🥃 Glenkinchie
Distillery and brand of Lowland single malt whisky in East Lothian; the current distillery dates from 1837; worm tub condenser; owned by Diageo.
Glenkinchie is a distillery and single malt Scotch whisky brand in Pencaitland, East Lothian, about 15–16 miles from Edinburgh. It is a Lowland whisky, light and lightly peated. The current distillery was built in 1837 and is owned by Diageo, which is why it is often called "the Edinburgh malt".
History. According to Whiskypedia, the Rate brothers opened the Milton distillery nearby in 1825, and a larger one on the present site in 1837. The business went bankrupt in 1853 and the buildings became a sawmill. Production resumed in 1881, and in 1890 the distillery was rebuilt into its present form. Reference books disagree on dates: Difford's Guide gives 1837 as the founding year. It belonged to Scottish Malt Distillers from 1914, to DCL from 1925, and to Diageo from 1997.
How it is made. There are two pairs of stills: according to Whiskypedia, the wash still is the largest in Scotland, but sources give different capacity figures, so we do not quote one. Condensing is done in an outdoor water-filled worm tub. The water comes from a spring in the Lammermuir Hills. The malt is lightly peated; according to Whiskypedia, the fresh spirit has a sulphury smell that fades in the cask.
Range. In 1998 Glenkinchie was chosen as the Lowland representative of the Classic Malts series, ahead of Rosebank. The core bottling is 12 years old, and there are special releases, including a 24-year-old 1991 edition in the Special Releases series, bottled at cask strength.
Why this matters to you. The Lowland style is lighter than the peated whiskies of Islay, so check the age and strength on the label. The age statement refers to the youngest whisky in the bottle. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | 1837, the Rate brothers (Pencaitland, East Lothian); the earlier Milton distillery — 1825 |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890) (Single Malt Scotch Whisky; Lowland) |
| EU category | 2 — whisky (whisky/whiskey) |
| Raw material | lightly peated barley malt; water from the Lammermuir Hills |
| Distillation method | twice, in copper stills; worm tub condenser |
| Cask type | mostly ex-American whisky casks; some releases use European oak |
| Minimum maturation | at least 3 years in oak by law; core bottling 12 years |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | at least 40% ABV by law |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Glenkinchie → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Previous step
- 🥃 Diageo
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What is made from it
- 🥃 Haig Dimple 15 Year Old, 🥃 Haig Gold Label
- What it contains
- 🧪 Water, 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 British
- Part of
- 🥃 Whisky, 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Lowland whisky
- Related to
- 🌍 Western Europe
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Johnnie Walker, 🥃 Glenfiddich, 🥃 Bladnoch, 🥃 Cragganmore
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Glenkinchie is “the Edinburgh malt”?
That is a marketing nickname: the distillery is in East Lothian, about 15–16 miles from Edinburgh, so the name describes distance, not the place of origin.
Which region is Glenkinchie in?
Lowland, a protected Scotch whisky region in the south of the country.
When was Glenkinchie founded?
The current distillery was built in 1837. Its predecessor, Milton, was opened by the Rate brothers in 1825.
Who owns Glenkinchie?
Diageo, since 1997; before that it belonged to United Distillers, DCL and Scottish Malt Distillers.
What is Classic Malts?
A series of Diageo single malts in which Glenkinchie has represented the Lowlands since 1998.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🌍 Western Europe — France, the Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg: a mild, moist climate, pastures and hundreds of cheeses such as Roquefort, Camembert, Gouda and Cheddar.
- 🧑🤝🧑 British — People of Great Britain; their protected West Country Cheddar matures for at least 9 months, and tea is drunk with milk.
Similar
🥃 Auchentoshan · 🥃 Linkwood · 🥃 Glengoyne · 🥃 Benrinnes · 🥃 Black & White · 🥃 Loch Lomond Distillery
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: definition and categories of Scotch Whisky (Scotland, oak up to 700 l, min. 3 years, min. 40 % ABV)
- Scotchwhisky.com (Whiskypedia): Glenkinchie (Rate brothers 1825/1837, bankruptcy 1853, restart 1881, rebuilt 1890, Classic Malts 1998, Diageo)
- Difford's Guide: Glenkinchie Distillery (Pencaitland, East Lothian; Lammermuir Hills water; worm tub; Diageo)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)