Now here’s a tasty treat any scotch lover would do just about anything to get their hands on. It’s the second introduction from the Extraordinary Cask Collection of single-cask bottlings of The Glenrothes Single Malt Scotch Whisky from the late 1960s and early 1970s. Priced at $7,000, The Glenrothes Single Cask 1969 #11485, will arrive in the United States in May. It is bottled in a hand-blown lead crystal decanter and housed in a leather-bound carrying case.
This particular cask was distilled on July 10, 1969, Cask #11485. It yielded just 133 bottles at a natural strength of 42.9% ABV and showcases the quality and purity that are the hallmarks of The Glenrothes – evident in the balanced, elegant and well-mannered single malt with peerless texture and perfectly expressed by this single cask bottling.
“Very old and rare whiskies are becoming as valuable and sought after as pieces of art,” says David King, President of Anchor Distilling. “In many ways The Glenrothes 1969 is a reflection of the quality of the liquid in its purest form. Add to that the elegant presentation and you have a true gem.”
No more than one single cask is released from The Glenrothes each year – and only after lengthy assessment. “The Extraordinary Cask from 1970 was released in September 2012, when it was at its peak; there were a mere 179 bottles, which have all sold out,” notes Ronnie Cox, Brand Heritage Director at Berry Bros. & Rudd. “The time is right to release this delightfully characterful Glenrothes distilled in the summer of 1969, which I am delighted to proclaim, is now ready to be committed to glass.”
From the distributor: The Glenrothes Single Cask 1969 No. 11485 is clear and bright with rich golden hues. On the nose, you get herbal notes, with yogurt and mint giving way to ginger honey cake. On the palate you’ll get a very expressive and intense fluid that is balanced with liquorice and barley sugar with the texture of raw silk. Finally, on the finish there is lemon, lime and coriander; Indonesian pepper and yuzu.
And let’s not forget the elegant decanter. Each of the Extraordinary Cask releases is presented in a hand-blown lead crystal decanter to mirror the iconic shape of the Glenrothes bottle – a design that received a World Whisky Award in 2013. In keeping with the elegance of the whisky and the heritage of The Glenrothes, each decanter has been individually created by a master craftsman at Atlantis Crystal in Alcobaca, Portugal, using the purest form of crystal, distinguished by its great resonance, transparency, luminosity and weight.
A plaque made of polished brass is applied to just one front facet: engraved with the year of distillation and the bottle number to ensure the uniqueness and authenticity of each individual decanter. Brass has also been used for the hand-engraved collar on the neck of the decanter, supplied by Charles Stott, of the Edinburgh-based Scottish Silversmiths. In addition, the head of the stopper is fashioned from the wood of the very cask #11485 in which the whisky has matured.
The outer case is fine, hand-crafted leather, reminiscent of luxury travel luggage. Each bottle comes with its own oak plinth, made from solid Scottish oak, for display purposes and a book co-written by seven leading whisky writers each contributing a chapter about The Glenrothes, its history and the whisky.
Imported by Anchor Distilling Company, 28 bottles of The Glenrothes Single Cask 1969 #11485 will be available in the U.S. at a suggested retail price of $7,000.