Glenkinchie is quite common as a 10 year old / 12 year old in recent years, and there’s even a distiller’s edition finished in Amontillado, but other than that, you do not see many interesting bottlings from this distillery. I am not a huge fan of the young 10/ 12 year olds, so a Glenkinchie aged 24 year you say? Why not. Let’s have a go at it…
This expression is Matured in refill European oak butts : 5,928 natural cask strength bottles were produced, making it the oldest official bottling of cask strength Glenkinchie ever released as well as the first matured exclusively in European oak. Interesting…
Glenkinchie 24 Year Old 1991 (Special Release 2016), 57.2%, £250
Nose: Key lime pie with icing sugar, vanilla custard.stewed fruit, apples, orange. There’s a very distinct sour note as well.
Palate :Sweeter and more robust than the nose with the sour note all but gone. Nice touch of sultanas, a spicy edge as well as creamy vanilla, fried banana and ginger. Water brings out more woody notes,cereals and apple peel.
Finish : ginger cinnamon and more wood with a spicy sweet and cereal edge, semi dark chocolate. Bitter sweet with light fruit.
Score: 85/100
A solid whisky of very good quality, but nothing out of the ordinary, and at 250 quid, I do not see a reason for preferring this over many other better malts.