Tasting notes by Serge Valentin (WhiskyFun.com) 87/100

One of the rarest Lowlanders ever. Kinclaith used to be sheltered within the Strathclyde complex, and has only been working between 1957 and 1975. In a way, it is the same story as that of Ladyburn at Girvan or Glenflagler at Moffat/Garnheath. Naturally, this is single malt whisky.

Colour: gold.

Nose: well, this is a little odd, if I may. New plastics (when you order some cheap junk from Wish), turnips, moist cigars, Marmite, morels, Swiss cheese, manzanilla, artichokes… But it tends to become rounder and straighter, and more on chocolate cake, walnut cake, and porcini cream. Utterly love porcini cream, don’t you?

Mouth: a little weird. Pine wood, mint cordial, loads of cardamom and cloves, black Chinese mushrooms, prune liqueur, sloe, then dried parsley, raw cocoa and coffee… It’s all very dry and pretty unusual. Some charcoal as well, eating your cigar (which is not the point, as you probably know)… The hogshead may have been rebuilt using older wood that may have sheltered some bone-dry amontillado, way before 1969. Just a theory out of the blue, my friend.

Finish: medium, rather better focused, with the traditional Seville oranges and more walnuts in the aftertaste.

Comments: it’s a little embarrassing to judge such a rare old malt. I mean, who am I? Will I ever try another Kinclaith that I haven’t tried yet? Existential questions…