Whisky: Inchgower 22 Year, Hunter Laing’s Sovereign for K&L

Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside

ABV: 56.3%

Cask: Sherry Butt

Age: 22 Years (Distilled Nov. 1998, Bottled March 2021)

Nose: Dried fruit, pastries, and coffee. Sweet dried figs came to mind with subtle notes of orchard fruits— pears, apples, and grapefruit in the background. Lovely holiday spice of honey, ginger, cinnamon, and chicory left the impression of cigar box, coffee, and gingersnap cookies. 

Palate: Medium-bodied with a mellow astringency and notes of dried fruit, malty pastries, and holiday spice. Sweet syrupy notes of cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and rich malty sugars. Holiday pastries came to mind with molasses gingerbread, Christmas cake, and date wine. Hints of savory salinity and candle wax lingered in the background with slightly bitter notes of coffee, dark chocolate, and dry cinnamon at the end.

Finish:  Lingering notes of molasses and cinnamon.

Score: 7

Mental Image: Pandora’s Christmas Spice Box

Notes: Wow! What a reintroduction to Inchgower, the Speyside distillery I always confuse as a Loch Lomond expression. The aroma of this dram was nothing terribly out of the ordinary for a rich sherry matured malt. You could read that statement to imply either boring or classic, and I intend the latter in this instance.  

The most striking element to this dram was its spice profile. It was as if someone had opened Pandora’s spice box and released a cloud of unique and unctuous flavors. The tidal wave of spices washed in, and as the sweet syrupy spice receded, it left behind subtle notes of wax and salt that shifted toward the bitter contrast of coffee and oak at the end. I loved the journey this dram took me on.

Overall, a beautiful Christmasy dram perfect for the holiday season with complex and distinct layers of flavor and a rich lingering finish.

Image Credit: Whiskybase