Adelphi Inchgower 13yo Cask #800651 & Red Cask Co Inchgower 13yo Cask #806934

Adelphi Inchgower 13yo Cask #800651

Region: Speyside

ABV: 58.7%

Price: £85.00

This bottling was matured in a 1st fill PX sherry butt. There were just 525 bottles released.

Nose

Treacle, varnish, Big Red cinnamon flavoured chewing gum, grated nutmeg, cloves and a tingling sensation from the alcohol spice. There's a dried leather aroma, cured pork, sweetened espresso, some raisins and a note of rusted metal. It's big and punchy, whilst maintaining a mustiness in the background.

Palate

Leftover coffee grounds, dark chocolate, over-brewed sweetened iced tea, a touch of chili heat and ginger snaps. It's bold, with a nice mouthfeel and a warm, spice led finish. We're getting treacle syrup, toasted marshmallow, oat biscuits and a bitter, slightly sour menthol flavour. Going back we're getting macerated blackberries in herbal liqueur, a slightly metallic taste going into a long drawn out finish with some cherry and chocolate.

Nose (with water)

We're getting more herbal notes appearing, Moroccan mint tea and a little tarragon. We've got milk chocolate, walnuts, rum soaked raisins and a lightly charred wood aroma. There's a lot going on here, it's almost like it changes each time you nose the glass.

Palate (with water)

A very prominent mint chocolate chip ice cream right off the bat. The water has tamed some of the spice, but it's still quite dry. It's still got a good mouthfeel, but perhaps it's lost some of the complexity with the added water. The finish maintains a good length with the aforementioned cherries and chocolate still present.

Conclusion

One of the more interesting sherry bombs we've tried in a while, with great mouthfeel, depth of flavour and length of finish. It can be a little spicy and bitter in places, but some may like that in their sherry cask matured drams. For us, water takes away from the dram, so we'd suggest you avoid adding any. Good quality as always from Adelphi.

Score: 7.5/10

Red Cask Co Inchgower 13yo Cask #806934

Region: Speyside

ABV: 57.8%

Price: £95.00

This release was finished in a first fill sherry hogshead. The outturn was 256 bottles.

Nose

Cocoa powder, tobacco, coffee beans and a slightly meaty sulphur aroma. There's some cherries, currants, a touch of mint and a nice light oaky sweetness coming through. There is a bit of funkiness here, but it's not too overpowering and seems to come and go depending on the angle and distance you nose the dram from. The alcohol is fairly apparent, but the rich, syrupy sherry aromas mask it reasonably well.

Palate

Dark chocolate, treacle syrup, strawberries, raisins, and a slight charred wood bitterness going into a long finish with sweet sultanas and cherry jam. It's got a good mouthfeel, although we're finding the alcohol can be a bit overpowering at times. Going back, we're getting cinder toffee, sweet mocha and some kaffir lime leaves.

Nose (with water)

We're getting some tawny port aromas, sort of oxidised fortified wine with a good amount of oak influence. We're still getting a touch of the sulphur from before, but there's more focus on richer red fruits and sweetened oak. There's also a nice creaminess on the nose that's appeared.

Palate (with water)

We're getting more bitter, woody flavours now, almost dominatingly so. The water has really changed the palate for the worse, we've lost some of that sweetness and it has been replaced by a sour, slightly off flavour that's not too appealing. There's some of the chocolate and red fruit if you go looking for it, but we prefer the pre-diluted palate considerably more.

Conclusion

We usually don't mention the colour of the whiskies we review as we don't think it matters (plus, who knows when there's added caramel), but this is a dark, dark dram. Saying that, we're surprised at how balanced this is, and even though it's a sherry bomb through and through, it's not one of the bitter, spicy and astringent examples, instead it's got good depth of flavour and sweetness. Perhaps it's a little simple, and the alcohol has a bit of a bite, but overall it's great sherried whisky. We do think that £95 is a lot for a 13 year old whisky however. The palate is ruined with water, so we'd tread carefully if you decide to add any.

Score: 7.5/10

And the winner is....

While we gave both a 7.5, if you don’t mind paying extra then the Red Cask release just edges out the Adelphi. 

• 10 - Perfection. A whisky that we’ll remember forever.
• 9 - Amazing. We’d pay through the nose for a bottle.
• 8 - Great. Pick this up at RRP.
• 7 - Good. Happy to have a dram or two but wouldn’t buy a bottle.
• 6 - Passable. Would accept a dram, but wouldn’t seek it out.
• 5 - Poor. Would drink if it was the only option.
• 4 - Bad. Maybe it can be saved by ginger beer?
• 3 - Awful. It can't be saved by ginger beer.
• 2 - Pour it out
• 1 - We’ve never tried a whisky rated this low and hopefully never will.

Interested in trying drams like these? We've created the Two Whisky Bros Dram Club to help you get access to high quality, rare whisky by the dram.