Next up – Inchgower. A distillery that seems to rarely cross my desk and indeed is not bottled as frequently as soon due to its use in Bells and also elements of the Johnnie Walker range. The Watt Whisky expression has been matured in an ex-bourbon hogshead for 13 years. 297 bottles have been produced at an ABV of 56%. They’re still available via The Whisky Exchange for £60.95.
Nose: Thought-provoking ‘fattiness’ – almost akin to coconut oil. Greek yoghurt and kiwi fruit joins oatcakes and pink wafer biscuits whilst doughy bread and crème patisserie piped buns are served with dulce de leche ice cream. Dilution expresses nougat alongside cereal and grassy notes of cornflakes and hay.
Taste: Tart apple slices and sour grapefruit segments are livened and sweetened by crunchy toffee, griddled waffles and bourbon biscuits. Herbalness follows – mint and basil – before a dive into minerality with shale and shingle alongside sunflower oil. The addition of water reveals additional orchard fruitiness together with honey and an aside of reeds and flax.
Finish: Medium in length, scorched lemon peel and cookie dough.
A fairly summery Inchgower that holds together well and drinks nicely at the delivered ABV. The composition is straight-forward and humble, eschewing heavy cask influence for the spirit’s natural style, which brings both the texture of the distillate and its tendency towards mineral cues to the fore. Unpretentious and reasonably priced.