Kininvie Distillery is a small, relatively new distillery owned by William Grant & Sons. In 1990 it opened its doors on the same grounds as The Balvenie with just a stillhouse, and it began producing single malt whisky strictly for William Grant & Sons’ blends (Monkey Shoulder chief among them). In 2010, it briefly closed when the parent company believed its new, state-of-the-art Ailsa Bay facility would produce enough to meet demand. That only lasted a couple years, however, as the whisky boom kept booming. All the while, Kininvie single malt became more alluring and mysterious. In 2013, William Grant & Sons finally relented with a limited release of the first official Kininvie single malt, a 23 year old exclusively for the Taiwanese market. Shortly after, this 17 year expression hit shelves. Distilled in 1996, it was aged 80% in ex-bourbon barrels and 20% in sherry casks, and bottled exclusively in 35cl packaging. These bottles appeared overseas, mostly in Travel Retail, and the occasional store shelf on our side of the pond. I recently picked one up at auction, just so I could share my thoughts with you good, whisky-loving people.

The nose is buttery and fruity with lemon zest, sugar cookie, and pear tart. Vanilla frosting, confectioners’ sugar, and pie spice are gently intermingled. It’s not as big or rich as I might have expected or wanted from a 17 year old single malt, but it’s worth the extra digging in the glass to nose out some of these really enjoyable pastry aromas. The palate is silky, but things are definitely lighter and brighter with candied lemon peel, a soft spice, and a bit of unripe orchard fruit. It is by no means a complex single malt, and the finish is on the shorter side with fleeting notes of nutmeg, clove, and a bit of dried tobacco leaf. This one shows promise, but it’s a bit too delicate for my liking.

85.2 proof.

B / $120 (350ml) / williamgrant.com

Kininvie Single Malt 17 Years Old (Batch 1)

$120

8

Rating

8.0/10

About Post Author

Drew Beard

Drew Beard is Assistant Editor and Social Media Manager for Drinkhacker. He has studied and written about beer, whisk(e)y, and other spirits since he first started drinking them, earning several booze-related merit badges along the way, including Certified Specialist in Spirits and Executive Bourbon Steward. A recovering Federal government employee, he is happy to have finally found a career where it is acceptable to drink on the job.

See author's posts

Related Stories:

Review: William Grant New Releases 2015 – Girvan No. 4, 25 Years Old, 30 Years Old, Kininvie 23 Years Old, Annasach 25 Years Old, and Ghosted Reserve 21 Years Old Review: Kirkland Highland Single Malt 16 Years Old Bourbon Cask Matured Review: Glen Oak Single Malt Whiskies – 10, 17, and 30 Years Old Review: The Arran Malt 12 Years Old Cask Strength Batch #2