The oldest cask-strength Lowland Single Malt ever from a hidden gem distillery.
Glenkinchie is one of the distilleries that has been producing for centuries in the same spot — about fifteen miles east of Edinburgh — but most people weren’t even aware of it. The distillery was founded by brothers John and George Rate in 1825. In 1853 the distillery went bankrupt and was converted briefly into a sawmill. But it was rebuilt by a Major James Grey in 1881 and started making Single Malt Whisky once again.
For generations nearly 100% of production was used in premium Scotch blends. Now owned by Diageo, they still use the Spirit as a component of to upper-end Johnnie Walker Scotches. But starting in 1989 a few special releases of Glenkinchie Single Malt found their way to market. Today there is even a lovely visitor center, but Single Malt bottlings are still far too few for our liking.
Glenkinchie 24 Year Old Special Release is a really, really special dram. We’ve asked around and this could be the oldest bottling ever of a cask strength Lowland Single Malt. The Spirit was distilled in 1991 and has aged in refill European oak casks for nearly a quarter century before being bottled in 2016. It is served at full cask strength of 57.2% ABV without chill filtration, artificial coloring, or any other unpleasantness. And as you might guess, there simply can NOT be an unlimited supply of a fine dram of this age — there were only 5928 bottles and there shall be no more.