Inchgower 14 Years Old 2008 Cask #801504 – 801506 (Signatory)

Classed by Diageo among its nutty and spicy malts, Inchgower is the Manzanilla of Speyside, its coastal saltiness setting it apart from its floral neighbours. Signatory, the long established Edinburgh independent, selected this single cask, distilled in 2008, and released it at 14 years old in its The Un-Chillfiltered Collection range. It came from single cask 801504 - 801506, 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 46%, the ex-Bourbon wood gives vanillin for vanilla and oak lactones for coconut, with maltol lending toffee. At 14 years the wood and the salty, nutty spirit are roughly in balance. The recorded notes run to citrus and vanilla.