Glenkinchie 12 notes

[Megawatt]

I just cracked this bottle and thought I would share some impressions for those that are interested.

I've always had a great appreciation for whisky from this distillery and this bottle is no exception. It is medium gold in colour. With a splash of water the nose is wonderfully enticing, with bright floral and citrus aromas. The box says "creamy lemon cheesecake", which I can't disagree with.

It is sweet-and-sour on the palate, with some bitter herbal notes balancing out the citrus sweetness. A bit like Cragganmore, perhaps, but not as fruity. Develops a good creamy middle, and a medium-length finish with oak and fruit notes. Rather on the light side overall but with a nice complexity. Very good whisky.

[emagination]

I've definitely been wanting to try a bottle of this. Currently I have Cragganmore 12 and Glenfarclas 12 open and this sounds like it fits right in with these. Between these two your notes make me think the 'kinchie has more in common with the 'farclas. Glenfarclas 12 has a bitterness in it's profile that the cragganmore definitely doesn't have, though I still can't decide if it's herbal or more wood tanin. The Glenfarclas seems to play around with sweet and sour as well, where the cragganmore stays more in the realm of lightly sweet floral bouquet.

That said, I'm curious if you've had glenfarclas 12 and if you think it's anywhere near as similar as I've gathered.

[johan brugge]

When I first had this bottle about a year ago I thought it smelled like fresh cake. It's much better than the 10yo. Much more flavour and character. It would make an excellent whisky after dinner.

[Megawatt]

Fresh cake is about right. Definitely some nice pound cake flavour. I'm getting a touch of smoke toward the end as well.

I've never had any Glenfarclas whisky so I'm afraid I can't make a comparison. Glenkinchie 12 seems to get sweeter and creamier with time in the glass.

[emagination]

Gonna head to the store today to pick up some late Christmas gifts and was planning on picking something up for myself for around 50 bucks. This Glenkinchie is a possibility.

Just realized it's a Lowland. I've yet to have a Lowland malt so it may be worth it for that reason as well.

Have you had any other Lowlands, such as Auchentoshan? If so, how does it stand against those you've had?

[Megawatt]

I've had Auchentoshan 10 and 12. Glenkinchie has more of a rich, full flavour, whereas Auchentoshan is crisp and light, more like an Irish whiskey in its own way. They are both quite light-bodied but Auchentoshan is triple distilled so comes across as lighter in flavour.

[emagination]

That sounds about right.

Several weeks ago I was in one of my local shops (Goody Goody, Addison) and the "Master Ambassador" for Laphroaig was there. Not sure if that's just a fancy title for their reps or if he really was THE representative for the brand. Regardless he was a fine gentleman and was more than willing to chat and give advice on any of the scotches in the aisle, not just his own brands. So, much respect there. Probably helped that I already have a bottle of Laphroaig 10 and was able to start up some conversation over that.

I told him I was looking for something on the lighter, sweeter side for around 50 bucks. I was eyeing the Glenfarclas 12 and Auchentoshan 12. They were one on top of the other on the shelf, at close to the same price, and had been a couple malts I've been wanting to try so being the kind of person that can meander, mull, and over think purchases I decided circumvent that and force myself to choose between those two.

When he said the Auchentoshan was triple distilled I immediately thought of Irish whiskey and he confirmed that it had a lot in common. Ultimately he pushed for the Glenfarclas, saying he thought it had more flavor (not surprising the Laphroaig guy would be pushing for more flavor). I took his advice and I've really enjoyed it, and want to try more from the distillery.

I do like Irish from time to time and your notes remind me of what I like about Irish whiskey, so I definitely still want to give Auchentoshan a try. Still, I think I may make Glenkinchie my first Lowland. It definitely sounds richer.

[Megawatt]

A lot of people disparage Glenkinchie for some reason that I can't figure out. From the first time I ordered the 10 year old at a bar I loved it. I bought a bottle of the 1992 Distillers Edition and loved it as well. Now I'm enjoying the 12 year old immensely. Some people seem bitter that Glenkinchie was chosen as a Classic Malt instead of Rosebank but I can't get Rosebank around here and I don't really care whether it's a Classic Malt anyway. Good whisky is good whisky.

Auchentoshan is pretty good but it's the kind of stuff you need to get acquainted with over time. I've had the 10 and 12 a few times quite recently and it just doesn't stick out in my memory; I can't recall specific flavours. My impressions are that it is crisp, smooth, fresh-tasting whisky, pleasant but not very assertive. Just the sort of stuff that is easy to underestimate at first. I also had a strange bottle of Auchentoshan 10 year old that was very smoky; I don't know if it was mislabeled or what. Anyway Auchentoshan is much more reasonably priced than Glenkinchie so it has that going for it.

[emagination]

Haven't picked up a bottle yet but it's on my list to try soon.

Here the Glenkinchie 12 is only about 5 bucks more than the Auchentoshen 12 so the price difference isn't much of a determining factor between them for me.

[Megawatt]

Haven't picked up a bottle yet but it's on my list to try soon.

Here the Glenkinchie 12 is only about 5 bucks more than the Auchentoshen 12 so the price difference isn't much of a determining factor between them for me.

In Ontario Auchentoshan 12 is $50 whereas Glenkinchie 12 is $76. Big difference! It seems all the Diageo Classic Malts keep going up in price. Lagavulin 16 is now $125. Oban 14 is $115, and Dalwhinnie 15, formerly about $65, is now $99 I believe. It's just insane.

[Novice Scotch Fan]

Megawatt, I feel your pain. In New Brunswick, Oban jumped in price in one year from $70 to $98! I vowed I would not pay that price, but I have and will do so on occasion when I can't get friends to bring it in from the states where it is more reasonably priced.

Cragganmore went from $55 to $61 in one year.

I just love the "classic malts" line from Diageo, just hate the prices.