Berry's Inchgower 2009 KWM 25ml Sample

Tasting Notes

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: soft sherry tones, chocolate, leather, tobacco and candied fruits; brandy snaps, dark chocolate-dipped Jujubes, cherry herring, and sticky toffee pudding; juicy tobacco, Aussie licorice, firm leather, and Goodies.

Palate: big, rich, sherried, and spicy; loads of dried fruit to kick things off, more Goodies and candied fennel seed; more fruity tobacco, decadent spices, firm leather, and nutty sherry tones with a whiff of smoke; more chocolate-covered Jujubes, Guides Mint cookies, cherry herring, and Aussie licorice; crisp warm spices, earthy oak, and espresso bean; salted caramel too... Inchgower is a coastal distillery.

Finish: still rich, warming, and coating, with classic sherry notes, spices, chocolate, fruit, and tobacco; salted caramel ice cream too!

Comment: when this arrived, a year after we sampled it, I started sweating a little, Inchgower is not a single malt that has oft impressed me a lot over the years, though there have been some good ones; but the team and I picked it for a reason, and I should put more trust in that; it is a lovely young sherried malt, not a sherry bomb, but a rich, balanced, and layered dram; and is has that salty touch that I often associate with Inchgower.

Producer Tasting Note

"The nose shows a fine balance of rich sherry wood and a lighter distillate, moving easily between fresh fruits, to luscious, dried figs with a slight suggestion of wood smoke. Layers of honey arrive on the palate with spiced dried fruit, cherries, almonds moving to green apples and pears. Perfectly balanced, The finish shows wood spice, again the merest whisper of wood smoke and lasty, sultana bread."