1990 Rosebank 18 years Murray McDavid is the second Rosebank I’ve reviewed here on TWJ and it’s a nice improvement over the Signatory. Closed in 1993 Rosebank has seen the price of its whisky skyrocket over the last few years. Sometimes it’s not warranted and sometimes, like this, it might be.
In K&L’s Words: 1990 Rosebank 18 years Murray McDavid
“Rosebank is getting very difficult to find these days. It has been enhanced in a Chateau Lafite Bordeaux cask. Wow, you can’t get a better cask then that for maturing a whisky.”
For more info jump on down to the 1990 Rosebank 18 years Murray McDavid review below.
1990 Rosebank 18 years Murray McDavid Info
Region: Lowlands
Distiller: Rosebank
Bottler: Murray McDavid
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask: ex-Bourbon & ex-Chateau Lafite
Age: 18 Years
ABV: 53.5%
Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color
Price: NA – Auction, Specialty Store or Private Seller ($110 when available)
1990 Rosebank 18 years Murray McDavid Review
EYE
Pinkish copper
NOSE
Oily nutty aroma with some farmy malt, copper, toffee, apricot heavy fruit and a bit of bubblegum.
PALATE
Farmy malt and toffee sweet with layers of malt, strawberry Necco, orchard fruit, copper, nuts and smoke with just a wee bit of Canadian Mint and bubblegum.
FINISH
Long ashy, smoky and malty with bits of sherry-like sweetness, baking spice and brown sugar popping up along the way.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Well balanced, round full body and a slick heavy feel.
OVERALL
The most surprising thing about the 1990 Rosebank 18 years Murray McDavid to me is the bit of smoke that almost reads as peat. I’ve never encountered that in any of the other Rosebanks I’ve had and it’s quite pleasant; it adds a whole new layer of complexity and enjoyment to this whisky. I’m honestly more than a little sad that I don’t have a whole bottle of this.
Adding a bit of water brings out a bit of brûlée and sherry sweetness on the aroma and enhances the smoky char on the palate and overall evens it out even more and brings an additional layer of balance to the whisky. It stops just shy of reaching that A- category, but as it sits the 1990 Rosebank 18 years Murray McDavid is a damn good whisky… damn good.
SCORE: 89/100 (B+)