Review #281 - Glenkinchie 12 Year

Written By Me, My Wife & Whisky

One of the few long-standing Lowland distilleries: Glenkinchie, currently owned by Diageo. This distillery is one of the original 'Classic Malts of Scotland,' of course representing that Lowland region, although it was a 10 year old version that took that honor when the series was launched. This 12 year old bottling is currently the most widely available whisky from the brand.

There's no mention of the cask makeup for this whisky on the bottle or the brand's website - based on the 'light, creamy, floral' tasting notes that they mention, we're guessing it's mostly ex-bourbon casks, possibly a mixture of first fill and refill casks. Based on our experience tasting the whisky, that seems to make sense.

Glenkinchie 12 Year

Scotland/Lowland - Single Malt

Current Locally Available Price: USD 78 (2024)

Age Statement: 12 Years

Strength: 43% ABV

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 2 years; bottles at 60%, 50%, and 100% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: Floral and heathery to start. This leans sweet and soft - perfume, lemons, toasted orange rind, pear, and vanilla. There's nice depth to it, though: little hints of funk, salt, and wood smoke from time to time, and later on, we get earthy note, a hint of barrel spice, and damp hay.

Palate: A light complexion, and the mouthfeel is medium-thin. Light fruits come first: overripe lemon, bordering on moldy lemon, a nondescript green fruit as well. Baking spice like vanilla is here, and there's a little tickle of smoke and pepper from the oak. Quite citrusy, and with time, more floral and sweet - heather, lavender, and lilacs.

Finish: Medium length, quite cohesive with the nose and palate - light fruits, hints of green plants, soft peppery oak, and lots of floral elements. Icing sugar adds a sweeter side, and there are little tannins puckering the cheeks.

Final Note: We're pleasantly surprised with this whisky. It isn't a world-beater by any means, mostly due to its lower strength, but there's a nice complexity to the spirit, and the seemingly reserved cask types allow that to show through. Quite supple and reserved on the palate, but it brings a decent depth of flavors.

These days, prices across the board are expensive, and this bottle is no exception - we think it's a little pricey for what it offers, considering it fits the bill of entry-level 12 year old single malt quite well. If we could get this for a price closer to $60 to $65, it would be more likely to keep a spot on our shelf.

Our Average Rating: 6.7 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 6.34

Me, My Wife & Whisky
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