Glenkinchie 1989 - Distillers Edition 2003

Glenkinchie was a little-known Lowland distillery in Diageo forerunner United Distillers & Vintners’ portfolio until 1987 when it was picked as the Lowland representative in the company’s Classic Malts range of regional single malt whiskies. 

Over 30 years later, Glenkinchie is a familiar presence in supermarkets and bars - although some malt fans quibbled Glenkinchie’s selection as the distillery does not practise triple-distillation in the traditional Lowland style. Others have never forgiven Glenkinchie for being picked for the Classic Malts ahead of Rosebank, hastening the latter’s demise.

Aside from distillery-only single casks and the standard 12-year-old and Distillers Edition bottlings, official Glenkinchies are rare, with only a handful of long-aged Glenkinchies released this century. Glenkinchie’s importance to the Johnnie Walker blend means that independent bottlings are practically non-existent.

Distillery bottlings are, as the name suggests, bottled by or for the distillery from which the whisky has originated and are thus often referred to as Official Bottlings or OBs. Distillery bottlings are generally more desirable for collectors and usually fetch higher prices at auction than independent bottlings. They are officially-endorsed versions of the whisky from a particular distillery and are therefore considered the truest expression of the distillery’s character.

This ideal of the distillery character is regarded so seriously by the distilleries and brand owners that casks of whisky that are considered to vary too far from the archetype are frequently sold on to whisky brokers and independent bottlers. When this happens, it is often with the proviso that the distillery’s name is not allowed to be used when the cask is bottled for fear of diminishing or damaging the distillery’s character and status.