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Rosebank and MacLean & Bruce have come together to offer private clients a limited release from Living Cask 1165, distilled in 1991, just two years before the distillery closed.
Selected at Rosebank by Leonard Russell, Managing Director of Ian Macleod Distillers, and Charles MacLean MBE, the cask was chosen for the quality and character of its whisky and its expression of Rosebank’s historic Lowland style. At the selection tasting, Charles noted its oak influence, its fruit and its depth.
Under Rosebank’s Living Cask approach, a limited number of bottles are being drawn and bottled now, while the remaining whisky continues to mature in the cask.
A subtle, understated malt whisky with considerable charm – and an excellent example of the make.Charles MacLean MBE
Each bottle is filled by hand at Rosebank Distillery, directly from Cask 1165.
Individually labelled and numbered, and signed by Charles MacLean MBE and Distillery Manager Neil Bulloch.
Purchasers are invited to a private event at Rosebank Distillery on 3 or 4 December (date to be confirmed) to taste the whisky with Charles MacLean MBE and collect their bottles.
35-year-old single cask Lowland malt, at natural strength. Tasted by Charles MacLean MBE, 31 July 2026.
Bright gold with lemon lights; moderate legs.
A mellow nose, with no prickle. The top notes are fresh and clean, both floral and fruity – hyacinth, with a trace of artificial lime – backed by a scent of freshly ironed cotton, on a fleeting base of white chocolate. Elegantly simple: a Laura Ashley of whiskies! More fragrant with a drop of water, but unaltered.
A soft, creamy texture. A sweet overall taste, drying elegantly to a short but warming finish. Sweeter at reduced strength. Eminently drinkable.
Rosebank built its reputation on triple distillation and traditional worm-tub condensers, producing an elegant, complex Lowland malt with floral and fruity notes. It closed in 1993, and for thirty years was spoken of as one of Scotland’s lost distilleries.
Ian Macleod Distillers acquired Rosebank in 2017 and restored it. Production began again on 5 June 2023, and in 2025 Rosebank 31 Year Old was named Best in Show – Whisk(e)y at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Distilled in 1991, Living Cask 1165 is a surviving example of Rosebank’s original production, and a direct connection to the distillery’s history now that production has resumed.
A limited number of bottles from Rosebank’s 1991 Living Cask 1165 are available exclusively through MacLean & Bruce.
Purchase your bottleShipping is not included. Purchasers are invited to a private event at Rosebank Distillery on 3 or 4 December (date to be confirmed) to collect their bottles. Shipping is available on request and is charged separately. Questions: rosebank@macleanandbruce.com
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