Kininvie
Full Speyside food & drink guide — distilleries, restaurants, where to stay, when to go.
On Birdie BraePair Kininvie with a round
See our sister site’s whisky-and-golf itineraries
William Grant's third Dufftown distillery, built in 1990 alongside Glenfiddich and Balvenie to supply Monkey Shoulder and Grant's blends. Single malt releases are extremely rare and usually travel-retail only — Kininvie is the quiet sibling that most visitors never know exists.
Kininvie is one of Dufftown's seven distilleries — opened 1990 on the Balvenie/Glenfiddich campus by William Grant & Sons specifically to produce blending spirit. It rarely appears as a standalone single malt. The few official bottlings (Hazelwood Reserve, released as Kininvie Works) reveal a light, floral, Speyside character consistent with its blending role.
Core range
Hazelwood 23
42.5% ABV · Bourbon casks
William Grant & Sons' third Dufftown distillery (alongside Glenfiddich and Balvenie). Tiny output, almost entirely for the Monkey Shoulder blend. The Hazelwood 23 is the rare official single malt — premium-priced collector's item.
Food pairings
| Whisky | Food | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Light shortbread |
Getting there
- 0
- C
- 1
- a
- 2
- r
- 3
- .
- 4
- 5
- T
- 6
- h
- 7
- e
- 8
- 9
- B
- 10
- a
- 11
- l
- 12
- v
- 13
- e
- 14
- n
- 15
- i
- 16
- e
- 17
- /
- 18
- G
- 19
- l
- 20
- e
- 21
- n
- 22
- f
- 23
- i
- 24
- d
- 25
- d
- 26
- i
- 27
- c
- 28
- h
- 29
- 30
- c
- 31
- a
- 32
- m
- 33
- p
- 34
- u
- 35
- s
- 36
- ,
- 37
- 38
- D
- 39
- u
- 40
- f
- 41
- f
- 42
- t
- 43
- o
- 44
- w
- 45
- n
- 46
- .
Where to eat nearby
- The Taste of SpeysideRestaurant
Where to stay near Kininvie
Kininvie is a compact production distillery on the Glenfiddich/Balvenie estate, without a separate visitor experience. Dufftown is the base for this part of the Fiddich valley — the town's B&Bs and guesthouses are within walking distance. If you're touring the William Grant cluster, allocate a full day at Glenfiddich and Balvenie rather than seeking Kininvie access separately.
Where to stay near Kininvie
Hotels, B&Bs, and self-catering within easy reach of Kininvie.
Booking links are affiliate links — we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Location
Dufftown, Banffshire, AB55 4DH
View on map →Frequently asked questions
+Is Kininvie part of the Glenfiddich tour?
No — it's a separate distillery on the same campus but not part of the standard visitor tour. Some specialist tours include it.
+Where is Kininvie distillery?
Kininvie is in Speyside. Postcode AB55.
+When was Kininvie distillery founded?
Kininvie was founded in 1990, making it roughly 36 years old.
Compare with similar distilleries
Spirit character close to lighter Balvenie expressions — unsurprisingly, given the shared campus.
Other distilleries owned by William Grant & Sons
Distilleries that share Kininvie's corporate parent — useful context if you're comparing house styles within an owner's stable.
Glenfiddich
The world’s best-selling single malt, Glenfiddich is where most people’s Scotch journey begins. Founded by William Grant and still family-owned, it remains one of the few distilleries to bottle its own spirit on-site.
The Balvenie
Sister distillery to Glenfiddich and one of very few still maintaining its own floor maltings. Known for honeyed, slightly waxy, sherry-influenced spirit.
Ailsa Bay
An unusual beast — a heavily peated single malt produced inside William Grant's massive Girvan grain distillery complex. Not what anyone expects from a Lowland. Limited small-batch releases only; the site itself is closed to visitors.
Related articles
8 min read
Aldi vs Lidl Whisky: Which Discounter Does It Better?
Aldi and Lidl both sell whisky under £20. We tasted both ranges blind — which discounter does single malts better, which does blends, and the bottle that wins.
9 min read
Best Whisky in Every UK Supermarket 2026: One Bottle Per Shop
One genuinely good whisky to grab in each UK supermarket — Aldi, Lidl, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, M&S, Waitrose. No overthinking; just the right bottle.
7 min read
Is Supermarket Scotch Any Good? An Honest Answer
Yes — mostly. Supermarket Scotch comes from the same distilleries as the named-brand bottles next to it. What's in those £15 own-labels, what to buy, what to skip.