Inchgower 10 Years Old 2009 (Authentic Collection)

Inchgower sits on the Moray Firth coast outside Buckie, a Speyside distillery in name whose malt is salty and savoury in a way the region's usually are not. Cadenhead's, Scotland's oldest independent bottler, bottled this, distilled in 2009, and released it at 10 years old in its Authentic Collection range. The outturn was 300 bottles, released for Italy.

A quick mashing regime and a warmer second water give Inchgower the savoury, saline character that earns it the Manzanilla of Speyside nickname. This bottling matured in an ex-Bourbon cask.

Bottled at its natural cask strength of 56.6%, without dilution, the refill ex-Bourbon oak works gently, vanillin reading as vanilla and furfural as a faint toasted almond. At 10 years the wood and the salty, nutty spirit are roughly in balance.