Glenkinchie 12 Year

Review by: TOModera

Pounds of samples, acting like I know everything, and spending too much at the bar. The answer? I think it’s time to dive back into some world whiskies and some standard fare.

Oh don’t worry, I’ll still find a way to somehow taste something rare, IB, or very over priced that I shouldn’t have spent money on. I’m anything but not consistent.

Have I mentioned that Pacifen is the main reason I get to review this one? Not yet? Well then I should. Pacifen = Awesome (or horrible if you hate my reviews, depends on your point of view).

Trying new Lowlands is always a little bit of a mine field. Auchentoshan is usually your “go-to” option. Or rather “not paying a lot for bad whisky” option. However you can’t really judge an entire region on one (or two) distilleries, so branch out we shall with the Glenkinchie 12.

Side Note: My local pub still has a bottle of Glenkinchie 10, the older version that was replaced by the 12. I may do a review in the future and link back to this one.

Distillery: Glenkinchie Distillery.

Bottler: Distillery Bottling.

Region: Lowland.

ABV: 43%.

Age: 12 years.

Cask type: Bourbon Cask.

Price: $85.00 (CAD)

Color: Clover honey

Nose: Straw, peach nectar, sunflowers, apples, pears, lemon, sugar syrup, lime, whipped cream

A little more straw than I’m used to in flowery whisky on the nose. Becomes super sweet as time goes on. I’m enjoying it, however I think the diabetic sitting next to me may have passed out. Oh well, her loss.

Taste: Lemon pepper, cinnamon sauce, lime, cardamon, mint, toffee, steak seasoning, mushroom, honey

Lots of different, strong flavours. This is not a wallflower Scotch by any account, and it’s hard to really even peg down a mixture. Still very sweet. One of the paramedics helping out the diabetic even commented on it.

Odd, I didn’t think they were suppose to drink on the job. Oh well, he deserved a break.

Finish: Sour, lemon, radish, turnip, roses, kale, white chocolate, nutmeg

Short, very earthy, almost painful (see: roses) finish on this one. Man, I think the priest who came by to give last rights was right. I was worried he had dust-to-dust my glass.

Conclusion: It’s strong, very sweet, and the finish is like eating uncleaned earthworms. Honestly people, always clean your earthworms before eating, otherwise it’s just gross.

I liked the nose, the flavour needed some fine tuning, the finish was a kick while I’m down. Glad I tried this one, however I’ll be passing in the future and going for Belgian Owl or Armorik or an Auchentoshan (other than Classic)

Final Score: 71.

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing.
  • 0-49: Blech.

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