Signatory Glenrothes 1996 53.6%

Tasting Notes

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: dark, toasty, and nutty; Demerara sugars, cold tea dregs, and toasted coconut icing sugars; coffee cake and walnut banana loaf; orange peel and candy apple.

Palate: dark, rich, and nutty; more Demerara sugars, cinnamon sticks, and licorice root; firm toasted oak, espresso bean, and dark baker's chocolate; roasted almonds and toasted walnuts; more candy apple, and singed orange peel; the fruits are almost tropical, but the spicy oak is holding them back.

Finish: long, warming, and spicy, it gets creamier as it leaves the mouth watering; nutty, chocolatey, and spicy.

Comment: it I were a betting man, my money would be on a refill sherry cask for this one; Glenrothes is an inconsistent malt for me, so I approach each one with a little trepidation; if you're like me, fear not, this is one of the good ones... just a touch off great!

Independent Bottler

Signatory Vintage was established in 1988 by Andrew Symington. The quality of whiskies released by most Independent Bottlers can vary a lot, and be rather hit or miss. Signatory Vintage is an exception to this, and we have consistently been impressed by the quality of its offerings. Accordingly Signatory Vintage has been a staple in our shop for more than a decade.

One of the reasons for Signatory's consistently high level of quality is that it doesn't bottle casks in the hand-to-mouth fashion, of many other independent bottlers. But rather it purchases parcels of casks, storing them in their own warehouses, while patiently waiting for the whiskies to mature.

Originally located in Edinburgh, the business was moved to Pitlochry in 2002, after Symington purchased the Edradour Distillery from Pernod Ricard. Edradour is tucked into the hills above the scenic Highland town of Pitlochry. This farm distillery has a charming, rustic, and understated esthetic, which was maintained by Symington when building a new bottling facility and warehousing.

The distillery bottles single cask and small batch bottlings of both single malts and single grains. Its ranges include the Un-Chill Filtered and Cask Strength Collections. In 1988 the firm celebrated its 30th Anniversary with a range of specially chosen, exceptionally rare single casks.