Rosebank 15 YO bottled 1975

Rosebank 15 YO bottled 1975, 61 %

At The Bow Bar i Sapporo, Japan, there were many gems on the shelves. One of them was a 15 YO Rosebank bottled in 1975 (according to Whiskybase.com).

There was a total of 2400 bottles released back then, but I guess it is not easy to get a hold of one of these bottles today.

It says on the label that the whisky was "especially bottled in Scotland for The Distillers Agency Ltd. Edinburgh". This is a distillery bottling for Zenith, Italy.

Nose (20/25): The smell of summer! Light caramel sweetness, flowers, wood and soft smoke. A bit metallic after a while.

Taste (23/25): Light and fresh like summer - again! Very fruity together with som pepper. Grapes and pears dominated. Soft smoke on the taste as well. Very rich.

Finish (24/25): Pears clearly stood out in the finish. The aftertaste was long and warm. Some white pepper gave a little sweetness. Very smooth, not dry at all. A bit sugary in the end.

Balance (23/25): Wow! I had not, until summer 2014, tasted many young whiskies bottled in the 70s or 80s, so this was a new experience for me. This Rosebank was not too interesting on the nose, but what an amazing taste and finish. I think it is impressive that especially the aftertaste is so rich after the whisky has spent so many years in the bottle.

Score (90/100)

- Tone