There’s no need to present Cadenhead’s, right?, the oldest pusher of whisky in Scotland… After a troubled history, after 130 years from the foudation the Company was sold to Springbank – yep, the distillery – that buys the brand and brings the operations to Campbeltown. Cadehead’s will bloom again then, and in addition to the release a long list of remarkable whiskies (you all know what we’re talking about… and if you don’t, try and check Serge’s reviews on whiskyfun), they started opening whisky shops and whisky bars around Europe – it’s exactly in Milan Cadenhead’s Whisky Bar that we found this Rosebank, and we’ll drink it right now after having heard a lot of good comments…
N: that’s too much, really, you didn’t have to, we would have been happy with a nose half this good! Other than an alcohol content that never stings, we’re hit by the richness of this nose: there’s a lovely crispy malt (freshly baked brioches), intense and full. Then there’s the bourbon cask
unleashing a boost of creaminess (vanilla and lemon curd pie); and the fruit, oh, such a feast!
Yellow fruit (with tropical hints? mmm, yes), a great squeezed orange juice… Walnuts. And the wet wood, it reminds us of that wonderful smell you get in warehouses. Slightly more herbal after a while (fresh grass, flowery meadows: maybe we’re missing spring in this rainy april?). Intensity and quality of aromas are just impressive.
P: very coherent with the nose (we won’t repeat: from creamy vanilla to malty notes), but with a twist that makes it even more special: a real tropical tornado (coconut, papaya, tropical juice…), then intense lashes of fruit jams… Everything has a resounding intensity. Some herbal and flowery hint stays in the background, completing a profile that was already excellent.
F: long; it’s the less bombastic part of the show, maybe the more Lowlad-style, with discreet flowers; but hey, what are those tropical notes? And that vanilla?
Just a few words: the tropical dimension is orgasmic. The maltiness is extraordinary, it’s the real protagonist of this dram – it’s so good that you can’t avoid asking: what in the world could have you done, Rosebank, to harm Diageo so much that they felt the need to shut you down? There were 186 bottles around: if you still manage to get one, expect to pay around 160€ – they will be well spent, believe us. 92/100.
Recommended soundtrack: Robin Thicke – Blurred lines.
