Inchgower 9 yr 'John Milroy' 2009 Single Malt Whiskey 750ml

John Milroy co-founded what became Milroy's of Soho in 1964, opening the shop on London's Greek Street alongside his brother Wallace. At a time when blended Scotch dominated the market, the Milroy brothers turned their focus to single malt whisky, building the largest selection in London and helping introduce single cask bottling to a wider audience. John's own contribution to the category was later recognized with a lifetime achievement award and induction into the Icons of Whisky Hall of Fame in 2010, and he continued to release whiskies under his own name through independent bottling.

This release comes from Inchgower, a coastal Speyside distillery founded in 1871 near Buckie on the Moray Firth, long valued as a workhorse component in blends such as Bell's. Inchgower's spirit stills feature upward-angled lyne arms that encourage extra reflux, giving the spirit an oily, nutty character, and the distillery typically uses unpeated barley matured mostly in refill American oak to preserve its natural fruitiness. This particular cask was distilled and bottled under John Milroy's own selection in 2009 at nine years old.

The nose is crisp and clean, carrying orchard fruit alongside a drift of salt breeze. On the palate, that fruitiness meets a slightly dry edge, finishing long with a coastal, salty tang that reflects the distillery's maritime setting.