During my last trip to Scotland, I picked up a handful of whisky samples to bring home, and today I’m finally opening the last one, the Lindores MCDXCIV single malt Lowland Scotch whisky.
One of the other bottles I bought was the excellent GlenAllachie 8 year old, which completely won me over, so I was looking forward to trying something from a distillery entirely new to me. As a whisky enthusiast, discovering a new distillery is always part of the fun, especially one with a story as fascinating as Lindores Abbey.
The Story Behind Lindores Abbey Distillery
The Lindores Abbey Distillery is located in Newburgh, Fife, in Scotland’s Lowlands, overlooking the River Tay. While the distillery itself is modern, its roots stretch back more than 800 years.
The original abbey was founded in 1191 by David, Earl of Huntingdon. It later became famous as the site of the earliest written reference to Scotch whisky, dating back to 1494. That historic date inspired the name Lindores MCDXCIV, with MCDXCIV being the Roman numerals for 1494.
The modern Lindores Abbey Distillery was established by Drew and Helen McKenzie Smith on land adjacent to the historic abbey. Production began in 2017, and after patiently waiting for the spirit to mature, the first official release of Lindores MCDXCIV single malt arrived in 2021.
Lindores MCDXCIV is a no-age-statement single malt bottled with natural colour and no chill filtration. The whisky is matured in a combination of:
- Bourbon barrels
- STR (Shaved, Toasted and Re-charred) wine barriques
- Sherry butts
Also Read: Glenbrynth Bourbon Cask Whisky
Lindores MCDXCIV Whisky Tasting Notes
ABV: 46%
COLOUR: Bright coppery gold
NOSE: The nose is light, fresh and inviting. Sweet malt is immediately followed by creamy toffee, hazelnut and condensed milk. Ripe pear, vanilla and orange peel add a lovely fruity sweetness, while gentle oak and subtle herbal notes sit quietly in the background. It is an attractive nose that suggests a rich, balanced dram.
PALATE: This is where Lindores MCDXCIV took me by surprise. After such a sweet and promising nose, the palate turns noticeably spicy. Lemon pepper dominates from the first sip, almost overwhelming the softer notes of malt and cooked pear. There are hints of vanilla and fruit preserves underneath, but they struggle to break through the assertive spice.
For my sweeter palate, the peppery character proved too dominant, and I simply couldn’t finish my glass. John, however, had a completely different experience.
He happily finished not only his own dram but mine as well. He enjoyed the bold spice and felt it gave the whisky plenty of character. Adding a splash of water softened the pepper slightly, although it also brought more lemon peel forward rather than increasing the sweetness. It’s a great reminder that whisky is wonderfully subjective
FINISH: The finish is relatively short, leaving lingering notes of lemon peel, cracked black pepper and drying oak. John also picked up gentle ginger warmth alongside a drizzle of honey.
RATING: VERY GOOD
Lindores MCDXCIV isn’t a bad whisky by any means. In fact, it offers something quite different from what many drinkers expect from a traditional Lowland single malt.
Most Lowland whiskies, such as Glenkinchie or Auchentoshan, are known for their light, floral and approachable style. Lindores heads in a very different direction, delivering a bold, spicy profile that reminded me somewhat of the old Glenglassaugh Evolution whisky, with its pronounced allspice, citrus peel and peppery oak.
For me, the flavours felt a little youthful and not quite fully integrated. John described them as slightly disjointed, and I tend to agree. There is undoubtedly a quality spirit underneath, but perhaps a few more years in the cask would have helped everything come together more harmoniously.
Final Thoughts
That said, if you enjoy whiskies with vibrant spice, citrus and plenty of character, Lindores MCDXCIV could be right up your street.
Considering its affordable price point, natural presentation and remarkable historical connection to the origins of Scotch whisky, it is certainly worth trying at least once. Even if it didn’t quite suit my palate, I’m very interested to see how future, older releases from Lindores Abbey develop over the coming years. It is available on Amazon.
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Also Read: The English Whisky Co Chapter 6 Whisky
