The website includes videos of tastings of various Glenrothes vintages with brand ambassador, Ronnie Cox. It also has a history of the distillery. Whisky can be bought from the website.
VisitingGlenrothes distillery is not open to the public. Whisky Cyclist visited in May 2013 during the Spirit of Speyside Festival.
Vital Stats
Built in 1879 by James Stuart & Co, John Cruickshank, Robert Dick and William Grant (a different and unrelated William Grant to the founder of Glenfiddich). By the time it opened the Distillery was owned by William Grant & Co. In 1887 they formed Highland Distillers when they merged with Islay Distillery Co, owners of Bunnahabhain at the time. WIlliam Robertson of Robertson & Baxter was the first Chairman of Highland Distillers, but the two companies are separate entities until 1999. By 1961 Robertson & Baxter, along with other family businesses were owned by the three spinster grand-daughters of WIlliam Robertson, who formed the Edrington Group to run the companies and the Robertson Trust to own them.
In 1993 Edrington, who had already had an interest in the distillery, became joint owners of North British Grain Distillery in Edinburgh along with what would become Diageo. In 1999 Edrington (70%) and William Grant & Sons (30%) (owners of Glenfiddich etc, who were also founded in 1887), bought Highland Distillers, by then owners of Highland Park, Macallan and Glenturret distilleries, along with the Famous Grouse blend, and formed the 1887 company to run them. Bunnahabhain was sold to Burn Stewart in 2003. Glenrothes started out with 4 stills, but a further two were added in the 1960s; a further 2 in 1980 and two more in 1989. Glenrothes is strongly associated with (and a major part of) the Cutty Sark blend, long owned by Berry Bros and Rudd (BBR), but blended by Edrington. In 2010 The Glenrothes Single Malt brand was exchanged with Edrington for the Cutty Sark brand. So between 2010 - 2017 The Glenrothes brand was owned by BBR but the distillery was still owned and operated by Edrington, who re-purchased the brand in 2017. Malt Madness Wikipedia WhiskyMerchants scotchwhisky.com SMWS |
Getting ThereClick the Google logo on the above map to access Street View, Directions etc.
Open Cycle Map Bing Map Glen Spey Glen Grant Speyburn Auchroisk Distilleries Speyside Spey Nearest National Rail stations are Elgin (ELG) (10 miles) or Keith (KEH) (12). Live train times: ELG, KEH. Glenrothes is near the middle of Rothes, heading towards Elgin turn left immediately after crossing the Burn of Rothes into Burnside Street. RangeGlenrothes' range used to consist of a number of vintages rather than age statement whiskies. This imposes a more restrictive range of casks to select from (with an age statement you can always use older casks if you need to). Glenrothes uses a distinctive rounded bottle "based on the distillery's classic sample bottle" according to the website. Minimalist packaging is used to show off the bottle.
The core range is now a number of Reserves all at 40% - Select Reserve, Bourbon Cask Reserve, Sherry Cask Reserve, Peated Cask Reserve and Vintage Reserve. Independent Bottlings are also quite common. RMW TWE MoM CyclingNearest Bike shops - Elgin
Bikes and Bowls 7 High Street, Elgin 01343 549656 Halfords Lossie Wynd N, Elgin 01343 552030 Charlie Millett Dufftown 01340 820991 Not a shop - has a page on the Dufftown.net website - provides repairs and spares - assisted Whisky Cyclist in 2014 when stranded in Craigellachie with damaged tyre and in 2017 with a broken pedal. Bikespokes Forres 07801 365710 @ Van based mobile servicing & repairs - normally 25 miles radius from Forres, but will travel further for an extra charge |
Photos on this page were taken by me. Click on photo to enlarge. Full size versions of all my photos of Glenrothes Distillery are available on Flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/martynjenkins/sets/72157628633071441/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/martynjenkins/sets/72157628633071441/