Inchgower 14 Year Flora & Fauna

A nice light and floral whisky, with a dry finish.

I have the 20 year private bottle. floral, honey, smooth. 43%

Mildly Peaty but sweet and smooth

We all have some sort of a bucket list...one of those things that as you get older in life, you start to realize that there’s a world of experiences that await you. I’ve had a list ranging from food experiences ( street food in Chiang Mai) to travel ( going to the foothills of the Himalayas), to accomplishments ( write a book). Having a sample from every active Scottish distillery was actually on that list too. So....today is the day. Today is the day that I can finally cross off having a sample from every active Scottish whisky distillery. An idea concieved and organized by my friend @LeeEvolved over 18 months ago. We put together a small team. We searched far and wide for hard to get distillery samples ( Abhain Dearg, for example). We had an amazing tracking sheet with macros that provides a dashboard of stats. And we provided really interesting ‘extra’ samples that ranged from gems like Hibiki 21, Macallan Rare Cask Black, and Highland Park 25, just to keep things interesting. So...today is the day I can finally say I’ve tried a sample from every active distillery in Scotland. 18 months to do it...but, we did it. Anyway...Onto the tasting of this...surprisingly good...vanilla, honey. Flora and Faunas seldom disappoint...and this is no exception. Thanks to @Telex for the pour!!

The start of a three day weekend. Pour myself a sample courtesy of @Telex as part of the tour. The nose is light and faint. Aromas of cereal notes (Cheerios) along white fruits (apples, pears), vanilla, honey. A sprinkling of baking spices of nutmeg and cinnamon as well as ginger and a smidgen of root beer. The body is thin and arrives spicy of black pepper and ginger. Oak spices with an earthy mineral quality. The finish is of orange bitters or zest mixed oddly with hints of pineapple. These slowly fades leaving the palate woody and dry. The dram is not a lively or rich or deep in flavors. A relatively easy drink for hot, summer days. It’s a sipper that has no memorable or distinctive characteristics. It’s an average dram, but not something I would actively seek out. [Tasted: 8/31/18][84/100]

It’s time for another Flora & Fauna series release from Diageo: Inchgower 14 year old. This Speyside distillery was built and founded in 1871 by Alexander Wilson- it replaced the Tochineal distillery. Arthur Bell & Sons took over the distillery in 1938 and they currently produce around 2 million liters per year. They don’t produce many other single malts that are considered distillery bottles, but they do have a Rare Malts Collection that consists of a 22 and a 27 year old. This is bottled at 43% and is light gold in color while leaving behind runny, quick legs and tiny beads around the rim. The nose is cereal grains and vanilla with a nice, light toasted oak barrel influence. The palate provides a quick, but non-lasting hit of sherry, lots of wood tannins and a spicy warmth. The mouthfeel is medium and oily, but still relatively smooth. The finish is medium-to-long in length, oily with a nice bit of warmth that hangs around for quite a while. Overall, this is a solid, quality dram. Thanks to my friend @Telex this pour. We are bringing this thing to a close and this may end up being one of the better offerings for this round. 3.5-3.75 stars and I believe the price was reasonable. Cheers.

Stop number 95 on the SDT is Inchgower. Another obscure Speyside distillery brought to the public’s attention through Diageo’s Flora and Fauna series. This 14 year old single malt is bottled at 43% ABV and most likely has colorant added making it a yellow gold and is surely chill filtered. The nose starts off with white grapes/grape juice and honey. Slightly tannic oak follows, but it’s quite nice along with a brief hit of sawdust. Green apples and pears and some mild peaches. Anise, licorice and ginger with a hint of smoke. It’s not peaty in the least, but that whiff of smoke weaves it’s way in and out. A sweetness appears after some time in the glass, cocoa dusted oranges, some light vanilla. A bit of nutmeg, more cocoa and honey. After a long while (at least 25-30 minutes) some caramel, butterscotch and maple appear. Not the most engaging nose out there, but it has some serious depth to it. The palate does not deliver quite the way the nose does (which wasn’t superb to begin with). Peppery oak with ginger and a little barrel char. Slightly bitter and vegetal. Anise, licorice and a distinct root beer flavor in the background. Bitter tangerines and a bit of a sour note, but not too sour. Some honey, a little malty and vanilla. Middle of the road, if not a bit lower than that. A medium bodied mouthfeel that is mouth coating and dry with a bit of a fuzzy feel. Not sure how else to describe it. The finish is medium long with tangerines, oak tannins and slightly sour. While this has nice depth and complexity on the nose, it just doesn’t have a standout character. I wouldn’t refuse a pour, but there are so many better options out there. I’d say throw a big ole ice cube in a glass and hearty pour and enjoy this guy on a warm day. It’s a easy sipper if you don’t want to ponder your whisky. For $56 plus international shipping, I’ll probably pass. But if you can get it for under $60 our the door, give it a chance. A solid 3.5 and a thanks to @Telex for the sample. And with that review, we commence the 7th and final round of the Scottish Distillery Tour. Cheers