Glenkinchie 10 Year

Mild, caramel, honey. Very decent

plain

I'd say at least 90% of the whiskies I've owned were purchases made by brand name or because it was anticipated release. For that majority, I don't have a story. It's the whisky, and that's it. But not this one. I saw it on a hole-in-the-wall store over a year ago, sitting behind the counter with a price sticker on the bottle; no packaging. I didn't recognize it, and a quick search shows that it had been replaced the GK12 in 2008. That made this a hell of a find. When I first cracked this open, the fact that it was bottled at least 1-13 years prior became evident immediately. When I pulled the cork, I had only the plastic top in my hand. The rest was splintered in the bottle. I had ruined the only bottle of this I'll ever find in all likelihood. Fortunately, my neighbor's coffee filter worked like magic, so keep that in mind if you ever find yourself here. I keep my old corks, and Ledaig 10 fit perfect. I've said quite enough; on to the whisky. Nose: Fruity and floral. Apple/apple juice, pear, apricot, and some lemon citrus. A hint of plum. Malt and toffee. Some white grape and a touch of milk chocolate sweetness. Bitter oak and sun-dried tomato. Palate: Apple/apple juice, pear, orange, apricot, and more lemon citrus, now with some grapefruit. Malt, vanilla, and toffee. Roasted nuts and oak. Caramel and coca. White grape. Sun-dried tomato. Plenty of oak and a light hit of baking spice. Finish: The apple/apple juice persists. Pear, apricot, orange. Caramel and vanilla. Roasted nuts, Cinnamon, baking spice, and oak. Moderate length. I started off with quite the write-up for what ended up being a pretty straightforward whisky. A damn good one at that though. It's a great representation of the Lowland profile, while also closely embodying a lot of Highland qualities. At $54, I'd say it was well worth the price of entry to taste this little piece of history. It's the only bottle I've ever seen, and it was worth the trouble of resuscitating to get to enjoy it. No point in recommending it for purchase in 2022, so I'll just say it makes for a damn fine pour. 3.75/5.

Smell fruity. Old wood, leather, nutty taste