Glenrothes had a rocky early history, with its share of catastrophic building issues, the two most notable ones coming only six years apart; 1897 saw fires ravage the distillery and then in 1903, a huge explosion caused substantial damage to the main building and warehouses.

After this Glenrothes saw significant growth throughout the mid nineteen hundreds and was purchased by Edrington in 1999. Berry Brothers of London took over the brand from 2010 – 2017, before it was returned to Edrington. Edrington have been clear with their intentions toward the Glenrothes brand being in the super premium sector with classic sherry cask usage front and centre.