The Last Drop Distillers 1970 Glenrothes Whisky is now available in the United States. The 50-year-old single malt Scotch comes in three different bottlings, each unique to the cask in which they matured. Only 286 bottles of the rare spirit from the Speyside distillery will be made available.
The three single casks of 1970 Glenrothes Whisky–Cask Nos. 10586, 10588, and 10589–were filled on December 6, 1970. Amazingly, each cask has yielded a slightly different Whisky. Therefore, Last Drop Distillers decided to bottle each of these “sibling casks” separately.
Jim Murray, author of the acclaimed Whisky Bible, says of Cask 10586, “The barley resembles freshly-plucked moist grass; the vanillas are rounded and reminiscent of Lyons Maid ice cream,” and gives it 97 points. He reports that Cask 10588 has, “A delicious and highly unusual mix between eggnog and bourbon,” and gives it 95 points. As for cask 10589, he states, “Anyone of a certain vintage who remembers a British sweet called a “fruit salad” you could buy for a farthing each…well, here it is in whisky format,” giving it 95.5 points.
The trio of Whiskies is the third and final bottling of Last Drop Distillers’ Glenrothes Single Malt Scotch Whisky series. Previously, the UK-based independent bottler released a 1968 single malt in 2018 and, the following year, launched a 1969.
In 2008, Tom Jago and James Espey founded The Last Drop Distillers. They specialize in discovering rare casks of long forgotten liquor from cellars and barrel houses across the globe. Tom passed away in 2018, but his daughter Rebecca Jago continues his legacy as the distillery’s Managing Director.
“These three casks [of the Glenrothes trilogy] are truly drams for whisky lovers and spirits connoisseurs,” she says. “Ones that you might wish to savor quietly on your own, before sharing with carefully chosen accomplices who will appreciate their unique characters.”
For a list of liquor stores carrying it, click here.
