Glenkinchie distillery information
The Glenkinchie distillery lies in a glen of Kinchie Burn near the village of Pencaitland (roughly 15 miles from Edinburgh, earning it the nickname of Edinburgh malt). It was founded in 1825 by brothers John and George Rate as Milton Distillery, but was renamed to Glenkinchie in 1837 (The land the distiller is on originally was owned by the de Quincey family, which over the years corrupted into “Kinchie”). The Rate brothers kept ownership of the distillery until 1853, when the distillery was sold off to a local farmer, who turned the building into a sawmill. It remained dormant until 1890, when a collective of brewers, blenders and wine merchants from Edinburgh formed the Glenkinchie Distillery Co Ltd. It kept producing until 1917, when World War 1 made the government restrict the use of Barley in order to ensure consistent food supplies. Production resumed again in 1919, with Glenkinchie being one of the few distilleries that was allowed to keep producing during World War 2.
In 1968, the malting floors at Glenkinchie closed, and instead were turned into a museum of Malt Whisky. Glenkinchie was relatively little known, until United Distillers started marketing it under their Classic Malts brand (which also includes Cragganmore, Dalwhinnie, Lagavulin, Oban and Talisker) in 1988.
An interesting bit of information about the Glenkinchie Distillery is that its stills are some of the largest in the industry. In fact, when the wash still needed repairs in the spring of 2008, the roof of the building had to be removed in order to perform the operation.
Glenkinchie Whiskies
Glenkinchie’s core range is deliberately small, just two expressions, and both reflect the light, floral character typical of Lowland whisky:
- Glenkinchie 12 Year Old – the flagship, entry-level bottling, matured in ex-bourbon casks. Light, floral and grassy, with notes of citrus, honey and fresh-cut grass.
- Distiller’s Edition – finished in ex-Amontillado sherry casks for extra richness, adding notes of dried fruit, baked biscuit and spice to the base spirit.
Older-age and special-release bottlings (17, 20, 21 year old, and various Distiller’s Edition vintages) exist outside the core range and aren’t covered here.
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Glenkinchie |
| Region | Lowland |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1837 (as Milton Distillery from 1825) |
| Water source | Lammermuir Hills |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | Diageo |
| Address |
Glenkinchie Distillery +(44) (0)1875 342 012 |
| Visitor centre | Yes |
| Website | https://www.malts.com/en/glenkinchie |
| Community | Malts Club |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 28 litres | 1 |
| Washback | 60,000 litres | 6 |
| Wash still | 30,963 litres | 1 |
| Spirit Still | 20,998 litres | 1 |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 3,000,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Glenkinchie lies in a glen of the Kinchie Burn near the village of Pencaitland, roughly 15 miles from Edinburgh, earning it the nickname “Edinburgh malt.”
The distillery was founded in 1825 by brothers John and George Rate as Milton Distillery, and renamed Glenkinchie in 1837. The land it sits on was originally owned by the de Quincey family, whose name gradually corrupted over the years into “Kinchie.”
Yes. The distillery lay dormant from 1853, when it was sold to a local farmer and turned into a sawmill, until 1890, when a collective of Edinburgh brewers, blenders and wine merchants formed the Glenkinchie Distillery Co Ltd. Production also paused in 1917 when World War 1 restricted barley use, resuming in 1919; Glenkinchie was then one of the few distilleries allowed to keep producing during World War 2.
They closed in 1968 and were turned into a museum of malt whisky.
They’re among the largest in the industry. When the wash still needed repairs in spring 2008, the roof of the building had to be removed just to carry out the work.
Yes. Glenkinchie was relatively little known until United Distillers began marketing it under their Classic Malts brand in 1988, alongside Cragganmore, Dalwhinnie, Lagavulin, Oban and Talisker.
The core range is deliberately small, just two expressions reflecting Lowland whisky’s light, floral character: the 12 Year Old (matured in ex-bourbon casks, light, floral and grassy with citrus and honey notes) and the Distiller’s Edition (finished in ex-Amontillado sherry casks for extra richness). Older-age and special-release bottlings exist outside the core range.