Just three Glenkinchie


September 2, 2024

Just three Glenkinchie

Finally, one Glenkinchie for sure, and two 'secret' independents that are indeed Glenkinchie and, by the way, don’t try to make you believe that "it could possibly be Daftmill or Rosebank." Thanks to them! And besides, Glenkinchie is nice.

Lowland Distillery 9 yo 2014/2024 (48%, Hogshead Imports, refill hogshead, 442 bottles)

Colour: very pale white wine. Nose: it bursts with gooseberries and fresh pear juice, as well as white table grapes (small muscat). Then we find a fine slice of lemon tarte, another of rhubarb tarte, and finally just a tiny touch of grist. Impeccable in its perfect nudity. Right, nakedness. Mouth: it’s a bit firmer than expected, but otherwise, you get that nervy and almost refreshing fruitiness—pears, gooseberry, rhubarb, with a few drops of lime liqueur poured into white beer... Well, you see the mix. It’s very good, very fresh. Finish: fairly long, more herbaceous as usual. Apple peelings and a few grape seeds, plus a touch of liquorice. Comments: this is a very joyful young malt, almost empathetic. It was such a good idea to leave it in its natural state!
SGP:651 - 86 points.

Lowland Distillery 11 yo 2012/2023 (58.8%, The Whisky Exchange, The Seasons, refill hogshead, cask #3478)

You see how disciplined we are; this little gem was bottled in winter, yet we’ve restrained ourselves to taste it in the summer. Colour: straw. Nose: the cask has been rather active here, though let’s not go overboard – it’s not a double-PX after all. Lovely grapefruit, a pinhead of miso paste, fruit leaning towards apricots and peaches, with a hint of fennel and dill. It’s very, very, and I mean very lovely and precise. With water: grated lemon zest, fresh hay, elderflower liqueur – just needs a splash of prosecco and Perrier. Mouth (neat): leaning closer to the 9-year-old, but still, you’re talking about a summery malt, and I’m getting a touch of pastis! Also, lemongrass, grapefruit, and fresh turmeric. With water: it falls back in line a bit, but remains excellent, almost invigorating. Superb citrus and vineyard peaches. Finish: fairly long, still with apricot. Comments: one might almost prefer this without water but also over one of those massive round ice cubes that the Japanese masters like Mr Glen Kin Chi are so skilled at carving (that was even more pitiful than usual, S. Utterly shameful. -Ed.)
SGP: 651 – 86 points.

Glenkinchie 15 yo ‘The Manager’s Dram’ (60.1%, OB, 2010)

I get the impression that these series, which were quite sought after back in the day, are flying a bit under the radar lately. Yet, they were genuinely selected by the distillery managers, with little to no interference from Diageo’s marketing department, or so it seems. Not to be confused with the ‘Manager’s Choice’, also from Diageo. Colour: gold. Nose: much more cask influence here, with candy sugar, vanilla cream, fudge, praline, and especially heaps of nougat and turrón, perhaps even some sesame halva. With water: spiced praline, crème brûlée, a touch of green walnut, and a hint of fino sherry. Mouth (neat): massive, with nougat and café latte at the forefront. Grilled almonds, candied chestnuts, then some mild curry and a bit of citrus peel. That’s the cask talking. With water: not much evolution. Finish: quite long, still coherent, with nougat, a bit of biscuit, and a drop of pepper liqueur... Comments: pretty cask-driven, could it be that the warehouse managers or even the coopers lent a helping hand during the selection?
SGP: 561 – 86 points.

Three styles, each charmingly different, with a lovely gradation depending on the influence of the casks. I liked all three equally, though I perhaps have a slight preference for the first, the freshest one.

Check the index of all Glenkinchie we've tasted so far