Rosebank 22yo 1981/2004 Rare Malts

Rosebank 22yo 1981/2004 Rare Malts

Official bottling

Single malt - Lowlands
Sunshine gold
61.1% ABV

Dram

Nose: Cream, lemon zest, leather, rhubarb and custard sweets, pears, hints of roast chicken. With water, sandalwood, cinnamon, hints of roast chicken. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, tingly, hot. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Mint, malted grains, lemon zest, pears, leather, white grapes, rhubarb and custard sweets. With water, malted grains, pears, white grapes, vanilla, rhubarb and custard sweets. 
Finish: Long. Malted grains, hoppy beer, white grapes, pears. 

Comments: 

Brilliant old Rosebank, especially delicious at cask strength. Lovely classic notes of rhubarb and custard sweets and white grapes. Water brings out more malt and a floral vanilla note.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Rosebank 13yo 1991/2005

Rosebank 13yo 1991/2005

Dun Bheagan, Ian Macleod Distillers
Single malt - Lowlands
Bright gold 
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Coal smoke, leather, lemon zest, pomeloes, charcoal ash, hints of jasmine. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, warm, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Charcoal ash, leather, coal smoke, lemon zest, starfruit, hints of vanilla custard, hints of orange peel. 
Finish: Long. Vanilla, starfruit, orange peel, lemon zest, coal smoke. 

Comments: 

Very rare treat this - not only is it a Rosebank, it’s a peated, smoky Rosebank. Lots of fruit underneath that bitter coal smoke, alongside notes of leather and vanilla custard. The usual Rosebank rhubarb and custard has disappeared. Unusual and quite an experience.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Rosebank 25yo 1990/2015

Rosebank 25yo 1990/2015

Rare Old, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Lowlands 

Sunshine yellow
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sea salt, white grapes, lemon zest, rhubarb and custard sweets, lemon thyme, hints of cucumber. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, warm, thickens slightly, tingly.  
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Malted grains, lemon zest, rhubarb and custard sweets, cream, lemon thyme, white grapes. 
Finish: Long. Malted grains, toast, fresh cut grass, white grapes, hints of lemon thyme. 

Comments: 

RO/15/11. I honestly did not think I would ever get a chance to try a Rosebank ever again. But I did, and well, it’s as magnificent as I remember. This one is light but assertive, characteristic floral sweetness blending with herbal notes on the tongue and on the finish. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Rosebank 7yo 1990/1997

Rosebank 7yo 1990/1997

Milroy's of Soho
Single malt - Lowlands
Silver gold
60% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, rhubarb and custard sweets, fresh cut grass, vanilla, hints of olive oil. With water, roses, hints of strawberries 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, turns watery, loosens. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Peanuts, fresh cut grass, lemon juice, vanilla, hints of lime zest. With water, strawberries, lime juice, caramel, more vanilla. 
Finish: Short. Vanilla, lime juice, peanuts, cookie dough. 

Comments: 

A very rare chance to try a young Rosebank. It's sweet and tangy, without the brassy metallic taste that the latter day Rosebanks tend to have. It turns very floral and sweet with water. Perhaps it's glass aging / old bottle effect, but it's very mellow, not brash, like the Rosebanks I'm used to.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Rosebank 21 yo 1990/2011

Rosebank 21 yo 1990/2011

Official bottling
Single malt - Lowlands
Pale green gold
53.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemons, rhubarb and custard sweets, fresh cut grass, toast, hints of sage. With water, more tart, vanilla, lemon zest, hints of roses. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, tingly, turns syrupy. 
Tasting:  Sour . Lemons, rhubarb and custard sweets, hay, hints of toast, hints of sage. With water, more sour, fresh cut grass, hints of roses, lemon zest. 
Finish: Medium. Lemons, olive oil, hay, hints of toast. 

Comments: 

One of the last drops of Rosebank left, surely (at least within my price range). This one is surprisingly heavy, while retaining that tart rhubarb-and-custard sweet character that I so associate with the distillery. On the tongue it's quite vegetal, and with water, even more so. Underpinning all of this is a slight toastiness. Very good indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 25.65 (Rosebank 22 yo 1991/2014)

SMWS 25.65 (Rosebank 22 yo 1991/2014)

2014, SMWS
Single malt - Lowlands
Straw 
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, papayas, lemon zest, rhubarb and custard sweets, hints of ginger. With water, bread, apples. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens, spicy, warming. 
Tasting: Sweet sour. Peach, mint, papayas, rhubarb and custard sweets, hints of apples, hints of ginger. With water, turns more savoury, bready, stewed apples. 
Finish: Long. Rhubarb and custard sweets, lemon zest, mint, ginger. 

Comments: 

Mmm. Lovely, lovely Rosebank, full of the typical rhubarb and custard notes I've come to associate with this distillery. This is peak drinking quality. The stuff must be running out; best taste it if you can.


Verdict:

I like this a lot.
 

SMWS 25.52 (Rosebank 18 yo 1991/2010)

SMWS 25.52 (Rosebank 18 yo 1991/2010)

2010, SMWS
Single malt - Lowlands
Golden
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon sweets, cream soda, limes, pine, cloves, hints of honey, hints of vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, loose, airy.
Tasting: Sour. Lemon sweets, limes, honey, vanilla, coconut, cloves, hints of cinnamon.
Finish: Medium. Lemon sweets, limes, cloves.

Comments:

Very tart and citric, turning spicy on the tongue. It's not like other Rosebanks, much less sweeet, with the lemons really coming through. There's an overtone of limes as well, which isn't something I've encountered before in this type of whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Rosebank Distillery

Rosebank Distillery
Camelon Road
Falkirk
Stirlingshire (Falkirk) FK1 5BW

Lowlands, Scotland - Closed

Flavour profile

Rosebank whisky is sweetness and light. There seem to be 2 kinds of Rosebank - that which tastes like lemon sweets, tart and fragrant, and that which tastes like old-style rhubarb-and-custard sweets, tangy and fresh. Occasionally I seem to find one which has mixtures of these flavours. Underneath that, there's a whole host of sweet flavour elements - orange peel, honey, chocolate etc.

In addition there are a couple of chemical flavour elements that are usually present. First, there's brass polish, a sort of acrid, solvent-like smell. Then, there's usually some grass present, along with citrus fruits.


All the Rosebanks I've tasted so far are here.

Rosebank 17 yo 1990/2007 - very good
Rosebank 1992 Cooper's Choice - good
Rosebank 12 yo Flora & Fauna - very good
SMWS 25.46 - good
SMWS 25.47 - good
SMWS 25.48 - very good
Rosebank 16 yo 1991/2007 - very good

Distillery history

The distillery was founded by James Rankine in 1840. The distillery was demolished in 1864, but rebuilt again in 1865, giving it a second lease of life. It was one of the distilleries that was originally part of the Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd, which eventually became part of United Distillers, which in turn became part of Diageo. Like many Lowland distilleries, Rosebank practiced triple distillation.

The distillery was silent in the periods 1862-1864 and 1917-1919. It was closed in 1993, and though there are a lot of Rosebank fans who would love to see it come back, the distillery was has been dismantled. The site is now owned by the British Waterways Board, and is likely to be redeveloped.

Potted distillery facts

Water source: Carron Valley Reservoir.
Washbacks: Eight?
Wash stills: One, normal neck.
Spirit stills: Two, constricted neck.

- The Scottish Whisky Distilleries, Misako Udo

Rosebank 16 yo 1991/2007

Rosebank 16 yo 1991/2007

The Whisky Society, Specialty Drinks Ltd
Single malt - Lowlands
Bright yellow gold
56.1% ABV
Bottle

Nose: Rhubarb and custard sweets, lemon sweets, honey, brass polish, chocolate, ginger, orange peel, hints of peat. With water, turns peppery and more gingery, lighter, less intense.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, tingly, astringent.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Rhubarb and custard sweets, honey, lemon sweets, lemon zest, chocolate, ginger, chillies, hints of tobacco leaf, hints of lavender. With water, turns saltier, marmalade appears, more gingery and papery.
Finish: Medium. Vanilla, orange peel, lemon sweets, hints of peat.

Comments:

The Whisky Society is an ongoing series bottled by Specialty Drinks Ltd, the great chaps behind the Whisky Exchange. This whisky is the only Rosebank so far. It's intense, complex and fully-flavoured, and full of the rhubarb-and-custard sweet notes that mark out the Rosebanks that I love the most. It's a tad strong, although it slips down so smoothly you wouldn't realise it. But add a few drops of water, and it opens up, turns lighter, and loses some of its sweetness. I still can't decide whether I like it better neat or diluted.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 25.48 (Rosebank 18 yo 1990/2009)

SMWS 25.48 (Rosebank 18 yo 1990/2009)

2009, SMWS
Single malt - Lowlands
Copper
59.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon sweets, mead, honey, rolled oats, brass polish, hints of fennel. With water, lemons, lemons sweets, orange peel.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, static, tingly, warm.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Lemon sweets, rolled oats, cinnamon, honey, fennel, vanilla, hints of chillies. With water, more sour, lemons, lemon sweets, much more like a Rosebank.
Finish: Long. Lemons, mead, cinnamon.

Comments:

Delicious, thick Rosebank. Not light like the usual make, instead surprisingly heavy. But the lemon sweets, brassy character is still there, albeit covered by cereally flavours. A little water opens this up admirably.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 25.47 (Rosebank 20 yo 1989/2009)

SMWS 25.47 (Rosebank 20 yo 1989/2009)

2009, SMWS
Single malt - Lowlands
Golden
56.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Coca cola, lemon sweets, lavender, limes, honey, vanilla, custard, hints of chocolate.
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens quickly, slightly astringent.
Tasting: Sweet. Chillies, chocolate, lemon sweets, hints of brass polish, hay, lavender, limes. With water, lemon juice and biscuits appear.
Finish: Medium. Chocolate, honey, limes.

Comments:

Subtle and muted at first. Requires a few drops of water to release the classic Rosebank lemony notes, and to me, biscuity notes. Quite tasty, although perhaps a mite too strong.

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS 25.46 (Rosebank 17 yo 1991/2008)

SMWS 25.46 (Rosebank 17 yo 1991/2008)

2008, SMWS
Single malt - Lowlands
Pale pink gold
56.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pear, grass, lemon meringue pie, sea salt, hints of cow dung.
Mouthfeel: Light body, turns syrupy quickly, egg white consistency.
Tasting: Sweet salty. Spicy, apples, lemon meringue pie, grass, hay, hints of sea salt.
Finish: Medium. Lemons, grass, peaches, pear.

Comments:

Fragrant and inviting - until the slight hints of cow dung and major hints of grass appear. I don't think this is the best example of a Rosebank. It's a little too grassy for me, and maybe a little too salty. Wonderfully light on the tongue though, although it then turns into an interesting consistency for a Lowlands whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Rosebank 12 yo Flora & Fauna

Rosebank 12 yo Flora & Fauna

Flora & Fauna, official bottling
Single malt - Lowlands
Straw
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberries, raisins, lavender, lemons, oat bread, sponge cake, caramel.
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, slightly oily.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Lemons, brass polish, strawberries, hints of orange peel.
Finish: Long. Tingly, lemon peel, coconut sweets.

Comments:

Had this at a Royal Mile Whiskies tasting, with the theme "Silent Stills". Light and lovely, although sweeter than I expected. Less lemony and bold than the unofficial Rosebanks. I really like this. They shouldn't have closed this distillery! I believe the bottle was release #12.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Rosebank 1992 Cooper's Choice (1992/2005)

Rosebank 1992 Cooper's Choice (1992/2005)

Cooper's Choice, Vintage Malt Whisky Co.
Single malt - Lowlands
Straw
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cream, butter, labneh, malt, Horlicks, lemon, hint of rose, hint of hibiscus.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, oily, viscous, expands in the mouth.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Lemon sherbert, spiced barley, brassy, metallic, hint of rhubarb and custard sweet.
Finish: Medium. Tea, lemon curd, cashews.

Comments:

Surprisingly heavy and creamy for a Rosebank. There's just a hint of the summery rhubarb and custard character. Not easily available anymore - I had to buy a dram of this at a restaurant. Thought it was definitely underpriced.

Verdict:

I like this.

Rosebank 17 yo 1990/2007 Cask Strength

Rosebank 17 yo 1990/2007 Cask Strength

From the cask, the Whisky Exchange
Single malt - Lowlands
Straw gold
55.2% ABV
Mini

Nose: Spring grass, lemons, fresh orange juice, not the peel. Rhubarb and custard sweets. Slightly medicinal from the high ABV.
Mouthfeel: Light body. Evaporates quickly. Like getting poked in the mouth.
Tasting: Salty sweet. Jam doughnuts, lemon curd on toast. Magic marker and pear drop lurking underneath.
Finish: Medium length and warm. Something sweet and spicy, like mulled wine (although that's not very summery). Fades to sweet.

Comments:

This is identical to a whisky sold by Specialty Drinks Ltd as part of their Single Malts of Scotland range (Rosebank 16 yo 1990/2007) but at cask strength of course. I bought this from the sales cask at the Whisky Exchange. First taste of Rosebank, and I really enjoy the light, summery, "brassy" character.

Verdict:

I like this a lot!