Glenkinchie 12 Year-old

Today I will be reviewing the Lowland Classic Malt Glenkinchie 12. As I spoke before, the Lowlands region only has 3 distilleries active. This malt is part of the "Classic Malts Collection" which are, well, malts that are classic. Classic Malts are Glenkinchie, Dalwhinnie, Cragganmore, Talisker, Oban, and Lagavulin. Lowland malts are distinctly delicate. The reason for this is they are triple distilled. Distillation is the boiling and evaporation of the barley mash, then collection again. 3 times the work, 3 times the loss of liquid. Every time you distil a whisky, you lose a bit to the air. This is nicknamed the "Angel's Share." If that's the case, angels are Lowland drinkers. The malt itself is called the "Edinburgh Malt." In my research, the distillery opend in the 1820s or 1830s in a farming community located in the glen of Kinchie burn. See what they did there: glen of Kinchie.

The triple distillation makes this whisky delicate, sublime, and...difficult to pin down. I'll give the standard review before getting too esoteric...

Color: pale gold; wheat colored

Nose: Grassy, dried flowers, light, a dash of honey with some gentle nuttiness

Taste: Light, light light; grassy and lightly fruity with a hint of smoke

Finish: smokier, gassier, calm; medium-long (but not heavy)

Now the Glenkinchie attracted me because I had only had Auchentoshan from the lowlands (12 and threewood). I wanted to expand my lowlands experience. also, I was (am currently) intrigued by having all the classic malts. I have owned every bottle except the Oban and the Glenkinchie. So I decided on the 12, their standard bottling. This malt, to me, is a summertime malt. The lightness and color is akin to the dry grasses of an ending summer's day. The Lowlands in Scotland are predominantly flat and densely populated. The flat ground led to farming, which is the well-spring of civilization. I find that in drinking the Glenkinchie while it is hot outside, it has an equalizing effect on me. Much like the hottest areas on Earth, the people drink hot tea to cause sweating, I feel this malt does a similar effect. It is quite herbal and grassy, but never overwhelming because (I think) due to the triple distillation. If distilled once, I think the grassiness would be overwhelming. The herbal qualities would take over and you'd lose the subtle nuttiness and underlying sweetness. However, with time comes temperance, and the malt is finely balanced. Currently, I sit sweating in the heat of an august evening and the Glenkinchie is a wonderful companion. Drinking it feels like drinking air: the liquid is so light that the only sensation I have entering my palate is one of tase, not temperature, weight, or texture. The liquid is not viscous, but quite watery (in a good way). Many people can drink this malt easily without being overwhelmed by its nose or taste. 

However...most lack the patience to search for the flavors hiding around the periphery. This is a coy malt, only yielding its secrets to those who search. Where Lagavulin ANNOUNCES ITS PRESENCE, the Glenkinchie is happy never speaking...unless you ask. And pry. And cozy up to it. 

A coy malt with a gentle reward, Glenkinchie 12 is definitely a classic worth trying.