SMWS 25.65 Rosebank 22yo Rosebank Distillery - Falkirk, Stirlingshire SMWS bottling (purchase link). WhiskyBase reference page

For info   Reviews on sshhh! aim to detail the flavours, feelings and quality of each dram, wrapped up in as little nonsense as possible (!). Each whisky is tried on its own and given time to speak out, even if they often talk gibberish.
 
One of a number of silent lowland malts, Rosebank produced whisky by triple distillation, a rarity in Scotland. Bottles are still reasonably available, but are tend to be mostly longer-aged and pricey examples. - see Malt Madness - Rosebank for a detailed profile.
 

Tastes & Smells
The smell initially had a slight burn to it and a faintness. But over time, that faintness was replaced (literally, I crossed out the word) with a classic Lowland freshness (described by my tasting partner as 'sunlight') and some things from more exotic climes: Chinese must and what I thought of as the smell of a curry house. One you popped this in your mouth, there was an initial zing, but the fruitiness almost immediately replaced it, now more like stewed fruit. It had something of a Balmenach about it (or perhaps, vice versa) and a distinct sweet floral thing: rose petals, Turkish delight and a general open floralness. There was a tiny hint of Edam (honest!) before the sweetness turned more zesty: a bit lemony and quite grapefruity - heading towards sourness. This sourness was amplified on the finish with lemon turning to lemon zest but with a bit of (red fruit) toffee as well. Then the exoticism of the nose came back as curry (perhaps too spicy?) and and Thai spices.

Worth shouting about?
My first Rosebank, and I really enjoyed it. I tasted it alongside a sherried version of the same age and it was purer and a touch nicer. The nose was definitely much bigger than first thought and was a joy to return to. The fruitiness was lovely and it had a zestiness throughout, but adding water just seemed to water it down rather than change things. I wanted another, but my wallet wouldn't comply!

Summary & Ramblings
For some reason, despite its age (or perhaps because of its vintage), it reminded me of kids TV: Bertha and the magic tree from Greenclaws. I think the magic tree was a metaphor for planting a seed, waiting, and being rewarded with something rather great.

Tasted on: 08/02/14 Bought: Just tasted. From: SMWS State: Had had a few 7.3 3.3

Tasted in the SMWS Vaults, a fitting location.

tldr;
Fruity, zesty and slightly exotic. The nose gave up its complexities slowly but rewarded your patience, whilst the overall memories were lasting.
 
 

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