Inchgower 12 Year Old Whisky Fair Malt – by Rum Blogger Jan Ohrt

Blogpost by Jan Ohrt

I have met a handful of truly hardcore whisky aficionados over the years (no names mentioned, no names forgotten), all of whom knew that I actually prefer rum. They have all tried to convert me with cascades of everything the genre has to offer, for better or worse, using phrases like "The Immaculate Conception" or, more straightforwardly, "You’ll never get to taste a more beautiful woman."

Well, some of us prefer redheads, preferably in more places than just on the head, while others want them curvy with smooth, lush shapes, or perhaps just a quick, long-legged blonde on a barstool. There has to be a match for every type of man—also for the less fortunate ones.

Why the creators of this newly arrived Inchgower 12-Year-Old Speyside Single Malt (which will be launched at the Whisky Fair 2025) have asked me to taste and write about it is therefore a bit of a mystery to me. But that’s their business.

I have, however, come to learn that Speyside is a region at the very top of northeastern Scotland and that the two best-selling whiskies in the world, Glenlivet and Glenfiddich, come from there. So, of course, the region has merits that no one can deny. But I also know that this small corner of the Scottish Highlands holds more than just the mainstream. For example, here you will find Scotland’s most famous and notorious distillery, which will charge you around 1.5 million for the grand tour with one of their oldest ladies at 81 years. They claim she’s worth the price.

Fortunately, things are quite different with this particular Speyside. It should be within reach even for someone like me, who—like most—must first learn to crawl and doesn’t exactly have a spare million lying around for the first bottle of Speyside I come across. That being said, I must immediately conclude that Inchgower 12-Year-Old Single Malt was an extremely pleasant acquaintance.

Here’s the short version of the affair:
"The color shines with a deep golden amber in the backlight, and with its relatively low viscosity, she sways gracefully in the glass. It looks beautiful. The nose is first filled with heather honey and rich, freshly churned butter, with underlying hints of spices you feel you recognize but can’t quite identify by scent alone. But you know that more awaits just around the corner."

"She tastes, thankfully, just as she smells—if not even more. The 12 years in oak have done her well, and she stands razor-sharp with a soft yet well-balanced volume. The spices that were only hinted at before now unfold fully as coriander, white pepper, and a delicate touch of cardamom. And if you roll your tongue just a bit more, notes of ship lacquer and tar emerge. The overall impression is excellent, leaving behind long, lingering memories that are smooth, delicious, and warm."

Will I marry her?

Not a chance—I must move on. Inchgower 12-Year-Old Speyside Single Malt was a bit like my first school sweetheart. I can still smell and taste her, and she will always be my most important love. The one who ignited a lifelong passion.