Whisky: Glenkinchie 14 Year (1989), Distillers Edition 2003

Country/Region: Scotland/Lowland

ABV: 43%

Cask: Amontillado Sherry Finish

Age: 14 Years (Distilled 1989, Bottled 2003)

Nose: Dried fruits, chocolate, grass, hints of musk, sour tropical fruits, subtle balsamic vinegar and cardboard.

Palate: Light-bodied, fresh citrus, grassy sugar, apples, herbs, black tea, hints of cream, medicinal herbs and wet cardboard.

Finish: Medium-length and slightly drying with lemon pith, pepper, and black tea.

Score: 5

Mental Image: Abandoned Basement Fermentation Lab

Narrative & Notes: The aroma was mild, with a funky old-school vibe that started with a melody of dried apples, oranges, and hints of mango. Notions of chocolate or roasted chocolatey malt lingered just a bit further in with dried grass and musk. More time brought out sour tropical fruits and herbs with a subtle balsamic vinegar and forgotten musty basement cardboard. Light-bodied and occasionally a bit effervescent with fresh citrus and grassy sugars, the flavor profile began with fermented lemon and fresh-cut sugar cane before turning toward sliced apples, thyme, and strong black tea with a kiss of cream. Toward the end were funkier notions of musty medicinal herbs, black pepper, and wet cardboard. The finish was medium-length and slightly drying with lemon pith, pepper, and black tea.

My experience with Glenkinichie is limited, and this bottle was fairly old— the whisky spent more time in the glass than the cask— so your mileage may vary on the utility of this review. I know wet cardboard will not sound like a particularly pleasing note, and some of the people at the tasting, when I first tried this, would agree with you. Yet, weirdly enough, I thought it worked well on this whisky and gave it an old-school vibe you do not often find anymore. It reminded me of malts from the early eighties rather than the nineties; I suppose it was almost a last hurrah for many of the funkier malts that used to exist.

Overall, not something to chase down, but a lovely whisky to chill with or share with friends.