Glenkinchie 2003-2015 Distillers Edition 12 år Single Lowland Malt Whisky 43%

Amontillado is drier than oloroso and lays in nuts and salted fruit rather than dark sweetness. That is exactly the kind of cask a light Lowland malt can carry without disappearing.

The expert's description

Glenkinchie Distillers Edition 2003/2015 is a Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky with a second maturation in amontillado sherry casks, bottled at 43%.

The whisky was distilled in 2003 and bottled in 2015 after twelve years. The first part of maturation took place in ordinary casks, after which the whisky spent a period in amontillado casks — what Diageo calls double maturation.

Distillers Edition exists for each of the Classic Malts distilleries, and each one was given its own type of sherry. Glenkinchie got amontillado, which is dry and nutty and does not flatten the light distillery style.

Tasting notes

Nose

Lemon and meadow flowers with nuts, dried apricot and a note of salted caramel from the cask.

Palate

Softer and rounder than the standard bottling. Vanilla and citrus at the base with nuts, dried fruit and a dry sherry edge on top.

Finish

Medium length and dry with nuts, spice and a lightly salted close.

Specifications

Name: Glenkinchie 2003/2015 Distillers Edition 12 Year Single Lowland Malt Whisky 43%
Distillery: Glenkinchie
Region/Country: Lowland, Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Second maturation in amontillado sherry casks
Vintage: Distilled 2003, bottled 2015
Range: Distillers Edition, Classic Malts of Scotland
Batch code: G/228-7-D
EAN no.: 5000281022598

Flavour profile

Light · Nutty · Dry sherry · Citrus · Round

Investment potential

Medium. The 2003/2015 vintage is discontinued, and Distillers Edition appears in new vintages every year, so the older ones quietly disappear from the shelves. It is a range people collect by vintage rather than by single bottle.

Did you know?

Glenkinchie runs only two pot stills, but they are among the largest in Scotland. The wash still is charged with around 21,000 litres, and that kind of volume gives a light, clean spirit with long copper contact.

See our full range of Glenkinchie

Frequently asked questions about Glenkinchie Distillers Edition 2003/2015

What does Distillers Edition mean?

That the whisky has been given an extra maturation period in a sherry cask after the ordinary maturation. Diageo makes one for each of the Classic Malts distilleries.

What is amontillado?

A dry style of sherry that sits between fino and oloroso. It gives nuts and dried fruit rather than the dark sweetness known from oloroso.

What does 2003/2015 mean?

Year of distillation and year of bottling. The whisky spent twelve years in cask, the last part of it in amontillado casks.

How does it differ from the standard twelve year old?

The second maturation. The standard bottling is light and dry, while this one has more nuts, dried fruit and a rounder middle from the sherry casks.

Is it smoky?

No. Glenkinchie is unpeated, and the second maturation does not change that.

Can this vintage still be had?

The range appears in new vintages, so older releases like this one exist only while bottles from that year remain.

What suits it?

It works after a meal, where the sherry edge has something to play against. See the rest of the selection in our Scotch Whisky section.