Glen Grant Rothes Chronicles Cask Haven Single Malt Scotch Whisky (1000ml)

'Cask Haven' is a duty free exclusive that's snuck its way into a handful of Australian retail stores, but at a dramatically inflated price. This is the first bottling in Glen Grant's Rothes Chronicles series (circa 2019), named after its home town in Speyside. Drawn from a selection of first-fill Bourbon and Sherry casks, it pretty much nails the kind of profile you expect from this distillery; on the nose, honey, pears and red apples come wrapped up in a swathe of vanilla. On the palate, honeyed / waxy fruits have a greener, grassier edge, the spices are a little perky and the flavour definition not quite as well realised as it is on the nose. The finish is crisp and refreshing. Given it's bottled at 46%, you expect a bit of body, and it delivers. In other words, a solid 'everyday' GG plus a little bit more besides. The one litre format adds a little extra sweetness to the value. Very limited stocks.

Other reviews... Remains, as last year, one of the most significant and alluring of all Scotland's malts. 96 points - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2022

... Some pretty expensive NAS for travel retail, where have we seen this set-up before? Colour: white wine (great). Nose: flints and lemons (great). Seriously, a very good surprise, with something of the older Glen Grants, with some smoke and an obvious minerality, beeswax, custard, touches of mashed potatoes (the genuine recipe, half potatoes, half butter), then rather lime and angelica. Very smart composition – and I’m not saying this just because I like it, mind you. You sure get the vanilla from 1st fill oak, but they managed to keep it polite and well-behaved. Mouth: a big-bodied, flinty, chalky start, then lemon zests, some unexpected salt, green tea, gooseberries, a smokiness for sure, oils and waxes, grasses… Was this smokier distillate a one-off or has it become the norm at Glen Grant? Could be, since this is NAS, so probably very young (as no one would bottle some old whisky as NAS – I know some say they do but come on – talking about the youngest whisky in a blend here). Finish: long, maltier and breadier, and certainly pretty excellent. More chalk, lemon, and waxes. Comments: surprise surprise! I suppose with the demise of air travel, these tenser babies will soon find a path to regular shops. 87 points - whiskyfun.com