Glenkinchie is Diageo’s Lowland representative in the Classic Malts Selection and I’ve always been a fan of their whisky. The standard edition is described as a ‘breakfast whisky’ due to it’s light, floral character, but this Distillers Edition is a slightly more complex beast.
The 1996 Distillers Edition is double matured in Amontillado casks which introduces additional sweetness and the expected Sherry characteristics, making it a very pleasant alternative to the standard expression.
Colour
Pale amber.
Nose
Fresh sweet fruit at first (tropical?), dried fruit follows. Honey and vanilla also in the mix.
Taste
More vanilla and honey. There’s a little bit of spice, lots of dried fruit with some fresh fruit tastes in there too. Adding water opens it out a little bringing more of the sweet, fresh fruit – think papaya and other tropical tastes.
Not a viscose whisky, but the finish is fairly long with dried fruit and spice.
Overall
I first tried this whisky at Glenkinchie distillery alongside the 12 year old expression and a cask-strength distillery bottling. Although all three were great, in my opinion this provided the best balance of flavour and complexity for the price. I think it would be a great one for a whisky novice to try as it’s light enough to be accessible but enough flavour that it’s not dull.
It definitely brings more to the table than the standard Glenkinchie, and I’m pleased to see that it’s still available as I may have to replenish my bottle, which has taken a bit of a dent since opening it!
Braw Spirit 