A small while ago, my partner and I happened to get invited to Glenrothes launch of The Soleo Collection at a pop-up bar in the basement of TT Liquor in London.
A fan of a sherried Speyside in general and Glenrothes in particular, I was looking forward to trying the range.
In addition, a lot of what they said made sense:
- They were getting rid of vintages for age statements, to make the differences clearer
- They were streamlining the range
- And they were paying homage to the sun-drying process used to dry grapes used to make Pedro Jimenez. (Hence Soleo)
Add to that, all of these whiskies were exclusively aged in ex-sherry casks, rather than just finished in them… and the bottles look gorgeous.
So far, so good.
But then, the whisky. I will go into more detail below, but I have to be honest – these whiskies are going a bit Macallan; one dimensional, and extremely overpriced.
I expected to like the Makers Cut with its higher ABV, but felt like it had been a bit muted in terms of depth. It was pure sweetness and very little character. Something I found similar in both the ten year and 12-year expressions, though not quite as pronounced.
If you’re looking for a sherried malt, you can get a far better Glengoyne for a similar price and the Aberlour 10, which is a belter, goes for around £20 on Amazon. A superior deal all round.
Price aside, the 18-year, was actually very good. Seeming to have the character and balance missing from the others. There was more complexity in the fruity notes and it smelled like a new wooden box filled with candied fruits.
I wouldn’t mind having a bottle in my whisky cabinet, however, at £100 I can’t honestly recommend buying it.
You would expect the 25 year, at a whopping £300 to be something special, but it was entirely the opposite.
There was so much talk around this range, regarding the quality of the casks and the importance of aging, and if anything, this really does demonstrate that, though not how Glenrothes intended.
While the liquid seems to lie dormant in the 10 and 12 years, it comes into its own after 18 years. Though the 25 year is liquid proof that a whisky can be overaged.
Compared to what some of the distilleries on Islay, and Glenfiddich are doing with interesting aging and young spirits, this seems a step in the wrong direction.
In conclusion, The Soleo-Collection is pretty smooth-drinking in the main, but most of the expressions lack the character of traditional Glenrothes. At the price, there are better places to get your sherry fix than here.
The Glenrothes 10-Year-Old – Soleo Collection: £36
Smooth and sweet, but not brilliant compared to other Glenrothes or sherried malts at this price range.
Salt – 0/5
Smoke – 0/5
Sweet – 4/5
Smooth – 3/5
Overall: 61/100
The Glenrothes 12-Year-Old – Soleo Collection: £40
Smoother than the 10, but loses some of its character and dies on the finish. A bland dram.
Salt – 0/5
Smoke – 0/5
Sweet – 4/5
Smooth – 4/5
Overall: 62/100
The Glenrothes Whisky Makers Cut – Soleo Collection: £50
Tastes unbalanced. Completely one-dimensional sweetness. A disappointment.
Salt –1/5
Smoke – 0/5
Sweet – 5/5
Smooth – 3/5
Overall: 55/100
The Glenrothes 18-Year-Old – Soleo Collection: £100
Actually, pretty good. A balance of fruity notes when you smell and taste it, and they mix with a bit of grain and spice which linger on. Nice dram, overpriced.
Salt – 0/5
Smoke – 0/5
Sweet – 4/5
Smooth – 5/5
Overall: 75/100
The Glenrothes 25-Year-Old – Soleo Collection: £300-£320
What starts as a pleasant and complex nose dies away in the mouth, has no bite and then disappears. Really disappointing.
Salt – 0/5
Smoke – 0/5
Sweet – 5/5
Smooth – 4/5
Overall: 55/100
One dram daily... 