Scotland, Speyside. Distillery operational. Owner: Edrington Group

Despite a pedigree any distillery would be proud of, Glenrothes has maintained its exclusive and rare character. Remaining for over a century in the fold of the Highland Distillers company (Edrington Group), then the owner of Macallan, Bunnahabhain, Highland Park and Tamdhu, Glenrothes made a name among malt enthusiasts for the excellence of its ex-sherry casks, illustrated by the 12 Year Old released in the 80s and 90s. Although, over the years, the Glenrothes distillery and brand have passed from owner to owner (Pernod Ricard, Berry Brothers & Rudd), it has nonetheless maintained a special place in the hearts of connoisseurs, as is shown by the continual success of its 1972, 1973 and 1979 vintages, despite the majority of its production continuing to be absorbed by the blends Cutty Sark and Famous Grouse.

A Glenrothes distilled in 2007 and bottled in 2017, matured for 9 years in a first-fill Spanish oak sherry butt. This is a limited edition of 627 bottles for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) was founded in Edinburgh in 1983 by a group of friends with a particular passion for whisky. The club selects casks whose bottles are then only available to members. The name of the distillery is not mentioned on the label, but each distillery is given a number as the malt is bottled. The first cask selected by the SMWS, for example, was Glenfarclas, and it therefore uses the number 1. The second number refers to the number of bottlings from each distillery. The club was sold to Glenmorangie in 2004 and then to a group of investors in 2016.