MAGNUM OPUS

A simple decision in 1980 at the Glenrothes distillery has resulted in one of the masterstrokes of whisky making in our lifetimes

- SUFFIAN HAKIM

IN THE NORTHEAST OF SCOTLAND, upon the banks of the River Spey, sits an unassuming town called Rothes. Rothes retains a lot of old-world Scottish charm, with most of its buildings made of stone and retaining architecture that had sat in place since the 1700s. It is also a place of incredible natural beauty. Nature’s colours are abound in Rothes, with bright summers, verdant springs, golden autumns and alabaster winters.

This unassuming town is also a centre of whisky making, housing four distilleries over its noble waters. We turn our attention to the one that sits atop the gushing clear waters of the Burn of Rothes, a tributary of the River Spey.

And we turn back the clock to May 1980. Four make spirits, ennobled by the waters of the Spey and distilled ponderously, meticulously as per the standards of the Glenrothes brand, are placed into four special sherry-seasoned oak casks. They are then sealed and left to age.