Glenrothes 36 1986/2022 (North Star Spirits Cask Series 020)

North Star Tasting with Iain Croucher at The Oak Barrel, May 11, 2023, Whisky #2 Nose: Golden syrup and subtle floral cereal notes. Old lignins, slowly breaking down. Herbal tea with a faint wood-smoke quality. It has a papery feel, like an old book, but in a good way. Resembles ancient parchment and oak scriptoria burnished with wax for centuries. Palate: An easy and pleasant entry, but not overly soft. Subtly spiced stewed stone fruits, strawberry and raspberry compotes, mellow vanilla (from scraped pods, not blossoms or extract). Toasted cereal and dried fruits finely blended and sprinkled over crème caramel. The texture is light but very good. Finish: Medium length. Tastes like real ale! Where did that come from? It develops a solid malty character towards the end before gracefully transitioning into a final, mildly bright tannic flourish. A very good nose, a spectacular palate, and a fine finish. It's elegant, gentle, well-crafted, and understated, yet still possesses a hint of youthful energy despite its age. It's like an elder gentleman with a twinkle in his eye and enough vigor to challenge the younger crowd. I revisited this several times during the tasting, and it stood out as the most impressive whisky available. It left me with the final, compelling impression that this is an outstanding example of what Glenrothes can achieve with significant aging in a quality cask. If only the price weren't so high, I'd eagerly purchase a case of six. "Excellent": 88/100 (4.5 stars)