15/05/2026 Inchmurrin

Inchmurrin 28yo (43%, OB imported by Preiss Imports, b. early 2000s): we tried this a few days ago. Let us give it a proper go. Nose: stewed citrus aplenty. Here are blush oranges, satsumas, tangerines, mandarines all broken up into segments and simmering in a cauldron with a dash of rum. The whole is slowly turning into a liqueur, which is very pleasant. It gives the occasional whiff of caramel, but also of heated cast iron, both of which reinforce this impression of stewed fruits. A few minutes later, we have a small dose of cardboard, followed by some kind of metal lubricant -- it does not appear to be WD-40, much less engine grease. Then, mace settles in, whole, not powdered, fragrant, and a trifle rubbery. Behind that is white wood, slightly sappy, as if it had been cut into planks too soon, and stale jam (likely apricot). The second nose has earthy caramel pointing at toffee and chocolate. The label gives no information about the cask type, but this may suggest some Sherry vessels were used. Come to mind cream Sherry, paxarette… or E150a. Mouth: mellow and unctuous, it quickly rallies the spicy troops -- ginger and nutmeg. It is syrupy at the same time; probably stem ginger, then. It does not assault the taste buds or anything, but it is certainly not weak. Chewing adds woody notes to that, such as gingerbread and cinnamon rolls. It has a pinch of dark-conifer sawdust (spruce, black pine) and a drop of resin too. Holding it on the tongue longer increases the woodiness and makes it darker. We now have walnut furniture, iroko sawdust and raw ebony. It never becomes too much, however: all that is balanced with cured citrus peels. The second sip starts slowly, giving away its mere 43%, but that is a trap: in seconds, the gingery notes are back, surfing on lukewarm, flat cola or ginger beer. There is something downright root-y about this that blends really well with the growing sweetness. Finish: a citrus slap in the gob. We are reunited with blush-orange peels or cured mandarine peels. It presents a discreet bitterness, confirming we are on citrus-peel territory, but punctuates it with a caramelised sweetness. Come to think of it, it is not very far from a certain orange liqueur sold in a square brown bottle (you probably know the brand). That sweetness, after a while, is reminiscent of burnt toffee. It is a long finish and, if it is not exactly smoky, it does leave the mouth dry and coated, as if one had smoked a cigar. The second gulp is earthier and rootier, yet also sweeter. Might it be reminiscent of burnt toffee? Once again, it is hard not to think about cream Sherry and paxarette, root beer and cola. However, we also keep the stem ginger and mace from earlier, and the sweetness that comes with those two makes the whole more complex, therefore more interesting. 8/10