Glenrothes releases fourth ‘Extraordinary Cask’

Speyside distillery The Glenrothes is set to release the fourth whisky in its Extraordinary Cask Series – The Glenrothes Single Cask 1969, priced at £4,000.

The brand has launched The Vintage Vinyl Sessions in anticipation of the new Extraordinary Cask release

The 1969 is latest bottling from the brand’s Extraordinary Cask Collection, which comprises a small reserve of old, rare casks specially chosen for bottling.

The new release has been bottled from the contents of Cask #11483 – a second-fill hogshead cask, filled on 31st July 1969 – and only 69 bottles are available.

The expression is said to have a “powerful aroma of complexity including vanilla, coconut, toasted walnuts, herbal notes”, while on the palate it offers “good older wood notes” along with “toffee, popcorn, and nougat”.

On the finish it is described as having “long melt in the mouth” with “honeycomb” notes.

In anticipation of the new release, The Glenrothes launched The Vintage Vinyl Sessions, a tasting activation that combines the “two great pleasures of taste and sound” by inviting guests to listen to a specially chosen album recorded in the same year as each Glenrothes Vintage was created.

The session was held in the world-famous Abbey Road studios, so in homage the Beatles album Abbey Road was played to attendees.

The Glenrothes brands heritage director, Ronnie Cox, said: “There is nothing like the influence of music to enhance this liquid, music is after all an incredibly powerful emotional trigger; Singles, on 45RPM, are like our Single Vintages: good enough to be released on their own.

“Albums on 33RPM are like our Reserves: A selection of Single Vintages that, when married together, deliver a truly rounded and complete savouring experience: greater even than the sum of their parts.

“The 1969, extraordinary cask? Now that’s like a platinum album: that good, that rare”.

The Glenrothes 1969 Extraordinary Cask #11483 will be available from Berry Bros. & Rudd in February 2016 and its representatives in key markets.

Bottled at a natural strength of 43.8% abv, the whisky is non-chill filtered and of natural colour. Prices will start at £4,000.