1995 Signatory Vintage Glenrothes 30 Year Old Symington's Choice Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) - 54.4%

"...has everything that is good about Sherry: it is rich, indulgent, varied, deep and intense." - whiskybase.com

Whether for astute collecting or hedonistic drinking, Signatory's cask #6980 from Glenrothes should be on your short list. 499 bottles were decanted. Variously described as "monolithic" yet "more refined than a typical Symington profile", it comes full-term matured from a first-fill oloroso butt, uncut, straight from the cask. Regular readers may recall that this label highlights Andrew Symington's favourite picks from the enormous warehouses at Edradour in Pitlochry. First released in 2023 with a focus on heavily sherried malts aged between 20-35 years old, these whiskies have offered some freak values. But the great price doesn't matter if the whisky doesn't taste good. By all reports, this bottling fullfills all of the criteria for a stand-out buy in premium Speyside, especially in the context of what other distillers are commanding for sherried malts (often of younger age and lesser quality). We're told it's also increasingly unusual for Glenrothes to let go of heavily sherried stocks - of this or any calibre. 54.4% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

Other reviews... The Sherry is very intense: fig jam, cinnamon-dusted apple tart, raspberry coulis, dried dates and apricots, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, chocolate fondant, marzipan, creamy vanilla, damp wood, salted caramel, honey, parquet wax, incense, and freshly tanned leather. On the palate, it is very rich and sweet, but not excessively so: raisins, slivered almonds, crushed quince, several candied fruits, a generous helping of spice, crème brûlée, and a hint of lemon zest. The finish begins with dark chocolate, coffee beans, cashew nuts, melted butter, shortbread cookies, and a touch of wild strawberries. Toasted walnuts and nougat complete the experience. - whiskybase.com