Inchgower 20 Years Old 1997 Cask #8776 (A.D. Rattray)

Built in 1871 near the fishing port of Buckie, Inchgower makes a briny, nutty malt that has long been a backbone of Bell's. A.D. Rattray selected this single cask, distilled in 1997, from the distillery's United Distillers and early Diageo era, and released it at 20 years old in its Individual Cask Release range. Single cask 8776 gave 228 bottles, released for Italy.

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 Oloroso sherry cask.

Bottled at its natural cask strength of 61.2%, without dilution, the Oloroso sherry cask layers raisin and fig from its melanoidins over a drying, nutty oak grip. At 20 years the cask has had time to round off the spirit's coastal edge and pull the flavours together.