InchDairnie Distillery KinGlassie Double Matured 8 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

InchDairnie's peated single malt was first matured for five years in ex-bourbon casks and then a further three years in Amontillado sherry casks. An alluring sniff marries Highland malt with minerals, trace iodine, cured meats and wood smoke. Heavily peated at 50ppm, yet the phenols feel spaced out with air to breathe; the smoke drifting above the oily malt as it rolls over the tongue. Some complexity, too, hinting at poached pears, quince and a salted nuttiness. Very fine tannins and more of that delicious, cocoa-laced, lip smacking peat to finish. Something engaging and different from the southern Highlands here. Ardmore, eat your heart out! 46.3% Alc./Vol.

Other reviews... "...not just the first peated whisky from InchDairnie, but also the first single malt...KinGlassie is InchDairnie’s heavily peated whisky. As opposed to FinGlassie, which has already been bottled by a number of independents, it will never be sold to third parties. It’s made using a “special yeast recipe” and with St Fergus peat from Aberdeenshire. The barley, all sourced from within Fife, is peated to 50 parts per million on average. The spec range is 40 to 60 ppm, meaning there can be fluctuations between different vintages of KinGlassie. Initially InchDairnie was planning on releasing just one expression of KinGlassie, the Double Matured... “Our plan was to only take the Amontillado matured whisky out of the cask. The other [KinGlassie] that had been in ex-bourbon casks for the full eight years, we were going to let it rest for another four years. But we tasted the spirit, and it was like… A completely different beast – although actually not a beast nor is the Amontillado overpowering in any way. This whisky is balanced and maybe more subtle than you might expect. For a heavily peated whisky, the smoke influence is relatively secondary, which suits me well.” - wordsofwhisky.com

...Nose: A great seaside note here: smell of fresh ocean spray and seaweed to start. There’s a lovely little smoky tinge but nothing overwhelming. Then some fresh lemon and white sugar. Palate: Minerally and fresh, with bolder smoky notes on the palate, alongside some lovely sweetness in the form of strawberries and vanilla. Finish: Long and drawn out, lots of ashy smoke and just a touch of bitterness. Comment: A really well-balanced coastal dram with something for the peat lover and non-peat lover alike. - whiskymag.com