Glenkinchie Distillery is around just 15 miles from Edinburgh in Pencaitland, East Lothian, making it an ideal day trip for anyone visiting the capital. Glenkinchie whisky, also known as the “Edinburgh Malt”, represents the Lowland part of the Four Corners of Scotland distilleries of Johnnie Walker Blended Scotch Whisky. It has recently been named a top three whisky experience in Scotland by Milroy’s Whisky Travel Index, earning one of those top spots thanks to its impressive landscape and immersive tours on offer.
Glenkinchie Distillery visit
Glenkinchie Distillery has seen a major refurbishment not so long ago, including the addition of the Lowland Bar, a stunning place for lunch, cocktails, or a few drams. The distillery offers a wide selection of tours, anything from a full-sensory tour and tasting where your nose is put to the test, to a warehouse experience where you can draw whisky straight from the cask.
I enjoyed the Glenkinchie Flavour Journey tour, it covers the full story of the distillery and includes a sensory room where your senses are elevated through aroma. The aim is to to recognise three of the key elements of their whisky, through scent alone. This step will then emphasise your experience at the whisky tasting. By understanding the scents, you get more out of the whisky itself. Also, who doesn’t like an interactive tour!
They also have an award-winning garden with native plant species as well as beehives, bat houses, bug boxes, and plantings, to attract, feed, and shelter insect pollinators, birds, and other native creatures. It’s a lovely place to walk around if you get lucky with the Scottish weather. It is said that their single malt gets its inspiration from the fragrant flowers and sun-kissed grass of the garden.
I’d happily go back just to have a drink and a snack at their stunning Lowland Bar overlooking the garden. The local charcuterie board was delicious. I also tried the Cherry Sour mocktail, which paired well with the venison salami.
You can get a bus directly from the centre of Edinburgh to the distillery, or gather your friends, jump in a taxi, and make a day of it. Be sure to allow time after the tour to enjoy the bar!
Glenkinchie Single Malt Whisky
Glenkinchie makes a lighter style whisky with three distinctive tasting notes: wildflowers, dried grass and nutty cereal. Consider it your classic Lowland malt. Their 12-year-old single malt is delicate with fresh with notes of apple, floral honey, malt and citrus. It is bottled at 43% ABV.
I recommend trying the Distillers Edition in which the core single malt is enhanced by finishing in an amontillado cask. The cask elevates the nutty notes and brings some fruity sweetness. Each year’s batch is slightly different, yet the secondary maturation remains the same.
History of Glenkinchie
The distillery was founded in 1825 by two brothers, and it first operated under the name Milton Distillery. Later, in 1837 to be precise, the name was changed to Glenkinchie. The name came from the Kinchie Burn, which got its name from ‘de Quincey’, the previous owner of the estate.
Unfortunately, the brothers went bankrupt in 1853, and the distillery site was converted into a sawmill. In 1881 a group of Edinburgh-based investors revived whisky making in the premises and eventually expanded the site to its current form.
In 1914, Glenkinchie Distillery teamed up with other Lowland distilleries, to form a new united company. They later merged with another business, which eventually became Diageo.
Glenkinchie whisky has mostly been used for blends, and it wasn’t until 1998 that their single malt whisky had time to shine. Diageo was looking for a Lowland whisky to be part of their Classic Malt Selection. Glenkinchie was chosen, which gave the distillery enormous visibility and has allowed them to continue to grow and continue creating new and innovative experiences for guests.
Check out malts.com/glenkinchie to find out more about the experiences.
Have you been to the distillery? What are your thoughts on Glenkinchie Single Malt?
Disclaimer: This post was created in collaboration with Glenkinchie Distillery & Malts.com.
