Replacements for a 1991 Rosebank?

[Wilberforce]

Hi folks,

I'm after picking your collective intelligence for alternative ideas for the above malt.
Off to visit friends of mine in Holland soon and I'd like to take a bottle with me. The last time we had an evening my friend was very drawn to the Gordon & MacPhail '91 Rosebank which they bottled in 2008 and to a lesser extent my Balvenie Doublewood.

I was hoping to take another bottle of the Rosebank as a gift but what with the distillery being close it's getting a trifle expensive, so would anyone have any suggestions for an alternative they might enjoy? Price bracket of about £60 or so.

I've only got a Bowmore Darkest and a JD Silver out for drinking at the moment as I'm moving house so my tastes might be a little impaired

Thanks in advance.

[Archer]

Wilberforce it sounds like your friend has a taste for Lowland style of whisky which is generally light in colour and have quite a dry finish. The dryness comes from the malt itself, not from peat as Lowland malts tend to be produced with unpeated malt. You may also find a certain sweet fruitiness to the flavour.

I would suggest An Cnoc 12, Bladnoch 8 or 10, Glengoyne 10 or 12, Glenkinchie 12, Auchentoshan 12

[Wilberforce]

Thanks for the reply, Archer,

I must admit, I was considering the Auchentoshan bottles. My local store has the Three Wood, and the 12yo both at around the mid £30's mark. The others you mentioned I think they have in stock, too.
Interestingly, they have a Bladnoch 20 at just over £40, and Glengoyne 17 at £59 currently.

Anybody else care to suggest, or agree with Archer's ideas??

[Drover]

The Auchentoshan 3 wood is has a rich fruity sherry influence, an excellent whisky but quite a different flavour profile from the Rosebank that your friend enjoyed.

The Glengoyne 17 is excellent with more sherry influence than in the 10 or 12 year old. As your friend enjoyed the Rosebank and Balvenie Doublewood i would say the Glengoyne 17 would be a very good choice.

That is a great price for the Bladnoch 20, it is a small distillery which has quite a few small batch limited releases so i cant guess which one is in your local store but i can say anything i have tried from Bladnoch has been very good. And it is a Lowland distillery like Rosebank.

[Alastair]

You need a drink after moving house i know i certainly did last time i moved, and hopefully it was the last time i move.

Why not offer your friends something different such as Talisker 10, 18 or 57 North

[Wilberforce]

Well folks, I've been and come back, so a short post-action report is in order.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I spent a little while deliberating in the shop before buying.
Settled on a Bladnoch in the end, the 16yo 'belted Galloway cattle' label, a lovely golden coloured 55% bottling.
Cracked it on the second night as we spent the first being very well wined and dined by an Argentine restaurateur, and felt we'd not do it justice.

The scent of it was wonderful, quite intense due to the strength but a lovely honey smell came through. Went down like liquid velvet too, again with a definite honey taste, and slight citrus notes too I thought. We were both very impressed with it and must've had just under 1/3 of the bottle there and then.

My friend has actually managed to source a bottle of the Rosebank from Holland, so next time, I'll try the Glengoyne perhaps.

[Archer]

I am pleased you got a whisky both you and your friend enjoyed. Bladnoch do produce some very good whisky.