Things I Really Drink: Inchgower 21 year old 1995 Old Malt Cask, cask HL14253

TIRD time! Yes people, I do open my bottles, though usually with a plan in mind. I had a completely different three-week plan for the end of this year, but I realized at the last moment that I possessed neither the time nor the liver power to carry it out. Inchgower Improv resulted. And I'm quite satisfied with the whiskies so far.

The label on today's TIRD offers up generic sherry cask tasting notes, the sort of stuff I try to avoid when buying full bottles. And, oops, I did not check the notes before my purchase.

This bottle received the double deluxe review treatment via head-to-heads against the two previous Inchgowers. There were slight differences between each tasting's notes, but not much. I'll note the shifts below.

Distillery: Inchgower

Region: Speyside (Banffshire)

Owner: Diageo
Independent Bottler: Hunter Laing
Range: Old Malt Cask

Age: alllllllmost 22 years (Oct 1995 - Sept 2017)

Maturation: sherry butt

Cask #: HL 14253
Outturn: 708 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 50%
(top third of my bottle)

NEAT

The nose lands well, with earth, stones and walnuts. Touches of almond extract, burlap and yuzu peel here and there. The second tasting reveals some fruity cinnamon and orange blossom notes.

Figs wrapped in herbal smoke, so says the palate. Plenty of soil and ink. A moment of black tea (Keemun?). Hints of metal and oranges appear in the second tasting.

It finishes with tangy lemons and limes, salt, earth and a hint of fig.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or ½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose is mossy and herbal, with honey and orange zest around the sides. Hints of forest floor and white chocolate in the background. In the second tasting, the nose opens even better: cocoa powder, soil, rocks, white peaches, honey, ocean brine, toffee chips, and some dry sherry in back.

Gentle citrus and herbal bitterness leads the palate, with a curious industrial note and light dusty smoke underneath. Nearly identical in the second tasting, with a bit more limes and dried pineapple.

The finish seems longer at this strength. Tart limes and apples, anise, brine and a hint of that industrial character.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

No raisins nor caramel here, just some well-tuned earthy, dry stuff with fruit and smoke at the edges. Thank goodness! Rarely does a blind purchase work this well. This bottle could even become a 90-point whisky before it meets its end. The metal and industrial notes are bit odd, which is what's holding me back from scoring it higher right now. I'll attempt to remember to report back if this Inchgower goes either direction, but I'd be okay if it stays the same.

Availability - Sold out?
Pricing - £71 on my last Master of Malt order five years ago

Rating - 89

Inchgower 19 year old 1995 First Editions (US Release)

Monday's naked Inchgower did its job. Now it's time for a pair of sherry cask reviews. First up, a bottling that I eyed for years, a sherry hoggie (or half butt?) of Inchgower from Hunter Laing's stash. After waiting too long, I was thankful to get in on a bottle split. Time to find out if I missed the whisky train on this one.

Distillery: Inchgower

Region: Speyside (Banffshire)

Owner: Diageo
Independent Bottler: Hunter Laing
Range: The First Editions

Age: 19 years (1995 - 2014)

Maturation: sherry cask of some sort
Outturn: 240 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 55.2%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose reads a bit closed at first. Heat, walnuts, lemon zest and a hint of Werther's Originals start things out. It gets more candied and floral with time. The palate arrives sweeter than expected, with cherry lollies, lemon candy and dried apricots. Again, it gets more floral (actual flowers) with time, a heavy pepperiness appears, and the lemon candy shifts to lemon peel. It finishes like a cherry, lemon, and pink peppercorn lollipop. A thing?

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1¼ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Indeed, water releases the party. Here's the nose list: Figs, orange zest, cloves, cinnamon, dried blueberries and a hint of forest floor. The palate has the nose's cloves and cinnamon, with a pinch of brown sugar, a sip of herbal liqueur, and a wee orange candy. It finishes sweet with orange and lime candy.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

NOT a generic sherry cask here. And despite the dark color, the whisky is neither heavy nor tannic. The cask held onto the spirit's florals and sweet fruits, while adding moderate quantities of baking spices and dried fruits. It seems like that balance is harder to come by, with the push to oak the hell out of most things now. So, I approve! Not sure what the price was, but this would've been fun to own.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???

Rating - 87 (diluted)

Inchgower 11 year old 2007 Signatory, cask 801387

I like Inchgower! Does anyone else like Inchgower? Hopefully some of you do, because there are nine Inchgower reviews comin' atcha. Or maybe you can't stand the stuff, but will happily hate read my notes. Either way, welcome to this Inchgower not-quite-a-Cluster set!

Though Inchgower takes to sherry casks very nicely (okay, not always), I'm beginning this series with a fairly nude Inchie from the reliable Signatory Un-Chillfiltered Collection, hoping that it'll be a solid point of reference for the stuff that follows. The distillery uses a quick mashing process and one of the briefest fermentation times that I've seen in Scotland. Time to find out the result.

Distillery: Inchgower

Region: Speyside (Banffshire)

Owner: Diageo
Independent Bottler: Signatory
Range: Un-Chillfiltered Collection

Age: 11 years (18 Sept 2007 - 16 Aug 2019)

Maturation: hogshead
Cask number: 801387
Outturn: ??? bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 46%
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

The pretty nose shows mostly barley and flowers for a while. Cashew butter and yeast then settle into the midground. Whole grain crackers and cherry juice in the back. It does have a slight sulfuric nip from the spirit.

The palate dishes out earthy molasses, hay and orange notes, with quieter moments of eau de vie and dried herbs. The earthiness and herbal bitterness combine into something almost peaty. It all arrives packaged in a creamy mouthfeel.

That good bitterness balances with mild sweetness, tart limes, and bunches of barley in the finish.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Hooray! Rustic and floral, with a little bit of fruit and whole lotta barley, the whisky did what I hoped it would, and I liked it. 46%abv was probably the best bottling strength for it as well since the rawness could have been too much at full power. Despite what I said in the intro, the next eight Inchgowers are not just sherry casks, so perhaps I'll find out what happens to these youthful characteristics once time settles in.

Availability - Still available at a few US retailers
Pricing - all over the place

Rating - 85

Bladnoch 29 year old 1990 SMWS 50.111

It's never a good idea for me to do five reviews in a week, as it clashes with all my adulting, but here I am doing it anyway. Again. But the good news is, the whisky works. These Bladnochs have proven to be more consistent, interesting and tasty than the previous two weeks' Bruichladdichs. They certainly show less cask aggression, which always a big plus at Diving for Pearls.

Today's Bladnoch is the sibling cask to yesterday's 28yo. Same bottler, same cask type, same distillation date. But, yes, a different whisky.

Distillery: Bladnoch

Owners at time of Distillation: Arthur Bell & Sons

Region: Lowlands

Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society

Age: 29 years (26 Jan 1990 - 2019)

Maturation: second-fill bourbon barrel
Cask #: 50.111, "A serious flavour bomb"

Outturn: 111 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 52.6%

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose starts off with a youthful combo of anise, Bartlett pears and apricots. A sugary candy shop note sticks around in the background seemingly forever. Apple skins, almond extract and vanilla bean appear later. Sweet tangerines and nectarines mix with toasted almonds in the palate. Tart cherries meet a chipotle smokiness and a hint of herbal bitterness. A tart citrus glow frames the finish, with tiny notes of pound cake, flowers and herbal bitterness offering depth.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or < 1 tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose reads simpler, or perhaps more focused: it's all chalk, grapefruit juice, candy shop and blossoms. Meanwhile the palate gets very cuddly, loaded with sweet fruits (of the citrus and stone sort) and almond cookies, leading into a tart and sweet finish.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

The whiskies took different paths over nearly three decades in their barrels, but they share notes, like florals, cookies and tart fruits. I think I liked the 28yo just a smidgen more due to its complexity, though that opinion could switch around depending on the mood and environment. This one may be more of a crowdpleaser, reading at times like a decade-younger fruity Glenburgie, especially once diluted. I've overlooked Bladnoch for the past decade-and-a-half, and I'll make sure to avoid that mistake going forward.

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - ???

Rating - 87

Bladnoch 28 year old 1990 SMWS 50.103

The final two Bladnochs come from Scotch Malt Whisky Society's warehouse(s) and contain spirit from the distillery's Arthur Bell & Sons era. Both today's and tomorrow's Bladnochs were distilled in 1990 and matured in second fill bourbon barrels. I tasted them side-by-side in an attempt to gain some perspective.

Distillery: Bladnoch

Owners at time of Distillation: Arthur Bell & Sons

Region: Lowlands

Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society

Age: 28 years (26 Jan 1990 - 2018)

Maturation: second-fill bourbon barrel
Cask #: 50.103, "Funky nuts and a glass of wine"

Outturn: 118 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 57.7%

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Damn it. As per the silly SMWS cask name, I get wine notes in the nose, specifically French chardonnay or, specifically-er (it's been a long night), Chablis. Plenty of minerals and clay in the fore, with dashes of lemon juice and white grape juice around the edges. Slowly the wine fades into the background, as cara cara oranges, white chocolate and shortbread cookies come forward. The palate has a nice mix of mineral and sweet, grassy and fruity. Lime, grapefruit, lychee and a whiff of blossoms. It gets tangier and sweeter with time. The sweetness calms in the finish. There's a pinch of salt, a hint of metal, and tropical fruit punch residue.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or 1½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose holds shortbread, toffee, orange blossoms and lemon zest. A solid balance of tart and sweet fills the palate. Some guavas roll with the grapefruits. Hints of hay and toasted nuts rest underneath. The finish matches the palate.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Though it's not as wildly complex as the SMWS notes make it seem, this Bladnoch does have angles, especially in the nose. Had it brought the funk as advertised, this would have easily been a 90+ point whisky. For my particular palate, the fruit alone keeps the score up as the second-fill barrel plays the middle ground well, being neither too pushy nor playing dead. Will the other 1990 Bladnoch's cask behave, too?

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - ???

Rating - 88

Bladnoch 16 year old 1992 Christmas Spirit, cask 2610

The Armstrongs bottled several "Christmas" casks at varying strengths during their ownership. Since I was raised as a Hanukkah celebrator, I don't know what Christmas smells or tastes like. Ham? Nog? Ham Nog? I have had Christmas cake, and I like it so much that I do suggest that someone attempt a deep fried version and call it Hanukkah cake because they totally ate this stuff at Kiddush in the old temple.

What the hell was I talking about? Oh yeah, the Northern Irish.

Sláinte!

Distillery: Bladnoch
Region: Lowlands
Owners at time of Distillation: United Distillers

Owners at time of Bottling: Colin and Raymond Armstrong
Age: 16 years old (15 July 1992 - 11 Sept 2008)

Maturation: sherry butt

Cask #: 2610
Alcohol by Volume: 55%

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Starts off boldly on the nose, with fudge, bananas, white grape juice and metal. With time, it picks up subtler notes of dandelions, walnuts and a whiff of industrial funk. Ah, here comes the Xmas cake in the palate. Think buttery toffee, black raisins and Dalmore-ish(?) orange. Silky and zesty. It finishes tingly, toasty and tangy. Not too sweet.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or > 1 tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose now owns a fun blend of farm funk and industrial funk, with some bananas and nectarines in the background. The palate is massively zesty and earthy. A little bit of wood spice and dried currants in the back. Again, not too sweet. It finishes a bit grungy and has some bitter raw nuts rolling in there.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Two different whiskies here, both good, though I prefer the less cuddly diluted version. This is probably not one of the sexier whiskies in the European auctions, so you could certainly do worse than picking up a bottle for a future winter holiday. I'd love to see the current owners pluck some good Armstrong-era sherry casks and offer up a new winter release that costs less than a car.

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - ???

Rating - 87

Bladnoch 11 year old 2001 Lightly Peated, sheep label

The Armstrongs and Bladnoch seemed like a match made in whisky heaven, a whisky geek family buying an unsung distillery. Raymond and Colin Armstrong offered up an online forum that also sold single casks of other distilleries at reasonable prices. They even tried to produce an old-fashioned style spirit. But it wasn't meant to be. It was a struggle to get Diageo (the former owners) to sign off on any production, and the distillation itself had uneven outturns, only hitting max production once, in 2007. So though the Northern Irishmen owned Bladnoch for 20 years, the stills ran for less than nine.

Today's sample is of that era's lightly peated variant, and its bottle's sheep label signaled the whisky had lived in a sherry cask.

No sheep on hand
so a purple Alicorn will have to do

Distillery: Bladnoch
Region: Lowlands
Owners at the time: Colin and Raymond Armstrong
Age: at least 11 years old (2001)

Malt type: lightly peated
Maturation: sherry butt
Alcohol by Volume: 55%

(thank you to My Annoying Opinions for the sample!)

NEAT

The nose begins with a nice lean mix of nuts, apples, lemon juice and concrete. A little bit of yeast here, nectarine there, wood spice in between. The palate has a toasty, nutty top layer, limes and sweet oranges in the middle, brown sugar and barley at the bottom. A mix of citrus types (tart, sweet and bitter) fill the long finish, with some raw nuts in the background.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or > 1 tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Now the nose reads yeasty and grainy, with a pack of Weetabix up front. Gingerbread and golden raisins fill linger behind. Grains, raw nuts and sweet oranges make up both the palate and finish.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Though I found nothing resembling peat in this pour, it was still a nice crisp whisky, a solid drink for any season. It also wasn't sherry-soaked, or at least the fortified wine trended towards a nutty style (like many actual sherries do). Too bad the distillery didn't become the little Indie that could, but at least the Armstrongs made and bottled some good whiskies.

Availability - Secondary market?
Pricing - ???

Rating - 86