2008 Single Cask Nation Glenrothes 8 Years hails from one of my least favorite malt distilleries; there’s something about Glenrothes that just never does it for me. Looking at my notes I’ve had 5 different releases from them and have never had one that blew me away. Not a single one has done anything for me except the Lismore 21. That was pretty good, but it just barely scored a B+ on the old scoring system (likely a B now).
In Single Cask Nation’s Words: 2008 Single Cask Nation Glenrothes 8 Years
“This cask bottling, distilled in October 2008, spent eight years maturing in a refill ex-Oloroso sherry hogshead. It was bottled at cask strength in September of 2016 at 56.3% ABV. Cask #10763 yielded 252 bottles.
This rewarding dram is malty and salty to begin, with waxy tropical fruits that transition into a sweet and spicy finish”
Founded in 1879, Glenrothes has been known for eschewing of age statements in favor of embracing vintage statements which they release in enormous batches. On one hand, it’s interesting that everything in the releases come from the same time period but on the other hand it does open up windows for a large variance between releases. And speaking of time, I think it’s time we get on to the 2008 Single Cask Nation Glenrothes 8 Years review.
2008 Single Cask Nation Glenrothes 8 Years Info
Region: Speyside, Scotland
Distiller: Glenrothes
Bottler: Single Cask Nation
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask: Refill Sherry Hogshead
Age: 8 years (08-16)
ABV: 56.3%
Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color
Barrel: 10763
Price: $95*
2008 Single Cask Nation Glenrothes 8 Years Review
EYE
Dark honey
NOSE
Malty butterscotch overtone with layers of honey, graham, dried fruit, brown sugar and a touch of spice, sherry and a musty funk.
PALATE
Darkly sweet and funky with bits of brown sugar, dried dark fruit, graham, sherry, ash, cocoa and a bit of sulfur.
FINISH
Medium funky earthy fade with bits of sherry, malt, cocoa and nuts.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Not fully balanced, medium body and a soft feel.
OVERALL
2008 Single Cask Nation Glenrothes 8 Years is among the better Glenrothes I’ve had, but still not super amazing because its inherent funky notes overshadow a lot of the dram. The sherry sweetness helps a bit but doesn’t fully cover the funk.
With water the aroma opens a bit and the sherry notes bounce up a touch and some of the funk goes away and makes the aroma more pleasant. Though on the palate water makes it both sweeter and funkier. Overall my favorite portion of the 2008 Single Cask Nation Glenrothes 8 Years is the aroma which is probably about as good as young Glenrothes can get.
SCORE: 81/100 (B-)
*Disclosure: This sample of 2008 Single Cask Nation Glenrothes 8 Years was graciously sent to me by the company for the purposes of this review. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.
