Kininvie 23 Year

Ah, Balven...I mean Kininvie. You fooled me. You really did. In our pursuit of sampling spirits from every active distillery in Scotland, I encountered Kininvie. This distillery was established in 1990 on The Balvenie distillery grounds by William Grant & Sons. This single malt is mainly incorporated into Monkey Shoulder and Clan Macgregor blends. The interesting part is that Kininvie doesn't have its own mash house; all their mashing is done at The Balvenie. Kininvie exclusively uses its own mash recipes. So, essentially, The Balvenie acts as a contract distiller for them. That explains a lot... This is a 23-year-old malt distilled back in 1990 when the facility first started operations. Kininvie also offers a 17-year-old, but all other production goes into blends. This is Batch 3 and was bottled at 42.6%. It has a pale gold appearance in the glass, with an oily texture and numerous undefined legs descending the glass. The nose is predominantly ex-bourbon wood. There are light orchard fruits like apples and pears, and a faint hint of vanilla. It smells like a light American whiskey. The palate mirrors the nose in flavor but is incredibly smooth, slightly viscous, and sugary with an oily mouthfeel. The finish is of medium length, delicate, and woody. It's smooth throughout but remarkably uninteresting. After tasting an ounce neat, I did something I rarely do: I added water. At 23 years old, there should be some hidden complexity or added depth of flavor to be discovered. Not really. The nose revealed some perfumed notes that weren't initially present, but the palate didn't improve. Disappointing. So, what we have here is a contracted Balvenie, with a price to match. I spent $145 for this 375ml bottle. What a rip-off! This dram is incredibly dull and ridiculously overpriced. I saved it for the end of our tasting, expecting it to deliver, but I was wrong. I feel ripped off. 2.5-2.75 stars MAXIMUM. I'm tempted to deduct stars for the price, but it is an exceptionally smooth whisky. Avoid purchasing this and try to get a taste from someone foolish enough to buy a bottle. Cheers.

Nose: Described as "floral" on the bottle, and it certainly is! Beyond the flowers, there's very light sherry, vanilla, and citrus. In short, very delicate! Palate: Hot and spicy on the tip of the tongue; the citrus is more distinct here, with a lemon dominance. Then honey and always a floral bouquet in the background. Quite dry, but it doesn't feel balanced to me: it's as if the flavors are separate from the alcohol, creating an experience of consuming two different liquids. I don't find harmony. It also seems much younger than its 23 years. Finish: Medium-short, but not exceptional. Initially confirming floral and citrus notes, it transitions to a second, tart and bitter phase. A whisky that truly "leaves a bitter taste in your mouth"! My high expectations were unmet. A shame, as new producers like Kininvie usually offer excellent whiskies. Rating 3.50 _____________________________________________________________________ Naso: sulla bottiglia è definito come “floreale”, e lo è in pieno! Oltre ai fiori leggerissimo sherry, leggerissima vaniglia, leggerissimi agrumi. Insomma, molto delicato! Palato: piccante e speziato sulla punta della lingua, qui gli agrumi sono più netti con una prevalenza di limone. Poi miele e sempre un bouquet floreale a fare da sfondo. Abbastanza secco, non mi pare però equilibrato: sembra che gli aromi siano separati dall’alcool, e che si mettano in bocca due liquidi diversi, uno alcolico ed uno no. Non trovo armonia. Sembra inoltre molto più giovane dei suoi 23 anni. Finale: medio breve, ma non eccezionale. Ad un primo impatto dove conferma il floreale e gli agrumi, passa ad una seconda parte acidula ed amarognola. Un whisky che si può ben dire che “lasci l’amaro in bocca”! Le mie aspettative erano alte, ma non sono state rispettate. Peccato perché solitamente i nuovi produttori, quale è Kininvie, hanno whisky ottimi. Voto 3,50

42.6% abv, Batch 3. A group of tasting companions years ago aimed to sample scotch from every Scottish distillery in operation, known as the SDT. Information was shared freely back then. A friend supplied this bottle to the group. Tonight, it was taken from the collection because the circumstances were fitting for a tasting (home alone). Typically, a whisky's age correlates with its complexity, often apparent first in the aroma. This completely contradicts that idea. It offers very little aromatic depth or a diverse range of scents. It's quite unchanging. Notes of woody vanilla and watered-down bourbon are present. Eventually, sweet, ripe fruit notes of pears and pineapples emerge. The texture is weak. It feels lighter than water. Like the aroma, the embedded flavors are scarce and lack intricacy. Sweetness shifts to bitterness, beginning with vanilla, light brown sugar, and faint traces of apples and toasted coconut. All of this, which isn't much, rapidly disappears, becoming a somewhat woody, spicy spirit with a young character. The finish consists of wood and sharp lemon citrus that vanishes swiftly, leaving the palate dry and woody. I'd bet this is an 8-year-old Speysider that will mature into something better with another six to eight years. The fact that this is 23 years old is astonishing. It drinks like the Balvenie 12 but lacks its richness. Is this a dreadful dram and unpalatable? Definitely not. However, considering its age and price, your drinking time and money would be better allocated elsewhere. [84/100][Tasted: 5/20/22]

The tenth stop on the Scottish Distillery Tour is Kininvie. I have limited knowledge of this Speyside producer beyond its solitary offerings: a 17-year-old and this 23-year-old, which a companion procured for the concluding phase of our journey. Bottled at 42.6% ABV, it likely possesses a natural pale gold hue and, due to the lower proof, is probably chill-filtered. This particular sample is from Batch 3. The aroma presents subtle tropical notes, including kiwi, papaya, and passion fruit. There are also orchard fruits like pears, apples, tangerines, and apricots, accompanied by musty oak, vanilla, coconut, and a touch of ginger. While it was matured in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, the bourbon influence is clearly dominant. The taste, honestly... it's quite subdued. The same tropical fruits from the nose are present, papaya and kiwi, but they are so faint it's difficult to discern them clearly. There's some oak and vanilla with a hint of coconut, and a slight resemblance to grain alcohol. It has a medium-light body with an oily yet otherwise thin texture. The finish is brief, often disappearing almost immediately, leaving behind only an oily trace of vanilla and oak. Considering its age and the steep price of $145 for a small 375mL bottle, this is a real letdown. The nose hinted at potential, but the palate and finish lacked any significant depth. I had high hopes, but this spirit failed to deliver. It feels regrettable to award only 3 stars, as it initially appears worthy of at least a 4. However, perhaps that's its only quality – superficial appeal. Skål

This review is for the 23-year-old 1991 Batch 3 bottling. I'm assuming it's the same as the age and ABV match. Anyway, on to the whisky. I purchased it as part of my quest to sample all of Scotland's finest commercially available distilleries. I hadn't encountered this one until I researched all the distilleries. Apparently, I'm not alone, as online reviews begin with 'The little-known distillery...'. Founded by William Grant & Sons in 1990, it was established to alleviate some production pressure from its sister distilleries, Balvenie and Glenfiddich. Most of the whisky produced here is incorporated into Grant's blended range and Monkey Shoulder. Kininvie is situated on the same grounds as its sister distilleries and shares elements of their production. Regardless, the whisky itself is a pleasant dram. Before researching, I would have guessed it was a grain whisky based on its taste. Its flavor profile is very light but exceptionally well-balanced. I had this after a dram of Macallan Rare Black and it held its own. Another review accurately described it as vanilla, lemon, grass, and icing sugar, which captures it well. Approximately $140 USD, and I rate it 4.25. It's one of those drams I don't typically favor due to its somewhat ethereal nature, but it succeeds nicely because of its multifaceted, well-balanced flavor profile.

Seriously? This is 23 years old? It's like a young adult you've supported through extensive education, only to find them idle at home with snacks watching TV. A significant letdown given its age. Before a friend shared a taste during our final tasting round, I was unaware of this distillery. It seems to be a front for another distillery to release inferior spirits into blends. I sampled it with a tiny amount of water. The aroma was pleasantly floral, reminiscent of a known distillery. However, the taste was underwhelming for me. Mild green apples and some honey were present. For a 23-year-old Speysider, one would anticipate much more. Thanks to my friend for the insight and experience.