
June 7, 2019

Glencraig vs. Kinclaith by Signatory,
the craziest duo ever?

Quite. But thank you Signatory Vintage!

Glencraig 42 yo 1976/2018 (42%, Signatory Vintage, 30th Anniversary, bourbon barrel, cask #4283, 176 bottles)

Good, Clencraig was made at Glenburgie between 1956 and 1981, using some Lomond still. It used to be Glenburgie’s Mosstowie, if you like, but I think they were making Glencraig in much smaller quantities. No need to tell you that Glencraig has become extremely rare, so this is yet another crazy coup by SigV. Colour: gold. Nose: ooh, love this. Mangos and, most of all, crazy guavas. Add good retsina (not the ones for tourists), halva, pistachios, heather honey, pink bananas, then rather flowers, lillies, orange blossom, rose petals, wallflowers, woodruff… It is all very subtle and complex, and yet not shy at all. And the barrel was first-grade. Mouth: first all things from a proper beehive, then more soft wood/tea spices. So, beeswax, all-flower honey, pollen and mead, and then rather balsa wood, soft cinnamon, marzipan and Szechuan pepper. The freshness is impressive, even if the oak’s about to take over. Just about. Finish: medium, complex, on some kind of wonderful fresh fruitcake covered with the subtlest spices. Apples and cinnamon in the aftertaste. Comments: in truth it was a tad fragile and uncertain here and there, but the enjoyment remains massive. The nose was just otherworldly.
SGP:551 - 89 points.

No, no new Kinclaith in sight, but there is this older one from ten years ago…

Kinclaith 40 yo 1969/2009 (47.3%, Signatory Vintage, hogshead, cask #301445, 217 bottles)

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…
SGP:462 - 87 points.

(Mucho mercis, Andrew and Angus!)

Glencraig vs. Kinclaith by Signatory, the craziest duo ever?

Glencraig vs. Kinclaith by Signatory,
the craziest duo ever?