Whisky: Glenkinchie 20 Year (1990), Diageo Special Release 2010

Country/Region: Scotland/Lowlands

ABV: 55.1%

Cask: Refill American Oak

Age: 20 Years (Distilled 1990, Bottled 2010)

Nose: Citrusy fruit and grassy sugars, crisp, green grapes and white flowers, peaches with hints of apricot, mellow hazelnut and cocoa butter.

Palate: Medium-bodied and oily, citrus with a kiss of salt, nutty, pepper, grassy sugars, grapes and tropical citrus, dried florals and honey, oak.

Finish: Medium to long, with subtle fruits, oak, and pepper

Score: 7

Mental Image: Garden-inspired Hors-d’oeuvres

Narrative & Notes: Crisp and citrusy, the aroma offered a bundle of lemons and limes with grassy sugars lending a green sweetness. Green grapes and white flowers arrived next with a white wine-esque burst of peaches and apricots. Mellow hazelnut and cocoa butter lingered in the background with a touch of nutty olive oil. Medium-bodied and oily, the flavor profile was fruity and nutty, with an underlying herbal character that continued on the finish. Citrusy lemon and hints of salt capers dazzled with nutty olive oil, cracked peppercorns, and grassy sugars. A touch of pineapple and green grapes arrived on the mid-palate while white flowers, hibiscus, honey, and oak lingered at the end. The finish was medium to long with subtle fruits, oak, and pepper.

Do they add grapes to the mash in the Lowlands? The flavor profile was often intensely chardonnay-adjacent, especially on the nose, with loads of dry fruits, florals, and hazelnuts. The palate verged into more familiar territory with a lovely oily viscosity and olive oil nuttiness. There was a touch of the musty herbs I picked up on the previous Glenkinchie I tried, but nothing that ever veered toward wet cardboard again. This was delightful and a perfect whisky for summer-time sipping.

Glenkinchie is one of the few surviving Lowland malt distilleries— Auchentoshan and Bladnoch the only others of note, though a new crop has joined them as of late— yet, it is undoubtedly the least well-known of the old school lot. It has rarely been bottled as a single malt, though since 1988, it has been identified as one of DLC/Diageo’s “Classic Malts.” The designation feels odd considering how infrequently it appears outside of the 12-Year, which was only introduced a decade and a half ago, and I cannot recall the last time I saw that on a shelf. It is even rare among independent bottlers, which speaks to the importance of the malt for Diageo’s blending team–– they keep it close at hand. Considering the massive investment in whisky tourism on the campus, the distillery brand certainly feels primed to play a more prominent role in the conglomerate’s single malt portfolio.

Overall, really lovely stuff; I think I may be casting about for more Glenkinchie soon.