Kininvie 3 Years Old Blend

By Barry Bradford on October 7, 2019 • ( Leave a comment )

Kininvie 3 Years Old Blend KVSB003 (48.2%, OB, 2019)

ABV: 48.2%
Age: 3 Years Old
Bottling: OB
Category: Blended scotch whisky
Cost: £35
Origin: Kininvie Distillery
Vintage: 2015

What they say

KVSB003 – The final release of the range is an innovation in Blended Scotch. It uses a higher proportion of malt than usual for a Blend, exploring how malt and grain drive flavour differently. KVSB003 is a blend of a three-year-old Single Grain Scotch whisky with a parcel of Single Malt Scotch whisky both produced at the Kininvie Distillery, aged in Virgin American oak & European casks respectively. It has an ABV of 48.2%. The observation was that this shift created a distinct spicy note that balances out the light floral note of Kininvie malt.

What I say

The final in the 3 inaugural releases from Kininvie Works is a blended scotch whisky, using both the 3 year old single grain (Made with the addition of Malted Rye) and some of the standard single malt stock produced at the one distillery – the re-emergence of the ‘Single Blend’ – a non-SWA compliant or at least acknowledged category since Loch Lomond stopped advertising theirs as such.

This post was sponsored by Kininvie Works by provision of this product.

My tasting notes:

Appearance: 18ct Gold (6/20), numerous medium tears and medium legs
Nose: Fruity apple, floral, honey, light caramel, toffee and milk chocolate
Taste: Light bodied, fruit and spicy similar to the triple distilled malt, with a little more weight to it and some spice also, white pepper & cinnamon, that plastic lemon juice flavour is back and some very light heather/oil-seed rape mixed honey, bananas mashed in sugar
Finish: Medium sweet, spiced and drying

Overall

Better than the single malt but not as good as the single grain.. There was still far too much of the weirdly fake/plastic lemon citrus flavour and way too much spice in the spirit which I suspect derives more from the single malt than the single grain component. I likely won’t be drinking much more of this one straight either.