John Ramsay has been intimately involved in the making of The Glenrothes since the early 1990s; the exceptional bottlings he has created have resulted in numerous awards and trophies – as well as sustained growth in sales all over the world. The authority behind the whisky’s exceptional quality, John’s signature has been on all the labels since 2004.

Having joined the industry in 1966, John retires this month. To commemorate the peerless contribution John has made to The Glenrothes he has been asked to create one more exclusive expression to sign off.

John has identified a parcel of second fill American oak sherry casks from 1973 to 1987 which have now been married together and very gradually reduced in strength but not chill-filtered. This limited edition of only 1,400 bottles will stand as John’s legacy to The Glenrothes.

Bottled at 46.7%, The Glenrothes John Ramsay is redolent of dark chocolates, blood oranges and vanilla. There is a great balance between oak and fruit and the whisky is very mature and extremely rich. The Glenrothes John Ramsay is released in keeping with the policy of bottling selected casks at their point of optimum maturity and maximum flavour.

Ronnie Cox, Brands Heritage Director, stated: “John Ramsay was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2008 Icons of Whisky, organised by Whisky Magazine. This exceptional bottling is a fitting tribute to one of the quiet men of blending; John lets his whiskies do the talking. I am confident The Glenrothes John Ramsay will prove to be an extremely articulate expression that will find favour with whisky enthusiasts everywhere.”

The Glenrothes is instantly recognisable from its distinctive bottles. This new expression has an engraved copper label. Each individually numbered bottle has John Ramsay’s signature etched onto it. The oak box features a bottle-shaped window and carries a leather booklet with John’s own description of how he has crafted this, his ‘legacy’ selection.

Appearance: Copper golden, clear and bright

Nose: Exotic, dark chocolate and tiger lilies

Palate: Ethereal, bursts of oak and citrus

Finish: Rich, long, mature, content

The Glenrothes John Ramsay will be available starting September at Berry Bros & Rudd and other specialist retailers at £700 per bottle.