With only two Lowland distilleries in production, Glenkinchie ™ single malt whiskey is the undisputed champion of the light Lowland Category. Because of the interesting visitor center and the attractive location for today's tourist ideal for a first visit to a distillery. Every year there over 40,000 Glenkinchie which will remain part of life in Edinburgh.
South and East of Edinburgh, where the tall green Lammermuir Hills gently north towards the Firth of Forth, lies the farming country of East Lothian. In this 'Garden of Scotland' growing fields of barley, irrigated by water softly flowing down from the hills.
This golden barley was destined for Glenkinchie Distillery when local farmers John and George Rate were the first official licensees in 1837. She stopped in 1853, but production was resumed in 1890, when a consortium of wine merchants and blenders from Edinburgh and Leith the Glenkinchie Distillery Co. Ltd. breathed new life.
Glenkinchie was finally rebuilt as the Victorian distillery as we know it today: distinctive red brick buildings, houses for workers and even a bowling green.
Tradition is here in place. For example there are six wooden washbacks which are still used in the fermentation process, two of pine from Oregon and two of larch wood from Canada.
The two huge old copper kettles are also very characteristic: they are among the largest in the industry and together they account for a production of 1.3 million liters per year. Instead of a modern condenser, there is still used a cast iron tub worm in order to cool off the alcohol, giving a whiskey more character and depth.
Source: Malts.com