Glenkinchie Distillers Edition 1991

This is only the second Lowland whiskey I’ve drunk, the first being the Auchentoshan Three Wood I reviewed a few days ago here earlier this month.

Neither the Auchentoshan nor this Glenkinchie (distilled 1991, bottled 2005, release G/279-7-D) was as light, smooth and flowery as I expected from reading some professional whiskey reviewers’ descriptions of the Lowland style (the only whisky I’ve drunk that meets those criteria, more or less, is the Glenmorangie 10 year old Original, from the Highlands, which is wonderful with roast chicken and brown rice).

The Auchentoshan Three Wood had a more robust palate than I expected and this Glenkinchie does, too. I did not dislike the Auchentoshan, nor was I wasn’t overly impressed. It is a bottle I will have to return to in the future.

This Glenkinchie DE, however, is rich, sophisticated and wonderful.

And the color of liquid amber.

The nose is opulent as can be with white raisons, dried apricots and honeydew melon all driven along by sails filled with a sherry breeze and floating around in a not-too-sweet fruit cocktail sugar syrup with just the slightest hints of vanilla and a dry almond nuttiness and – way, way off in the background – the slightest waftings of hot mustard and oak.

Yup, it’s all there - even the mustard, which I've never encountered before - and it all works together wonderfully. This is a whiskey of sumptuous integration and high style.

The palate is more potent than it’s 43% would suggest, and is dominated by tingling, salty spice under the fruit cake and syrup; on the second wave I notice a slightly dry and nutty maltiness that diminishes to reveal cocoa powder despite a nice creamy feel on the tongue.

I would love to taste this mellowed by a couple more years in oak, at 16 or 18 years of age.

The finish is fairly long, slightly sweet, nutty, warm and soothing.

This was quite a surprise, though I’m not sure why. A wonderful whiskey!

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