Glenkinchie

Introduction:

Glenkinchie, known as the Edinburgh Malt, is close to Scotland’s capital. Its official bottling range includes the core expression, the 12 – year – old, along with the 17, 20, and 21 – year – olds, as well as special editions. Independent bottlings are scarce.

The Production:

With a yearly capacity of 1.7 million liters, Glenkinchie uses water from nearby Lammermuir Hills. The distillery employs a unique two-story cast-iron worm tub for condensing the spirit, unlike the typical round ones.

The Pot Stills:

Operating with one wash still and one spirit still, both with large capacities, Glenkinchie’s wash still is the largest in Scotland. The stills have a distinctive shape, with an almost concave intermediate section and a gradually narrowing neck.

The Maltings:

Glenkinchie used its floor maltings until 1969 when it shifted to an industrial maltings. The original maltings building is now a museum. The malt used is gently peated, contributing to its non-smoky taste.

The Warehouse:

Glenkinchie has three dunnage warehouses on-site, holding over 10,000 casks. The distillery uses various casks, including Amontillado Sherry casks for the 14-year-old Distiller’s Edition and Bourbon casks for many other Single Malts.

The History:

Founded in 1837 by John and George Rate, Glenkinchie has a disputed link with a previous distillery called Milton.

In 1840, James Gray took over operations, but John Rate regained control in 1852.

Due to financial challenges, John Rate closed the distillery in 1853, and the site was sold to farmer Christie, who transformed it into a sawmill.

Revival and New Ownership

Glenkinchie remained inactive for several decades until a consortium of distillers and wine merchants purchased the site in 1880.

The consortium formed the Glen Kinchie Distillery Company, reconstructed the distillery, and successfully resumed production.

Membership in Scottish Malt Distillers and Distiller’s Company Limited:

In 1914, Glenkinchie joined the Scottish Malt Distillers group along with four other Lowland distilleries.

In 1925, Distiller’s Company Limited acquired Scottish Malt Distillers, including Glenkinchie.

Continuity through World Wars and 20th Century Developments:

Glenkinchie impressively continued operations during both World Wars.

Throughout the 20th century, Glenkinchie underwent ongoing developments.

The floor maltings were closed in 1969 and transformed into a museum.

In 2007, Glenkinchie released two notable bottlings: a 12-year-old and a 20-year-old cask strength expression, showcasing the distillery’s progress.

Visitor’s Centre:

Yes, Glenkinchie has a well-established visitor’s centre, offering distillery tours.

Visitor information:

The Glenkinchie Distillery
Pencaitland
Tranent
East Lothian EH34 5ET
Tel: +44 (0)1875-342 012
Email: glenkinchie.distillery@diageo.com