Scotland, Lowlands: Single malt whisky through the producing distilleries: history, making, production and tasting notes

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Rosebank

Description of the whisky

The distillery

Rosebank distillery


Rosebank Distillery
Falkirk
Stirlingshire FK1 5BW

Owner: United Distillers & Vintners (Diageo)
Creation date 1840

photos

The Rosebank distillery is settled on the banks of the Forth-Clyde canal near Falkirk and is mothballed since 1993.
It is a former malting called Camolon which was purchased by DCL (Distillers Company Ltd) in 1914.
Considered as the best of all Lowlands malts by some specialists, Rosebank is still available in cask strength version in the collection "Rare Malts".
Independent bottlers have put several versions on the market.

The whisky

A propos des notes de dégustation Your own tasting notes

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Rosebank: official bottlings

Rosebank
1981
Rare Malts Selection


Age
20 years
Alcohol percentage
62,3%
Particularity
Cask Strength
Bottler
Official
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Rosebank Rare malts 1981
A very fresh nose, with hints of mint and pepper, dryed grass. Slightly pungent. In the palate, first a kind of bitterness, and then it developes on citrus fruit notes. The mouth becomes dry after a while, and then goes on its development on more malyt notes, and an rather oily texture. Very amazing mouth... The persentage of alcohol is far from being unnoticed... The finish is lingering and spicy, and comes back to woody notes after a while, and a kind of tingling probably due to the high percentage of alcohol appears. A very nice complexity.
18/20
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Rosebank
25 years old
(1981-2007)


Age
25 years
Alcohol percentage
61.4%
Bottler
Official
Particularity
Triple distilled
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Rosebank 25
The nose is clearly marked by the freshness of cut grass with a touch of wood and a very discrete hint of smoke. Fruity hints too, marshmallow and some flower smells. Quite a complex and tempting nose. The first mouth impression is really great. Coffee notes, chocolate and very fine wood, amazingly contrasting with the freshness of the nose. No aggressiveness, the alcohol can be very discrete even if its percentage is quite high. After a while, some bitter notes (unripe walnut) appear and the cut grass impression which was clearly present at the nose has disappeared. The finish is very pleasant and prolongs perfectly the mouth. Chocolate notes seem to dominate this finish which remains very complex. Some hay notes come and enrich this finish after a while. And at the very last moment, the cut grass flavours from the first nose come back....
19/20
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 Rosebank: independent bottlings
 

Rosebank
1991
The Ultimate Malt Selection


Age
10 years
Alcohol percentage
43%
Particularity
Triple distillation
Bottler
The Ultimate Single Malt
=25 euros< 25 euros
 
 
The whiskies from the Lowlands are not as famous as the ones from the Highlands or the Isles.
If  on top of that the independent bottler who markets them does not make the right choice... no wonder there are so few remaining distilleries in that area.
I have drunk some very good whiskies from Rosebank who definitely convinced me, but this one could discourage the bests...Do not buy that bottle. But this does not mean anything regarding the qualities of the distillery. There are lots of very good Rosebank's on the market.

The nose is rather sweet with some hay hints. The palate is sweet too, and a slightly dominant honeyish background precedes a short but not unpleasant finish. The typical cut grass flavours are missing, and the quotation is higher than the first time.
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Rosebank
10 years
1991
Chieftain's Choice


Age
10 years
Alcohol percentage
43%
Cask
Sherry Fino
Bottler
Ian McLeod
=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
 
 The nose recalls an impression of lightness and reveals fragrances of green pears and slightly perfumed fruits.
The impression on the palate is light, dry, malted with some flower tones.
The finish is sweet and refreshing.

(la Maison du Whisky)

The happiness with this wonderful whisky begins with the first nosing.  The nose detects some of the characteristics of Lowland whiskies (lightness, cut grass, etc...) but with some more character. The palate is very pleasant, and reveals lots of fragrances. A exceptionally complex whisky for a Lowlands. The finish is rather long, letting us enjoy this excellent alcohol for minutes. Another illustration of the quality of thisz series.
18/20
Strange mysteries of whisky tastings. The second tasting revealed a whisky even stronger than during the first one. I found some slight smoke hints, nearly recalling a Springbank. A very complex taste and a remarkable finish. A very great bottle.
19/20
The nose is remarkably gentle and sweet whit clear hints of ripe fruits, pear for instance. In the palate, a very pleasant complexity, sweetness without great contrasts but with much nuances, and some slightly bitter woody touches. Really delicate and refined. A rather long and sweet finish. This whisky must be tasted consciously, because you could miss its magical side...
18/20
A nicely but discrete perfumed nose with beautiful fragrances of ripe fruit (pear) and acid drop. The pleasant mouth is rather dry and slightly acid, with some bitterness and spices. A nice fruity and sweet finish.
18/20

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Rosebank
11 years
1991
Chieftain's Choice


Age
11 years
Alcohol percentage
43%
Cask
Sherry
Bottler
Ian McLeod
=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
 Rosebank

Nose
Floral and fruity. Bluebells. Pears poached in vanilla syrup. Exotic wood. Toasted bread.
Palate
Flowery. Chocolate toffee. Coconut. Burnt cream. Sandalwood.
Finish
Quite delicate, crisp and dry, vanishing on a bitter note. Walnut peel.
Comment
An attractive medium-bodied Rosebank. The sherry finish has added complexity to delicacy. Some exotic notes which makes it really appetising.

(Martine Nouet)

The nose reveals some discrete fruit and vanilla hints. In the palate, sweet exotic fragrances share the attention with a hazy cut hay smell. A rather long finish recalling a nut taste makes this bottle a very great one. One more reason to regret the fact this distillery seems to be closed forever....
19/20
The rather discrete nose is marked by sweet fruits (pear) and a nice flower smell. In the mouth, un strange mix of sweet spices, pepper with a slight touch of wood on the background and a blend of citrus fruit and chocolate (where both are perfectly fused, losing their respective aromas to create a new taste, quite difficult to define, at the time warm and slightly acid)/ A nice finish, however a bit short, first on fruits, and ending on a nice and discrete woody hint.
18/20
The fruity nose is slightly spiced with a hint of smoke on the background. The palate is pleasnatly markd by both frutis (ripe apple) and spices (pepper) with light bitter nutty hints.A great sweetness seems to be dominant. The same sweetness dominates the finish as well, giving this whisky some syrupy character, far from the traditional freshness of Lowlands whiskies. It's a shame, as the first nosing was really promising.
.17/20
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Rosebank
11 years
1989
Provenance


Age
11 years
Alcohol percentage
43%
Particularity
non chill filtered
Bottler
Douglas Laing
=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Rosebank Provenance
A honeyed/floral nose becomes more accentuated with the addition of water. Its light, smooth body, even without water, gives rise to an attractive clean, yet fruity palate. The soft dry finish would make for an excellent aperitif
This Rosebank version by Provenance is really surprising. All the freshness of a Lowland and all the power of a Highland. A hint of smoke. And still this nice fuzzy feeling due to un chill filtration. A great sweetness mixed with some acidity, in short a rather complex whole characterizes the palate. A long and complex finish too, from honey to citrus, passing through some fruity fragrances. Another excellent bottle.
18/20
The nose is marked by discrete hints of smoke and sweet floral notes. A smell of dried grass appears after a while, after some minutes of aeration of the whisky. In the palate, a delicious mix of honey and (very sweet) lemon. A very nice finish, where honey reappears.
18/20
A third tasting just confirmed the second one.
18/20
Quite a metallic impression with hints of yeast... Not really encouraging at the first nosing. After a while, some discrete hay notes appear.
In the palate, discrete slightly acid notes with some fruit, peat and a generally dry impression, though not unpleasant. We are far from a great malt, I'm afraid.
The finish is between bitterness and ripe fruit with a touch of alcohol.
16/20
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Rosebank 11 years
1991
Cask Sample


Age
11 years
Alcohol percentage
58,1%
Particularity
cask strength
Bottler
Signatory
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Rosebank

Colour deep yellow with orange glints
The nose is powerful, marked by nice floral notes (lilac) and a vegetal character (fresh grass). After aeration, it developes on pear and on some delicate notes of vanilla.
The palate is rich and voluptuous, and develops on malted barley on a slightly acid background. It is elegant and fruity (medlar, quince) on a light woody background.
The finis is lingering and recalls the fruits, the vanilla and fresh grass. Subtle chocolate hints.

(la Maison du Whisky)

A rather fresh nose, even if it is clearly dominated by the alcohol, slightly pungent, reveals nice notes of ripe fruit and cut grass. The palate is powerful and delicate at the time. Powerful due to the high percentage of alcohol and because of the general impression left by this exceptional malt and delicate because of the ripe fruit hints and the refinement of the floral touches. A nice complexity. The finish is lingering, ant the taste of ripe fruits remains for a while then develops on more bitter notre.
19/20
A nose which first seems to be dominated by vanilla and ripe fruits. Nicely floral, Just smoothness and happiness.
In the palate, the same fruity smoothness is very present, together with some honey hints. Aromas between ripe peach and green apple, as behind the fruity sweetness, some acid notes appear.
This freshness disappears at the finish which remains dominated by honey hints.
18/20
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Rosebank 14 years
1990
The Coopers Choice


Age
14 years
Alcohol percentage
46%
Bottler
The Vintage Malt Whisky Company
=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Rosebank 1990
A fresh and rather fruity and discrete nose, like most of the Lowlands whiskies. A mix of cut grass and ripe pears. In the mouth, a nice complexity, revealing alternately more bitter notes, cocoa-like, nutty (not woody), and some slightly acid hints, between orange and tangerine. Some tinglings despite the reasonable percentage of alcohol. A nice finish, sweet but with character, quite long, where the bitterness detected in the mouth remains on the background behind some fruity touches.
18/20
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Rosebank
1990
Reserve


Age
14 years
Alcohol percentage
58,8%
Particularity
Cask strength
Bottler
Gordon & MacPhail
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Rosebank: reserve 1990
The first nose is slightly tingling and medicinal (ether), but this rather unpleasant impressions disappear quickly to make room to nice fruity (apple) hints mixed with cut grass on a smoky background. In the palate, a nice both acid and fruity freshness, but the obvious burning presence of alcohol is somewhat hindering. Nice complexity however. The finish is rather short, with first nice fruity memories, before ending on a burning sensation due to the alcohol, which remains for a while.
17/20
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Rosebank
1990
Berrys' own selection
Casks 1518/1519/1520


Age
15 years
Alcohol percentage
46%
Bottler
Berry Bros & Rudd
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Rosebank Berry Bros 1990
Quite a fresh nose, smelling like a green apple lost in a haystack. Some smoke too. The mouth is first marked by citrus acidity, but developes quickly on fruity notes, while keeping a general alcohol impression. A kind of bitterness (nut) comes along too. The finish is relatively short, both warm and fresh, I mean alcohol remains very present, together with fresh citrus notes.
17/20
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Rosebank
1981-2006
Daily Dram


Age
25 years
Alcohol percentage
43%
Bottler
The Nectar/Bresser & Timmer
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Rosebank 1981 the nectar
An amazing nose. Freshness and character; It evokes the smell of orange juice. Cut grass and a whiff of smoke with very nice citrus notes make this nose quite entrancing, as it is very pleasant and extroardinary unusual. In the palate, the effect is simply great. Some orange juice too, nicely peated and chocolate notes. NIce balanced and rather complex with a large taste palette, from orange to chocolate. The finish is pleasant, with first some leather hints, and the citrus freshness again. Really an amazing whisky for its originality, and an excellent one for its quality.
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Rosebank
Single Malts of Scotland


Age
15 years
Alcohol percentage
46%
Bottler
Single Malts of Scotland
=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Rosebank 15 Single Malts of Scotland
A beautifull and very fresh fruity nose with hints of pear and citrus fruit (tangerine). Very pleasant with hints of wax. First impression is freshness and acidity, but after a while the nose gets smoother and develops nively on floral hints. Some honey too. Impressive.
An amazingly complex mouth, starting on citrus notes developing on green apple before going on on ripe apple hints, Some alcohol presence at the end and a discrete nutty bitterness. Impressing
The finish prolongs exactly the mouth, but the bitter notes are nicely  merged with the citrus. Lingering and fresh. An excellent whisky.
18/20
A nice and fresh smell of hay, farm, some citrus notes and hints of smoke or wax on the background. The nose is complex, and hints of malt and yeast complete the first impressions. The mouth is rather fresh too, dominated by citrus, a kind of acidity thus, and pleasant notes of fruit and malt together with a very discrete bitterness increasing the pleasant character of this whisky. The finish is pleasant, fresh too and the bitter notes are slightly more present than they were at the nose or in the mouth. But the citrus notes keep dominating.
18/20
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Rosebank
1991-2008
Reserve (For Netherlands)


Age
17 years
Alcohol percentage
54,4%
Particularity
Cask strength
Bottler
Gordon & MacPhail
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Rosebank GM 1991
A typical Lowlands freshness, cut grass and ripe fruits (pear, banana), mentholated notes.
In the palate, a mix of sugared smoothness and citrus acidity, between tangerine and lemon. Very nice complexity and superb development from citrus fruit to much smoother yellow fruits.
The finish is rather long and very fresh with slightly mentholated hints and the fruity notes remain.
18/20
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Rosebank
Clydesdale
17 years
Cask 0192/631


Age
17 years
Alcohol percentage
56,3%
Bottler
Clydesdale
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Rosebank 17 Clydesdale
A fresh and fruity nose with hints of cut grass and mint behind a light veil of yeast. Ripe peach and exotic fruits.
In the palate a great fruity smoothness is the first impression, quickly followed by an alcohol impression developing on a kind of bitterness before coming back to the original fruity roundness. So it has come full circle.
The finish is rather sort and keeps the memory of the fruit which was so present in the mouth.
18/20
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Rosebank:not in collection

Rosebank
12 years


Age
12 years
Alcohol percentage
43%
Bottler
Official

Comments by Henrik Johansson

Date of tasting: 27/7 2008
Apperance: Young sauternes or Pale straw
Nose: A very light and delicate nose. Some estery aromas like lemon, kiwi and bubblegums blends with drier, more floral notes like roses and apple mints. Further, some wine winegar, cut paper and hay are detectable. Refreshing, like a stroll in the flower garden, yet more complex than I've experienced from most of it's Lowland cousins.
Body: Light.
Palate: Very pleasant and overall quite dry. The dominant impressions were of herbs and roses and some slight earthy hints. The finish is quite long and delicate with some reminders of heather.
87/100

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Lowlands

There are only three active distilleries left in the Lowlands. This area was during the 18th and 19th century the main producer of whisky. This area has seen the birth of the industrial production of whisky.

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Click on the map for a list of the distilleries of the area, on the title for further information about the Lowlands area, and if you want to make an "alphabetical journey" through the area, please click on one of the pagode roofs, according to the direction you want to follow

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