Scotland, Lowlands: Single malt whisky through the producing distilleries: history, making, production and tasting notes

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Glenkinchie

Description of the whisky

The distillery

Glenkinchie

Glenkinchie Distillery
Pencaitland, Tranent
East Lothian
EH34 5ET
+44 1875 342 004
Owner: United Distillers & Vintners (Diageo)
Creation date 1837

photos Comments

Situated near Edinburgh, Glenkinchie is with Auchentoshan one of the last active distilleries in the Lowlands. The distillery was originally named Milton Distillery and has been founded between 1825 and 1833.
The distillery was founded by the brothers George and John Rate who probably renamed it near 1837. The Rate brothers were bankrupt in 1853 and the installations were sold to a local farmer who converted the distillery in a sawmill and a cowshed.
When the consumption of whisky resumed in the 1880's, the distillery has been bought and restored by an Edinburgh blender in 1881. The rebuilding took about 10 years.
The distillery became part of the D.C.L (Distillers Company Ltd.) in 1914 and stopped using its own malting floors in 1969.
The DCL became later part of UDV (United Distillers and Vintners, current owners of the distillery).
The distillery has been little-known for years, and became famous when it has been integrated in the "Classic Malts" collection in 1988. The distillery is a visit worth, because of its distillation museum.
The malt is also used in blends, among others Haig, Johnny Walker Red and Black Label,Buchanan and Dimple

The whisky

A propos des notes de dégustation Your own tasting notes

List of the bottles

Description of the distillery

Glenkinchie
whisky Sample
O.B. 10 years 16
12 years old 16
Distillers edition 1987 17 1/2
Signatory 1987, Cask Strength 17
See Help 0 - 40 € 40 - 80 € 80 - 120 € 120 - 160 € 160 - 200 € 200 - 240 € 240 - 280 € > 280 €
 Glenkinchie: official bottlings
 

Glenkinchie
10 years
Age
10 years
Alcohol percentage
 43%
Bottler
 Official
=25 euros< 25 euros
 
 The colour is yellow, the nose sweet, full and well balanced has some lemon, herbal and malty hints.
The palate is sugared and marked by the malt (porridge) and yeast (beer) with a touch of peat.
The finish, of average length confirms this impressions.
A pleasant, but simple whisky.
 A general impression of a pleasant whisky, with however some lacks of character. The typical character of a Lowland whisky (freshness and cut grass) is not detected immediately. A good whisky, no more no less. It is famous because it belongs to the "Classic Malts" collection.
16/20
A second tasting just confirmed the first one.
16/20
The nose is really dominated by malt with however some slight leather (?) notes and is rather simple, without complexity. The typical smell of cut grass is really missing in this Lowland whisky. In the palate, malt is also the essential ingredient of the taste which is definitely sugared. A rather simple taste without any surprise. A sugared finish without any depth.
16/20
A rather clear nose, with sweet hints marked by lemon (no acidity, but a smell like lemon juice). In the palate, some peat on a malty background and some slightly acid touches, which could have been more clear. A rather flat finish, also on sweet notes.
16/20
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Glenkinchie
1987 Distiller's Edition
Age
 14 years
Alcohol percentage
 43%
Cask
 Sherry Amantillado
Particularity
 Double maturation
Bottler
 Official
=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
 
 

The colour is yellow-orange. The nose, first fruity is marked by the sherry and grilled nuts, then goes on to fresh cut grass hints, present after dilution.
This impression is confirmed in the palate.
A sweet-sour finish evokes cereals.

(la Maison du Whisky)

 This Lowlands, part of the Classic Malts, distillers edition, is a very fresh whisky with very nice cut grass hints. An excellent whisky from an area which is unfortunately too less represented at this quality level in the whisky world, which is dominated by Speyside malts. It is true that those whiskies have generally more characters. This special edition is certainly its price worth, even if it is relatively expensive.
18/20
The cut grass freshness is slightly dominated by the sherry in this whisky. The taste remains typical of a Lowland, light and pleasant, and the sherry, even if it is still present in the palate, does not denature the characteristic freshness of malts from that area. a pleasant finish, just all ingredients to make a very good whisky.
18/20
During the third tasting, the nose confirmed the first two tastings, allying freshness and sherry hints, with however a dominant character of sherry. In the mouth, the fruity character of a Lowland is somehow hidden by the sherry, and the whole misses clearly some balance. The finish is rather short and fruity with some bitter hints.
16/20
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Glenkinchie: Samples

Glenkinchie
1987
Cask Strength Collection
(Blind tasting 2006)

Alcohol percentage
 57%
Bottler
 Signatory
The very first nose is aggressive, medicinal (smells like ether)  and alcohol is too much present. It happily improves, and this unpleasant characteristics fade soon. The nose remains however tingling and difficult to describe. Hay and cut grass with pepper?
The first impression in the palate is dryness, complexity and it seems clearly more interesting than the nose was, even if the alcohol feeling remains. Pear alcohol hints and quite a marked bitterness with a development on smoother malty notes.
The finish is warm, lingering and relatively bitter.
17/20
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Glenkinchie
12 years

Age
 12 years
Alcohol percentage
 43%
Bottler
 Official
=25 euros< 25 euros
A rather sweet nose with honey, mslt and ripe fruits hints. The mouth prolongs nicely the nose, even if it is a bit more complex and expressive than the nose was. Near the honey and the fruits, some slightly acid notes are present as well as a touch of nuts at the end. The finish is relatively short and the smooth notes of mouth and nose remain discretely.
16/20

Comments by Henrik Johansson

Apperance: New Gold
Nose: Straight nose is very sharp, winey and fragrant. It also has lots of green apples together with a rather peculiar mossy and kippery smell, almost like anchovies with soy sauce and stale water. Reduced nose has more of the fresh green apples, a very light and fragrant smokiness, more like incence than anything else, vanilla, grassy green-house hints (tomato plants perhaps) and a slight woodiness.
Body: Light to medium, long tears.
Palate: Straight it's intense and full of flavour. It's quite a refreshing dram with unique notes. The start is a little winey and soft, the middle is intense with some flowers and maltiness. The finish is very long and a little spicy with lots of other delicate hints, burnt ! shellfish came to mind. After a minute or two the green apples reappeared on the palate. The reduced dram lost the start and finish completely, drink neat.
84/100

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Lowlands

There are only three active distilleries left in the Lowlands. This area was during the 18th and 19th century the main producer of whisky. This area has seen the birth of the industrial production of whisky.

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Click on the map for a list of the distilleries of the area, on the title for further information about the Lowlands area, and if you want to make an "alphabetical journey" through the area, please click on one of the pagode roofs, according to the direction you want to follow

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