Inchgower 35 Years Old 1980 (Best Dram)

Inchgower is rarely bottled on its own, most of its salty, nutty spirit going to the blenders, so independent releases carry the distillery's name where the blends do not. Best Dram bottled this, distilled in 1980, from Inchgower's years under Arthur Bell & Sons, and released it at 35 years old. It was released for Europe.

The distillery's spirit is built for body rather than elegance, nutty and waxy with a coastal salt note unusual for Speyside. This bottling matured in an ex-Bourbon cask.

Bottled at its natural cask strength of 47.6%, without dilution, the ex-Bourbon wood gives vanillin for vanilla and oak lactones for coconut, with maltol lending toffee. After 35 years in wood this is an old Inchgower, the cask now a dominant voice over the surviving saline character. The recorded notes run to honey, a mossy, earthy note, a nutty note, seasoned oak, tobacco and vanilla.