Kininvie Works experiment on new whiskies

William Grant & Sons has released three Kininvie expressions from its Kininvie Works range.

For the distillery near Dufftown in Speyside, the expressions are known as KVSM001, KVSG002 and KVSB003, reflective of one being a single malt, one a single grain and one a blend. 

To supplement the releases, the producer has also published its first technical White paper — a theoretical hypothesis exploring the potential innovation that Kininvie Works could undertake — 'rousing' new-make spirit to affect flavour.

William Grant & Sons aims for Kininvie Works to challenge established theories about Scotch whisky and act as a creative hub for the industry.

Kininvie Works is a collective of distillers. The producer claims that the ideas that they test at Kininvie Works are never constrained or informed by any commercial fulfilment plans.

For the first time, Kininvie has released the outputs of three of its trials. The inaugural Kininvie Works range is comprised of three makes – KVSM001, KVSG002 and KVSB003. Each of these expressions is characterised by one  technique.

The new releases: 
 

KVSM001 – For this expression, Kininvie experimented with the distillery parameters to allow a third distillation process, comparable to Irish distillation and a contrast to the normal set-up at Kininvie. Run for one week at the distillery, KVSM001 is the result of this experiment – a five-years-old single malt whisky that has been aged in ex-Bourbon casks with an ABV of 47%. The observation of this trial, according to William Grant & Sons, was that shifting from a double to a triple distillation resulted in a floral and fruity character with hints of pear drops.

KVSG002 – Behind this expression is an experiment to explore the different flavour profiles generated by cereals other than the usual malted barley to see if, and how, the addition of malted rye could alter the whisky’s profile. KVSG002 is a three-years-old single grain whisky aged in virgin American oak casks with an ABV of 47.8%, defined by the addition of malted rye to the mash. The producers claims to have observed that the final product had a distinguished toffee flavour along with the classic spiciness associated with rye. 

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-years-old single grain Scotch whisky with a parcel of single malt Scotch whisky both produced at the Kininvie Distillery, aged in virgin American oak and 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.

To accompany the launch of this experimental range is Kininvie Works’ first White Paper – theorising a potential trial at Kininvie Works. It was written as a springboard for the whisky community to exchange and discuss ideas about potential future whisky experimentations and whether they should be pursued or not. 

Titled The Influence of the Continuous Rousing of Spirit on the Characteristics of New Make Whisky Spirit, this first research work explores how the principle of aeration could be applied to whisky making in a similar way it is used to enhance the flavours of wine, and to understand the possibilities of ‘rousing’ new make spirit before it goes into casks. Developed collaboratively by the distilling team, its objective is to champion learning and creativity in whisky making and offer a hypothesis about the future of whisky innovation. 

The three Kininvie releases, KVSM001, KVSG002 and KVSB003 (50cl) are available to purchase online now in the UK, and from 14 October 2019 in France on www.amazon.co.uk for £35 or €35.

The White Paper, can be downloaded free here at www.kininvie.com.

7 October 2019 - Sam Coyne The Drinks Report, editor