothes 36 yo 1986 (41,4%, The Whisky Jury 2022, refill hogshead #860002131, 203 btl.)
Nose: a mild fruitiness of apricots, oranges and ripe juicy pears, mixed with beehive notes and beautiful wax. Hints of light mead, nectar and dried wildflowers, as well as some sunflower oil. Sweet almonds or even marzipan. Then a little bit of leather and tree resin. This reminds me of some 1970s Glenlivet for instance, but there’s a hint of Clynelish to it as well, with this beautifully polished fruity-waxy side.
Mouth: lovely indeed, still showing plenty of ripe fruits. Pears, oranges, yellow plums and gooseberries. Subtle guava in the background. Very natural old Speyside whisky but again showing this Clynelish-y waxiness. Some Earl Grey with honey. A slice of cake as well. Some polished wood comes out, but with hardly any spicy notes. Very distinguished.
Finish: medium long, with this fruit cocktail coming out again. Never drying.
This kind of old Glenrothes is not something you see everyday. It is very refined, with a great mix of fruity and oily notes. In addition, the absence of wood makes this a meditational dram with a very high glu-glu character. On its way to stores as we speak, check the Whisky Jury website for an up-to-date list of retailers.