Quietly and without compromise, The Glenrothes distillery has been producing some of Speyside’s finest single malt for more than a century. What began in 1879 continues in much the same way to this day: the making of a no-nonsense, finely crafted single malt. A whisky made with integrity, authenticity and, above all, with expert craft.
Water: the five sources
To this day The Glenrothes is one of the few distilleries in Scotland to have its own sources of water for production, processing and spirit reduction located on the estate.
At The Glenrothes we owe an important debt to nature. The pure spring waters that surround us are the foundation of our spirit and the local streams that run through our estate are essential for cooling and maintenance of our production processes.
We call it ‘Uisge Beatha’, our water of life. Every dram carries the precious legacy of this elemental liquid and because we know exactly where our water comes from, we can ensure that every single drop contributes to the impeccable character of our whisky.
Slow distillation
Slow distillation eliminates more impurities and allows for the production of a lighter and fruitier spirit, which is more delicate overall.
Our new make spirit is carefully nurtured in our tall copper stills at the distillery for longer than usual, which helps to produce a lighter, fruitier spirit that forms the signature style of The Glenrothes single malt.
Slower distillation eliminates more impurities, allowing for the production of a more delicately flavoured spirit while the taller necks of our distinctive copper stills allow the alcohol to rise and mellow out further, providing the perfect foundation for our award-winning single malt.
Sherry seasoned casks: the essence of The Glenrothes
Our commitment to sherry seasoning persists in order to ensure delicious flavour profiles through a careful balance of European and American Oak.
Sherry seasoning brings a unique depth of flavour to the maturation process. That’s why the majority of The Glenrothes is matured in sherry seasoned oak casks, carefully produced to our exacting standards from near Jerez, Spain. These casks are all assessed and repaired at our own in-house cooperage, using time-honoured methods.
Our commitment to the most sought after sherry casks is driven by the knowledge that to make the best whisky, only the best wood will do.
Natural colour
The colour in each and every dram of The Glenrothes is derived only from our own casks, never altered. A testament to the skill of the whisky maker’s craft and to the natural quality of our authentic single malt.
A great single malt should be enjoyed with all the senses. That’s why we always maintain the natural cask colour of our whisky.