For two years in the 1930s, the burgh of Buckie found itself in the unusual position of owning a whisky distillery. Inchgower had fallen into bankruptcy in 1936, so the local council stepped in and bought it, before selling it two years later to Arthur Bell & Sons for £3,000. One can only imagine the discussions at the council meetings.

The distillery itself dates to 1871, when Alexander Wilson built it on the outskirts of Buckie using equipment salvaged from his closed Tochineal distillery. Its position places it at the very northern edge of Speyside, close enough to the Moray Firth for Inchgower to have acquired a reputation for an almost maritime character. Bell’s proved a more permanent home than the council chamber. The distillery became an important component of the company’s blends, passing through Guinness and United Distillers before becoming part of Diageo.

Inchgower is deliberately made with a bit of heft. A relatively quick mash, using an unusually hot second water, helps suppress some of the nuttier flavours, while short fermentations and steeply descending lyne arms encourage heavier compounds to travel into the spirit. Four stills produce a robust new make with spice, grass, fruit, and a distinctive waxiness that can occasionally suggest its distant Diageo cousin, Clynelish.

Very little has traditionally appeared as official single malt, although a 14-year-old survives in the Flora & Fauna range. Independent bottlers have therefore provided many enthusiasts with their introduction to Inchgower, where its combination of wax, spice, fruit, and occasional salty notes makes it one of Speyside’s more agreeably peculiar residents.