Finglassie 2018 DR (A.D. Rattray)

Finglassie is the name InchDairnie uses for the peated single malt it releases through independent bottlers, the smoky counterpart to its unpeated Strathenry trade malt. A.D. Rattray bottled this 2018 vintage at 6 years old, for its Individual Cask Release range. This single cask, number 638, yielded 228 bottles, released for Germany.

InchDairnie was built in 2015 by Ian Palmer to chase flavour through unusual equipment, milling its cereals on a hammer mill and mashing on a Meura filter rather than a traditional tun. This is the distillery's peated spirit, so smoke sits over the young Fife malt. Matured in a red wine cask.

Bottled at its natural cask strength of 60.6%, without dilution, the red wine cask adds dark berry and plum, with wine tannins giving a dry, grippy edge. Smoke comes through from guaiacol and its related phenols, edged with a light iodine note. Youthful underneath, the smoke lengthens the finish and keeps it dry.