
January 7, 2019

More than an inch of Inchgower

No, not very proud of that headline either. Anyway, I believe the Inchgower is last year’s only Special Release that we haven’t tasted yet, so let’s have a few Inchgowers…

Inchgower 9 yo 2008/2018 (46%, James Eadie, first fill bourbon barrel, casks #808846+808851)

Inchgower 9 yo 2008/2018 (46%, James Eadie, first fill bourbon barrel, casks #808846+808851)
Typically the kind of bottling that should give us a better grasp of the distillery’s core style. Colour: light gold. Nose: malt, vanilla, lemon juice, grass, leaves, and a wee glass of pale ale, plus a touch of wood smoke, or rather wood-smoked fudge. All fine and well, pretty ‘natural’ and clearly ‘malt whisky only’. That’s what the good people want! (speak for yourself, S.!) Mouth: very good, rather fresh, less ‘light’ than expected, on lemon curd, limoncello, lemon tarte (with meringue please), and a grassier kind of maltiness. Strong green tea, a wee spoonful of stewed spinach. Perhaps. Finish: long, pleasingly bitter and herbal. More spinach, if you like, but rather marshmallows in the aftertaste. That’s usually rather the other way ‘round. Comments: proper pure young malt whisky, uncomplicated and flawless.
SGP:451 - 85 points.

Inchgower 18 yo 1999/2018 (48.4%, Douglas Laing, Old Particular, sherry butt, cask #12361, 591 bottles)

I suppose it’s refill sherry, according to the colour. Colour: straw. Nose: another one that’s rather grassy, herbal, an d pretty rooty this time. Celeriac and turnips, then sweeter and fruitier tones, around apples and pears, and walnut peels. Nor raisins or any other obvious sherry notes so far. Mouth: sweeter, and more obviously sherried (yet only a little), with some pepper and traces of used matches, or perhaps clay. A slightly gingery development, with some grapefruit peel, quite a lot of grass, and a few touches of sour fruits. Indeed, grapefruits. Finish: rather long, rather peppery and gingery. Bitterish leaves, hops. Comments: really not bad at all, but the younger ex-bourbon Eadie was cleaner, rounder and easier.
SGP:461 - 79 points.

Perhaps this bro?...

Inchgower 18 yo 1998/2017 (48.4%, Douglas Laing, Old Particular, sherry butt, cask #12102, 363 bottles)

Inchgower 18 yo 1998/2017 (48.4%, Douglas Laing, Old Particular, sherry butt, cask #12102, 363 bottles)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: it’s rather as acrid as it’s sibling, but in a way that’s more enjoyable here, kind of fuller, and fruiter to boot, with some green melons, fermenting apples (or cider), and very nice notes of Wulong tea and ‘pure’ hay. Mouth: rather creamy and rather on oranges this time, with drops of yellow chartreuse (always this herbalness) and the expected limoncello. Once again, no obvious sherry, rather some very good sweet barleyness coming through after one minute, honeycomb, creamy lemon fudge… All excellent! Finish: long, tangy, lemony, very very nice. Comments: it was interesting to try both DL together, they’re quite close to each other but a few details made all the difference. Like, a better cask!
SGP:551 - 86 points.

Inchgower 27 yo 1990/2018 (55.3%, OB, Special Release, refill American oak hogsheads, 8544 bottles)

There used to be some ‘larger volume’ official Inchgowers by Arthur Bell’s, some brilliant, some rather weaker, so careful with auctions. Colour: gold. Nose: really very creamy and vanilla-ed, typical good ex-American oak, with then oranges and dried apple slices. Some ripe mangos too, but that’s the oak. With water: barley everywhere, papayas, even bananas… Mouth (neat): excellent, really. Pure bourbony malt (I know that sounds odd), with a lot of vanilla, ginger and cinnamon rolls, lemon marmalade, angelica, and orange blossom water – or Middle-Eastern pastries, makrouts, baklavas… With water: perfect. Rather more honey, pan-fired bananas, mangos, citronella… Finish: medium, clean, tangy, lemony and clearly tropical. More mangos and passion fruits. Comments: cracking malt whisky, sweet and yet perfectly constructed. Perhaps the easiest among 2018’s Special Releases, which is a compliment, mind you!
SGP:651 - 90 points.

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