Glenkinchie 12 Year Old
This is Diageo’s Lowland’s entry for their Classic Malts Collection. United Distillers, their predecessor, created its own geographic regional map in 1988. Their chosen regions completely bypassed the official, rigid classifications used by the Scotch Whisky Association at that time.
The company owned nearly 30 single malt distilleries across Scotland during the late 1980s. However, they wanted to present a highly curated, educational flavour journey for consumers. Therefore, executives analysed their vast warehouse stocks based on specific criteria:
- Distinct Flavour Progression: Blenders wanted a clear path of flavours running from light and sweet to heavy and smoky. They positioned Glenkinchie as the delicate starting point and Lagavulin as the strong peat finale.
- Inventing New Sub-Regions: The company lacked an active distillery in the traditional Campbeltown region. Consequently, they invented non-traditional geographic regions like West Highland (Oban) and Isle of Skye (Talisker) to fulfil their six-bottle template.
The other regions and expressions are:
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- Dalwhinnie 15 (Highlands)
- Cragganmore 12 (Speyside)
- Talisker 10 (Isle of Skye)
- Oban 14 (West Highlands)
- Lagavulin 16 (Islay)
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- Nose: Intensely aromatic, opens with sweet barley, fresh green fields, and blooming wildflowers. A fragrant profile layers over soft lemon zest and sweet biscuit maltiness.
- Palate: Light and creamy, offering a smooth entry of sweet honey, baked bread, and poached pears. A crisp, herbal greenness balances the sweetness perfectly.
- Finish: Short and appetizingly dry, leaving clean trails of light oak spice, fresh white pepper, and herbal crispness.
Size: 70cl
ABV: 43%
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