Lindores Abbey Thiron
2024 Release | 49.4% ABV
Score: 6/10
Good stuff.
TL;DR
Enough flavour layers and craft to keep us engaged for an annual release
Pouring a little history
It seems the modern whisky landscape is pretty crowded. It must be difficult to be heard over the noise at times. More and more we see bold experiments, heritage-heavy branding and - let's be honest - a lot of releases to choose from. I can’t imagine the real challenges that face a relatively new distillery in keeping its head above water.
Going toe to toe with some highly successful new brands, not to mention the well-established giants in Scotch whisky, must be a daunting and monumental task. These newer kids on the block face a quandary. They either sit on stock until it truly is 'ready', or gamble a release to a curious marketplace, perhaps pandering to shareholder return on investment.
How do you plan the right time to release your liquid? It could be too soon and it doesn't perform well and - even if the inaugural goes well - repeat sales suffer. Or, it could be too late, you’ve missed a peak window. Then you're financially in the red and faced with a saturated market full of brands vying for the attention of a lesser pool of enthusiasts and drinkers.
However, to grab my personal attention - as a self-proclaimed malt enthusiast and history geek - give me a story from the past and blend it with scotch and you’ve got yourself a deal. I'm all in at that stage. That’s why I was drawn to this Lindores Thiron.
This isn't the first look at Lindores for Dramface. To me, this was another new brand that I just hadn't paid attention to or spent time with yet. I adored their bottle design and heard a lot of wonderful things about the spirit they produced. But throw in Scotland and monks from a bygone era making alcohol (that isn't Buckfast I might add), I'll eventually get around to having a look.
A small dive into history is on the way, you can skip straight to the tasting notes if you wish.
Looking at the Lindores website for details on the Thiron, they state this is going to be an annual series of limited releases. The story here focuses on the links between Lindores distillery and an abbey based in France: Thiron-Gardais, which is located in a small town in the Perche region, southwest of Paris. This Abbey is the original Thironese Abbey and therefore can be considered the mother of Lindores. This particular 2024 release marks 833 years of that connection.
The site of the Lindores Distillery itself is also steeped in history. Upon visiting Scotland’s Lowland region and navigating to Fife, you'll find ruins of one of the country’s most historically significant religious sites at Lindores Abbey. The Abbey itself, founded in 1191 by those Tironensian monks, is named directly after Thiron-Gardais (sometimes Tiron) in Perche.
On the off chance you’re reading this and you don’t know, this Abbey in the Kingdom of Fife holds the unique distinction of being recognized in the Exchequer Rolls of 1494 as the site of the first recorded distillation of whisky in Scotland. That all-too-famous single entry—"eight bolls of malt to Friar John Cor, by order of the King, to make aqua vitae"—is where Scotland’s long love affair with whisky officially began. Or at least, it’s the first written record of it.
With a quick look at the modern Lindores Abbey Distillery itself, it opened its doors in 2017 and immediately began whisky production. The grounds of the distillery have been maintained by the McKenzie Smith family since 1913 and the distillery is now owned and run by Drew and Helen McKenzie, bringing a blend of historical relevance while applying their modern-day approach to whisky making.
The Thiron is part of the distillery’s growing portfolio. It's posed as a new and fresh take on the Lowland style and interpretation of Scotch in the region. As well as their limited releases and single casks, Lindores like to showcase their liquid in different cask types, which all come in at 49.4% (as in: 1494, you see what they did there?).
These are typically bourbon, STR (shaved, toasted and recharred) wine as well as traditional sherry casks. In 2018, Lindores did release a Thiron-Gardais cask (which I can only assume was a precursor for this annual release); a whisky matured solely in French virgin oak. Coming in at four years old and at 50%, it seems to have been only a French market release, but one to look out for comparison’s sake, perhaps.
This particular NAS (non-age-statement) single malt we have today appears to utilise multiple casks; it’s matured in a blend of bourbon, red wine and French virgin oak casks, leveraging that link.
European virgin oak? Interesting...
Review
Lindores Thiron, 2024 release, matured in red wine, bourbon and European (French) virgin oak, 49.4% ABV
£55 paid and wide availability
I found no indication on the amount of bottles released, however. The distillery uses locally grown barley and water drawn from a nearby borehole believed to be fed by the same source once tapped by the Abbey’s monks. Their slow fermentation times and traditional methods are an homage; a nod to the patience and reverence of monastic life—yet there’s nothing antiquated about their approach. This is modern whisky for the present, steeped in the stories of the past and I'm all for it.
Score: 6/10
Good stuff.
TL;DR
Enough flavour layers and craft to keep us engaged for an annual release
Nose
Oats. Yeast and dough bread. Red grapes, redcurrants and raspberries. A little creamy with salted caramel and milk chocolate. Warm honey with a dash of cinnamon. Nougat and peanuts. A hint of wood shavings, it's got that little farmyard element to it too. More sweetness in stone fruits with apples, pears and orange marmalade.
Palate
Berry blast right up front: peaches and mango flavoured yogurt. A very fruit forward dram with mandarin pieces and more stone fruit.
Nice weight to the body with a sharp citrus hit. Toasted wood that’s mixing nicely with a grape or plum element. Some savoury notes after a while as white pepper pops forward, with a creamy funk and earthy note that lasts quite long toward the end.
A medium to long finish with lots of brown sugar and a note that reminds me of crunch cream biscuits (might be a U.K. only item, sorry).
The Dregs
For my first experience with Lindores, I was pleasantly surprised. It has a fresh and unique profile that’s very enjoyable. I’d heard nothing but good things and the other Dramface reviews painted them in a good light, highlighting their quality and potential.
Looking into the Thiron back story was a selling point for me. History and whisky is a dream combo, a mixture of pleasures, if you like.
I’ve seen smaller packs of their 3 main releases (mentioned above) and those would be right up on the purchase list to sample more Lindores and see what the foundational character is about. Especially as, in theory, each component part makes up what the Thiron is all about. If this is an annual release, sign me up. I’m delighted to have enjoyed a bottle and then able to see how this might transform and change throughout the years.
A distillery I’d recommend if you’re after something different. There’s depth of flavour, levels of complexity and overall positivity in this modern whisky. It’s not overly young and provides a lovely sweet element that would actually do well as something of a dessert whisky. Another for the repeat purchasing list perhaps, as long as the price stays right.
Score: 6/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. HF
-
Dramface is free.
Its fierce independence and community-focused content is funded by that same community. We don’t do ads, sponsorships or paid-for content. If you like what we do you can support us by becoming a Dramface member for the price of a magazine.
However, if you’ve found a particular article valuable, you also have the option to make a direct donation to the writer, here: buy me a dram - you’d make their day. Thank you.
For more on Dramface and our funding read our about page here.
