by 
1973 Glenrothes Single Malt (bottled 2000). Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 43.0%. Tasted at Helvetica, $59.
Colour: Deep, lustrous coppery amber. It’s a beautiful thing.
Nose: Such an unusual, complex nose. Reminds me of when I was a kid and pulling out the winter blankets from the camphor wood chest where they’d been stored since the previous winter. Dusty, almost like the smell of dusty old books. A hint of gentle woody smoke.
Palate: Very, very smooth. Sweet toasted malt flavours gently roll over through the mouth and make you sit back, sigh contentedly and say “wow”.
Finish: Gentle sweet smoke & oak in the long, gradual fade.
Comments: So smooth, both upon entry and in the finish. Delightful, though like the 1969 Glenrothes I tried at Whisky Live the flavours were a little softer than expected, although given it spent 27 years maturing in the barrel I guess this is to be expected. It’s not that the flavours are disappointing in any way (they’re actually amazing), it’s just that after the intriguing nose I had hoped the flavours would be a little stronger. Maybe this is a trait of the older Glenrothes whiskies? Fantastic nose and flavours, but not quite as intense as I would like. I will have to continue the research to test this theory!