Inchgower 12 Years Old 2008 Cask #806929 (Global Whisky Limited)

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. Global Whisky Limited selected this single cask, distilled in 2008, and released it at 12 years old in its Auld Goonsy's range. Single cask 806929 gave 309 bottles, released for Europe.

Inchgower's four stills carry steeply angled lyne arms that hold back the heavier, oilier vapours, part of why the malt comes out nutty, waxy and faintly saline. This bottling matured in an ex-Bourbon cask.

Bottled at its natural cask strength of 58.4%, without dilution, the ex-Bourbon wood gives vanillin for vanilla and oak lactones for coconut, with maltol lending toffee. At 12 years the wood and the salty, nutty spirit are roughly in balance.