Inchgower 1967 (Bottled 1988) Moon Import, “The Costumes” / 46% / 0.75l

Founded in 1980 in Genoa by Pepi Mongiardino, Moon Import quickly made a name for itself as an importer and distributor of high-end wines and spirits; its “Half Moon” series debuted two years later.

At the urging of the legendary Silvano Samaroli († 2017), Mongiardino focused on bottling single cask whiskies, usually from private owners. In time, it became the official distributor of Bruichladdich, Tamnavulin and Tullibardine. In addition to the quality of the spirits themselves, the Moon Import editions are characterized by their unique presentation. The most famous series – “The Animals, Birds, or The Costumes” – are labeled with Mongiardino’s design, inspired by old engravings from an 18th-century German encyclopedia. The Inchgower presented here, distilled 1967, spent two decades in a sherry butt no. 788 and was bottled at 46% abv in the “The Costumes” series in 1988, in an edition of 556 bottles.

Nose : strong notes of sherry, chocolate with caramel, espresso, raisins, plums, black cherries, nutmeg, a handful of fresh herbs, notes of tobacco and oak.

Palate : dark chocolate, maple syrup, caramel, plums, berries, raisins, nutmeg, notes of anise and mint, tobacco and oak.

Finish: long, with notes of herbal mix, dark chocolate, caramel, dried plums, tobacco, sherry and oak.