Kininvie 17 Years Old Batch 001 Travel Retail 42.6% 1996

Professional reviews

Serge Valentin (82)

Small bottle, neat contemporary packaging, high prices. Colour: gold. Nose: maybe that’s because it’s owned by William Grant, but I cannot not think of a vatting of Balvenie and Glenfiddich. Floral (dandelions, buttercups), some overripe apples, a touch of light acacia honey, a little heather, a little marzipan, a little custard, three yellow plums, and a little cappuccino, then more raw barley and a touch of mead. Sweet, clean and mellow, rather delicate. Mouth: some vanillin in the arrival, apple juice, white pepper, plum pie and, once again, a little light honey. Then rather fresh walnuts and a few drops of Schweppes. Not too light given the strength. Finish: of medium length, a tad spirity, with a few raisins, a slice of tinned pineapple and then quite some vanilla and white pepper in the aftertaste. Comments: perfectly drinkable despite a certain lack of character – and perhaps value.

Gal Granov (89)

Nose: Classic stuff. Textbook speyside on a plate. Malty with lovely fruitiness as in baked apple and pear, toasted oak , vanilla and spices. Some wet hay too and old wood. a hint of balsamic sourness . Brilliant.

Palate: Spicier and less creamy than the nose suggested. Prickly. Then getting maltier with the baked apple and oak, pepper and dough.

Finish: Peppery, malty and fruity , also quite buttery and long.

This is a very good malt indeed, and it’s hard to say which is better: the 17 or the 23… If i had to pick I’d probably go with the 17 but it surely depends on my mood at that moment.

BOW (88)