Inchgower Distillery, Speyside

Inchgower distillery was built in 1871 to replace Tochineal distillery but it was liquidated in 1903. Buckie Council purchased the concern in 1936 and ownership was transferred to Arthur Bell & Sons Ltd in 1938 (now part of Diageo). The distillery is classified as Speyside, yet it is a long way from the region on the Moray Firth, near the fishing port of Buckie. Stylistically it evokes little of the elegant, fragrant Speyside character, it is rather more like a coastal malt. The single malt displays a salty, assertive flavour uncharacteristic of the region. The body is smooth, sweet and malty and the finish dry, delivering the final saltiness. Just 1% of the production is sold as single malt, the remaining part being used in the Bell's (mainly), and Johnnie Walker.