November 11, 2014

Beautiful Inchgower

Inchgower is one of the bigger Speysiders, and while it’s relatively unknown, it’s always worth tasting. I’ve always wondered why the owners had stopped promoting it, while there used to be some great OBs in the past (1970s-1980s.)

Inchgower 14 yo 2000/2014 (58.3%, Bar du Nord, Switzerland, 150 bottles)

The Bar du Nord in Carouge is one of the best whisky bars in Switzerland. They have hundreds of opened bottle, many very old. This is their latest own bottling, with a very nice label. I can’t quite remember the story about that morse (walrus), though… Colour: gold. Nose: a very malty Inchgower, with also plenty of toasted oak and bread, fudge, butterscotch and café latte. In the background, oranges and quinces. With water: plenty of malt extract, one of the maltiest malts I’ve ever nosed. Mouth (neat): excellent! A powerful blend of orange juice with the best IPA and quite some fudge again. Not hugely complex so far, but works extremely well. With water: excellent, really. Toasted grains, cornflakes, brioche, malt, chocolate… Finish: long and always very malty. Comments: just excellent. Well done Bar du Nord! SGP:552 - 87 points.

Inchgower 1982/2010 (56.2%, Berry Bros & Rudd, cask #6968)

Well, all the sister casks have been much to my liking! Colour: gold. Nose: it’s got this maltiness again but what’s behind that ranges from cauliflowers to Brussels sprouts, which is much less unpleasant than you might think. Also soot, gravel, earth, gunpowder and graphite oil. With water: some kind of sooty and earthy lemon juice, plus paraffin. Mouth (neat): the opposite. Litres of orange liqueur plus a little bark, walnuts and earthy tea. Plus wax. With water: the wax grew bigger and so did the oranges. Waxy oranges, that’s it. Finish: long, on the same notes. The Brussels sprouts are back in the aftertaste, which is fun, isn’t it? Comments: much character, this is a different Speysider. Inchgower should be better known. SGP:561 - 88 points.

Inchgower 19 yo 1977/1997 (56%, Cadenhead, sherrywood)

I remember a sherried 1977 ‘white label’ by Cadenhead that was all on coffee. Colour: amber. Nose: gunpowder! And, indeed, coffee as well as some damp wood, damp earth, leather and, once again, these funny touches of vegetables. Maybe rather artichokes this time. Maybe something to do with sulphur, actually. With water: carbon paper and earth, shoe polish, leather of course, very moist pipe tobacco. Thick vegetable soup. Mouth (neat): huge concoction, extremely syrupy. Cough syrup plus orange liqueur, Fernet-Branca (those artichokes) and liquorice. Seizes your tongue and wouldn’t let go, as they say, but the sweeter, syrup-alike part does balance that feeling. Anyway, with water: perfect now. Mint and eucalyptus kicking in, while the liquorice gets more obvious. Finish: long, herbal, mentholated, with always the oranges. Comments: spectacular syrup for big boys. SGP:472 - 89 points.

These Inchgowers are big boys! Let’s have a last, older one…

Inchgower 36 yo 1974/2010 (55.5%, Whisky-Doris, refill sherry, cask #1476, 167 bottles)

Colour: gold. Nose: quite hot and rather brutal. Starts with some fresh and cooked rhubarb as well as whiffs of mashed turnips – those vegetables again, and would rather go on with a piny earthiness, some leather and quite some marmalade. Cocoa. A big boy indeed. With water: I like these whiffs of moss after the rain, mushrooms, more pine, wet gravel or sand… Mouth (neat): big whisky indeed, rather young, with pretty much the same tart notes (rhubarb, orange) and a spicy oak. A little pinesap again as well, cider apples, and then more earthy notes. Tobacco, green tea. With water: gets fresher and fruitier, which is welcome. Tangerines, perhaps, rhubarb all over again, oranges… The oak’s spices remain quite big and a tad drying (cinnamon, cocoa powder.) Finish: rather long, with more oaky spices and tannins, as most of the time with these old whiskies, even when ex-refill. Some lemon too, and fresh coriander. Comments: needs a little time and water, but then… SGP:561 - 90 points.

Check the index of all Inchgower I've tasted so far