Finglassie 2019 BD (Best Dram)

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. Best Dram bottled this 2019 vintage at 6 years old, for its Finest Whisky Flavours range. This single cask, number 79&80, yielded 595 bottles, released for Europe.

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. Peated malt gives this one a smoky backbone the unpeated Strathenry side lacks. Matured in a red wine cask.

Bottled at its natural cask strength of 54.8%, 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. Recorded bottle notes run to cocoa, dried fruit, leather, fresh oak, an oily texture and smoke. At this age the malt is young but the smoke gives it weight, into a long, drying finish.