Ocean Spirit

How The Glenrothes gets its magic and magnificence.

- Hannah Choo

Tucked away in the town of Rothes, proudly hidden from view, sits The Glenrothes, one of Speyside’s most treasured distilleries. Founded in 1879 by a gentleman named James Stuart, the riverside distillery is not just a place of production, but a testament to the beauty and history of its surroundings. From time-honoured traditions to its skilled custodians, it possesses all the vital ingredients needed to craft a superior whisky.

It is one of the few distilleries in the world that utilises its own source of spring water. A natural filtration through volcanic bedrock turns it to exceptionally soft water (twice as soft as the industry standard), which is fundamental to the elegance of The Glenrothes’ fresh and fruity single malts. It is also one of the few with an onsite cooperage, using sustainably sourced casks seasoned by exclusive partners in Jerez, Spain, so that the team has full control over the process.

Superiority endures, and a forever curious ethos appeals to the discerning and knowledgeable, who are always on the lookout for new ideas and quality of craft. Every person on the team—men and women captured by passion and dreams— shares a voice, eradicating the cliche that whisky is a ‘man’s drink’.

Evolving spirit

Only a limited quantity of its single malt whisky is available for release each year. The amount of aged stock set aside over the decades have been strictly limited in volume, and with this limited legacy of available whisky, The Glenrothes’ annual volume release is one of the lowest in the industry—and alas, the numbers keep falling.