Glenrothes Distillery, Rothes: The Sherried Speysider

Overview

Glenrothes, in the distilling town of Rothes, makes a rich, sherried, fruity Speyside malt best known for its distinctive rounded bottle and for being released by vintage. Long a key filling for the Cutty Sark and Famous Grouse blends, it has a strong reputation as a single malt among lovers of the sweeter, sherried style.

The history

Glenrothes was founded in 1878 by a company that completed the build amid financial drama — the local bank collapsed during construction. It stands beside the Rothes kirk and its graveyard, which gives rise to its famous ghost story, of a distillery worker’s spirit that had to be laid to rest. It has been an Edrington malt for decades.

The water & the land

Glenrothes draws on the Lady’s Well — the “Fairies’ Well” — and the Ardcanny spring in the Glen of Dounie above Rothes.

Glenrothes had no founding clan. Rothes was historically Grant and Earl of Seafield country — the estates of the old Earls of Rothes having passed to the Seafield family — the Grant land that underpins nearly every distillery in the district.

Visiting

Glenrothes is not open to the public — visits are private and by invitation only. The town of Rothes, with several distilleries, is the place to explore; the website covers the whisky.

Nearby & more whisky

• Also in Rothes: Glen Grant
• Another Rothes distillery: Speyburn
• The whole picture: Scotch whisky — the full guide

Sources

• The Glenrothes distillery — Wikipedia.
• Edrington; Whisky.com.