Tasting: Inchgower 2002 – 2016 by G&M Connoisseur’s Choice

Dram data:
Distillery: Inchgower
Bottler: Gordon & Macphail
Distilled: 2002
Bottled: 06.05.2016
Age: ca. 14 years
Limitation: –
Casks: refill sherry hogsheads
Alcohol: 46%
unchillfiltered and uncoloured

It’s been a while since I last had an Inchgower – they’re not a very prominent distillery in the whisky shops, with no widely available official release by Diageo we have to rely on the independent bottlers!

Tasting notes:
Colour: red gold
The nose starts off fruity and aromatic. Not an in-your-face sherried whisky, it shows an elegant restraint, yet still loads of character. Apple and pear compote (including slightly green peel) with honey and the odd dried date thrown in. There’s also a hint of honey-covered crunchy muesli in the background with a whiff of fragrant oak. Oh, and a cinnamon stick and exactly two cloves. Fruity, but not overly sweet – the magic of good refill casks! Let’s check the palate now! Silky and oily on the arrival, elegant, not overpowering and mouth-coating with the same fruity profile as the nose. Pear compote with apricot juice and sweet red berries, seasoned with a pinch of cinnamon and cloves and toffee drizzled on top. A slight, fragrant oaky note lingering in the background. Very mouth-watering and well-rounded, perfect drinking strength, I won’t even try to add a drop of water. The medium-long to long finish is equally silky and fruity – mellow, yet not at all weak upon swallowing with sweet apples and pears, slight spices, some honey, toffee and slight oaky notes towards the end.

Verdict:
Simplistic, fruity beauty. Three words – and they rhyme! This roughly 14-year-old Inchgower is a silky, oily and very fruity (European fruits) whisky, not overly complex in terms of sheer numbers of flavours, which is not detrimental at all, rich, without being overpowering, and very rewarding. A successful combination of refill ex-sherry hogsheads and a good distillate (which is as important as the wood in my book, good casks can’t cure bad new make!). I could not find this exact whisky online at a quick glance, but previous releases have been about 50-60€, which makes this a very recommendable daily dram in my book!

Score: 87/100
(Nose: 86 Palate: 87 Finish: 87)

Thanks to Gordon & MacPhail for sending the sample over! Find out more about their “The wood makes the whisky” campaign here