The Basics:
Do I recommend it?: It’s a solid dram.
Availability: UK specialty retail.
ABV: 48.2%
Presentation: Unchillfiltered and natural color
General information: Oloroso sherry casks
Bottling type: Independent
Character: Fruity, juicy and sherried.
Score: 88/100
The details:
Speyside’s only coastal distillery, Inchgower is located near the town of Buckie–which, for a brief stretch, actually owned the distillery. Inchgower is currently owned by Diageo, and its main purpose is providing fillings for the firm’s expansive portfolio of blends, especially Bell’s, with which it has long been associated.
Official bottlings are fairly scarce, with the rather distinctive 14 year old in the Flora & Fauna range the only regular offering. Happily, Inchgower is readily available from independent bottlers who seem to find all manner of amusing ways to dress up the whisky, which typically manages to retain a canned-tomato-sauce salinity in almost any guise. This essay from Signatory, with maturation in what are obviously fairly zesty oloroso casks prove the exception–distillery character be damned, but it’s still an appealing and a very fruity and juicy whisky.
Inchgower 12 (2011), 48.2% abv
Bottling Information:
Expression: 2011 – Aged 12 years
Bottler: Signatory
Range: Small Batch
Bottle Code: none
Presentation: Unchillfiltered and natural color
Details: Small Batch Edition #3 – Distilled 2011 and aged for 12 years in Oloroso sherry casks
Price: $60
Availability: UK specialty retail, for example The Whisky World.
Distillery Information:
Region: Speyside
Location: Buckie, Morayshire
Geography: Coastal
Date Founded: 1871
Owner: Diageo
Website: https://www.malts.com/en-us/
Capacity: 3,200,000
Plant Summary: MASH TUN: Lauter; WASHBACKS: 6; STILLS: 4; HEAT SOURCE: Steam; CONDENSER: Shell and Tube
Total expressions sampled: 6
Overall distillery score: A+
Tasting notes:
Nose: Warm, inviting, and sherried. Fresh, lightly honeyed cornbread. Blueberry compote. Struck match and salt air. Blackberry cobbler; becoming smokier.
Body: Medium
Palate: Juicy, chewy and very fruity. Fresh mixed berries–strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry. Becoming drier and slightly smoky with notes of walnut and struck match. Overall quite lively and juicy.
Finish: Long, with blueberry juice dominating.
Score: 88/100
Who should buy it?: Lovers of fruity, juicy, sherried whiskies–more berry cobbler than the roast beef character that some of its heavier peers can take on after a similar maturation regimen.
Overall thoughts: Quite an enjoyable whisky–not incredible, and not high on distillery character, but very nice indeed. I have another indie Inchgower kicking around that has seen the inside of a Pedro Ximenez cask, and given how cloying PX-finished whiskies can be, I’ll be curious to see how that ends up comparing with this exuberant and fruity, but not excessively sweet, take.
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Whisky Considered 
At that price and flavor where do I sign up? Great review as always 🥃💯
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Thanks–got my bottle from The Whisky World, and last I checked they still had some. There may be some others, if you’re putting together a sizable order.
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