Scotland, Speyside: Single malt whisky through the producing distilleries: history, making, production and tasting notes
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Inchgower

Description of the whisky

The distillery

Inchgower distillery
Inchgower Distillery
Buckie
Banffshire
AB56 5AB
+44 1542 831161
Owner: United Distillers & Vintners (Diageo)
Creation date1824

The foundation date on the only official version of this single malt is in fact the date of the creation of the Tonicheal distillery. The latter has been rebuild on a different site in 1871, and renamed Inchgower by the nephew of the founder of Tonicheal, Alexander Wilson. The move has been decided because of the landlord who wanted to double the price of the rent..
The distillery was considered to be a model in those days, as it had its own cooperage, its own forge and its own joinery. The workers houses aligned at the entrance of the distillery were typical too.
Inchgower has been property of the city of Buckie between 1930 and 1936, when it's been purchased by Arthur Bell & sons.
It has been modernised and enlarged in 1966 and its production capacity has been doubled.
Bell & Sons has been taken over by Guinness in 1985. Guinness, in association with Gran Metropolitan, would become UDV a few years later.
Just 1% of the production is sold as single malt, the remaining part being used in the Bell's, Johnnie Walker and White Horse blends.

Inchgower: official bottlings

Inchgower

Rare Malts 27 years
Collection
 Rare Malts
Age
 27 years
Alcohol percentage
 55,6 %
Bottler
 Official
Dates
 Distil: 1976 Bottling: 04-2004
Bottle
 2264 btls
Particularity
 Non chillfiltered cask strength
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
 88/100
Inchgower: 27 ans Rare Malts
The nose is marked by hints of hazelnut, a touch of was and a light smoke smell. The nose is rather animal too, something like a dry dog playing in an apple cellar, the fruity aspect being quite present as well. In the palate, a very pleasant and complex impression of tastes going all over the place, from malted barley to citrus fruits through a whole flavours palette, from refined wood to bitterness of unripe walnuts through citrus fruit. Very amazing in the mouth. The finish is relatively short, with memories of malt and wood, or even coffee. Nice experience.
88/100
A nice nose pleasantly perfumed by nice sherry notes, some hints of plum jam with some slightly bitter nutty notes. A nice balance announcing a great whisky.
In the palate, a great smoothness with chocolate and cashew nuts notes, sherry and above all a very beautiful balance between all those flavours. Lots of pleasure.
The finish is pleasantly long with a mix of chocolate notes, walnut and some discrete fruity hints, just like during the nosing, plum jam.
A great whisky.
88/100
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Inchgower

Fauna & Flora ,14 years
Collection
 Fauna & Flora
Age
 14 years
Alcohol percentage
 43 %
Bottler
 Official
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
 77/100
Inchgower Fauna&Flora
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 Inchogwer: independent bottlings
 

Inchgower

Signatory Vintage 1986
Collection
 Signatory Vintage
Age
 15 years
Alcohol percentage
 43,0 %
Bottler
 Signatory
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
 73/100
 
 

The colour is pale yellow, and the nose is malted and spicy (pepper) and reveals a orange zest hint.
Fresh and elegant, it develops on sweet camphor and vegetal (chlorophyll) touches.
The full and bodied mouth confirms the nose, with malt and pepper hints.
The finish reveals the bitterness of barley.

(la Maison du Whisky)

The style of Inchgower is rather different of this of most other whiskies from that area, because of its harder and more salted character. The whisky is rather interesting, but should be reserved to people who are initiated. I would not recommend it, unless for people who like less round and aromatic whiskies. The area offers such a lot of lovely malts... 
70/100
A second tasting came to the same conclusion. It is a bottling of an independent bottler (one of the most famous), and one can not judge of the quality of the distillery. It is just a sample of the production, a deceiving sample... The character, more acid as spicy of this whisky who does not have the traditional complexity of malts from the area makes that this bottling is not too interesting, according to myself.
70/100
The nose is marked by hints of cut grass (hay) and a touch of citrus fruit (orange) and spices. In the palate, the orange is rather present, on a malty background. A kind of monotony as well, despite the nice peppery hints. The finish is some peppery as wall, and not too long.
70/100
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Inchgower

Auld Distillers Collection 25 years
Collection
 Auld Distillers collection
Age
 25 years
Alcohol percentage
 54,1 %
Bottler
 Jack Wieber
Cask
 very dark sherry
Dates
 Distil: 2005 Bottling: 1980
Bottle
 300 btls
Particularity
 Non chillfiltered cask strength
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
 88/100
Inchgower JackWieber
No doubt, this is really a sherry monster. A very perfumed nose clearly marked by sherry letting some nice fine woody hints show through. What a perfume... The mouth is wonderfully smooth and complex, with now fresh woody hints, now slightly acid touches, with the constant presence of sherry which is an undoubtedly plus point. What a palate... The lingering finish is sherryish as well and the woody hints are nicely complex too. What a finish...
88/100
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Inchgower

Single Malts of Scotland, 34 years
Collection
 The Single Malts of Scotland
Age
 34 years
Alcohol percentage
 61,2 %
Bottler
 The Whisky Exchange
Cask
 hogshead
Cask number
single cask 8787
Dates
 Distil: 20-09-1974 Bottling: 01-10-2008
Bottle
 128 btls
Particularity
 Non chillfiltered cask strength
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
 88/100
Inchgower smos
The first nose is characterised by lots of fruit smells. Just happiness. Fruits, some wax notes, a touch of smoke and you have the main ingredients of the complexity of this wonderful nose.
The mouth is at least as interesting as the nose was with its clear fruit notes, cough drop with however a great smoothness.
Nice lingering and warm fruity finish.
A wonderful whisky.
88/100
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Inchgower

Rare Auld Cask Strength 37 years
Collection
 Rare Auld Cask Strength
Age
 37 years
Alcohol percentage
 46,2 %
Bottler
 Duncan Taylor
Cask number
single cask 6129
Dates
 Distil: 10-1969 Bottling: 11-2006
Bottle
 16 of 184 btls
Particularity
 Non chillfiltered cask strength
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
 88/100
Inchgower 37
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Inchgower

Berry's own Selection 1980, 46%
Collection
 Berry's Own Selection
Age
 No age statement
Alcohol percentage
 46 %
Bottler
 Berry Bros and Rudd
Dates
 Distil: 1980 Bottling: 2006
Particularity
 (casks nr 14157/14159)
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
 88/100
Inchgower 1980 BBR
The nose is clearly marked by pleasant chocolate and sherry notes and hints of coffee.
The mouth is especially smooth, with the same milk chocolate notes and this nice presence of sweet sherry.
The finish is particularly long. Very marked by sherry smoothness and those very nice coffee with milk notes.
88/100
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Inchgower

Scott's Selection 1988-2007
Collection
 Natural Cask Strength
Age
 19 years
Alcohol percentage
 56,1 %
Bottler
 Scott's Selection
Particularity
 Non chillfiltered cask strength
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
 90/100
Inchgower 1988 scotts

Color: Gold
The nose is discreet but nevertheless reveals beautiful notes of fruit mixed with notes of slightly bitter almond notes. With aeration, the nose asserts itself progressively.
The bitterness is immediately present in the mouth, but makes room quickly to very nice fruity notes, and eventually form a pleasantly uniform, perfectly balanced whole. The mouth is exceptionally rich.
The finish is long and pleasant, prolonging perfectly the mouth. Here too, the beautiful and slightly bitter taste is present, while maintaining a beautiful memory of the fruit.
90/100
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Inchgower

Bourbon Hogshead
Age
 28 years
Alcohol percentage
 57,2 %
Bottler
 Malts of Scotland
Cask
 Bourbon Hogshead
Cask number
single cask 6969
Dates
 Distil: 30-06-1982 Bottling: 02-2011
Bottle
 14 of 212 btls
Particularity
 Non chillfiltered cask strength
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
 91/100
Inchgower 1982 MOS

Color: Gold
A lovely fresh nose, with nice fruit notes, lush tropical fruits, cassis, blackberries, spices and pepper. A hint of gentian which further increases the range of tastes already extensive. A nose of remarkable complexity. All in a very nice balance. A nose that only gives pleasure. If the rest is up we have here is a whisky of exceptional quality.
The same exotic complexity is present in the mouth. Exotic fruits in bulk. A nice fresh acidity, green mango, fruit of Cythera, a hint of gentian, pepper, spices. An explosion of flavors. Absolutely wonderful. Everything is perfectly balanced. A matching nose and mouth like we would like to see more often.
The fun continues with a long lingering finish which is a perfect extension of the mouth.
This is one of the best whiskies I've had the opportunity to drink lately.
91/100
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Inchgower samples

Inchgower

Coopers Choice 1980
Collection
 Coopers Choice
Age
 24 years
Alcohol percentage
 46,0 %
Bottler
 The Vintage Malt Whisky company
Bottle
 0 of 0 btls
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
 84/100
Inchgower Coopers Choice
A very clear floral nose, (undergrowth flowers), discrete exotic fruit hints and a touch of sherry make a very interesting introduction fot this whisky which seems to be very nice and complex from the very first nosing.
In the palate, a very pleasant impression of sherry, mixed to clear but not boring woody hints. But finally the sherry keeps dominating the whole.
A nice finish, wel balanced and perfumed, going from walnut to liquorice. A lingering and warm finish.
An excellent surprise.
.84/100
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Inchgower: not in collection

Inchgower

Cask Strength Collection 1980
Collection
 Cask strength Collection
Age
 26 years
Alcohol percentage
 53,4 %
Bottler
 Signatory
links & average quote
 BT2008 0/100
BT2008
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Speyside

Speyside Map

The Speyside area is situated at the North of the Cairngorm mountain and goes to the Moray firth. It is delimited by two rivers: the Findhorn at the West side and the Deveron on the East side.
The area is named after the river Spey. Most of the distilleries take their water in one of its affluents; the Fiddich, the Livet or the Avon.
About sixty distilleries from Speyside are described on this site.

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