Hogshead Inchmurrin 11 Year Old Review | DRAM1 Indie Awards 2026
The second whisky of a blind tasting often faces a different challenge from the first. By the time sample number two is poured, the panel already has a reference point. Expectations begin to form, comparisons become inevitable and every new dram is measured, consciously or not, against what came before.
That was the situation facing this Hogshead Inchmurrin 11 Year Old, which appeared as Whisky #2 in Set 1 during the DRAM1 Indie Awards 2026. At the time, nobody knew they were drinking an Inchmurrin distilled at Loch Lomond. There was no discussion about distillery character, no speculation about independent bottlers and no clues about age or cask type. There was simply a pale whisky in a glass and a room full of enthusiasts trying to work out what it had to offer.
Before diving into the notes, it is worth mentioning that everything below comes directly from the DRAM1 Indie Awards tasting panel. These are not my own tasting notes. Every aroma, flavour and comment has been gathered from panellists who assessed this whisky completely blind, without knowing anything about the bottle behind the sample.
A huge thanks to Hogshead Indie for sending in this gem!
Tasting Notes: Hogshead Inchmurrin 11 Year Old
Stats
Distillery: Loch Lomond (Inchmurrin)
Bottler: Hogshead Imports
Age: 11 Years Old
ABV: 57.2% (114.4 Proof)
Region: Highland
Flavour Profile: Fruit Orchard Symphony
Chill-Filtration: No
Colouring: No
Nose
If there was one consistent theme running through the panel notes, it was freshness.
Green apples, white grapes, pear and citrus fruits appeared repeatedly throughout the tasting sheets, often accompanied by honey, vanilla and floral notes. Several panellists described grassy aromas, while others found dill, fennel, mint and fresh herbs. One taster noted custard cake and macadamia nuts, while another picked up cocoa and soft stone fruits.
Yet despite the variety of flavours being identified, the nose generated mixed reactions. Several panellists described it as restrained or understated, noting that it did not immediately reveal very much in the glass. Others encountered a sharper edge from the outset, with references to solvent notes, fusel alcohol and youthful spirit appearing throughout the comments.
Looking across the panel as a whole, the nose seems to have offered complexity for those willing to spend time with it, but it rarely delivered an immediate moment of excitement. The recurring combination of fruit, grass, honey and subtle florals suggests a whisky that stayed close to its spirit character rather than relying heavily on cask influence.
Palate
The palate generated some of the widest variation in opinion seen during the opening set.
Many panellists found an attractive combination of vanilla, honey, orchard fruits and malt sweetness. White grapes, green apples, pear, mandarin and even tropical fruits such as pineapple emerged throughout the tasting notes. Creamy textures appeared regularly, alongside caramel, coffee, chocolate and roasted nuts.
One of the more enthusiastic panellists described it as “super lekker en complex”, highlighting chocolate, roasted nuts and a warm finish. Another praised its oily texture and mineral character, comparing aspects of the whisky to Clynelish and declaring it one of the strongest drams in the set. Others simply described it as smooth, flavourful and packed with punch.
Not everyone shared that enthusiasm.
Pepper appeared repeatedly throughout the tasting sheets, often accompanied by comments about sharp alcohol, youthful spirit and aggressive spice. Several tasters specifically mentioned that the whisky felt hot on the tongue, while others struggled to find much depth beneath the alcohol prickle. One participant described the palate as raw and overly young, while another found the flavours difficult to extract altogether.
Interestingly, one panellist noted that adding water significantly improved the experience, bringing more sweetness and wood influence to the forefront while softening some of the sharper edges.
Taken together, the tasting notes suggest a whisky with plenty of character but one that remained somewhat divisive throughout the room. The high ABV almost certainly contributed to both its strengths and weaknesses, amplifying the fruit and texture for some while magnifying the alcohol heat for others.
Finish
The finish appears to have left a stronger impression than the nose for many of the panellists.
Vanilla, fruit sweetness and gentle oak lingered throughout numerous tasting sheets, often joined by warming spice and a slightly drying character. Some found waxy notes, liquorice sweetness and even a faint smoky edge emerging late in the experience. Others highlighted coffee, caramel and lingering fruit.
Not all of the feedback was positive. Several panellists focused on the alcohol heat, describing a burning sensation that persisted long after swallowing. Peppery spice and drying oak appeared regularly, while a handful of tasters found the finish somewhat astringent.
The overall picture is of a finish that carried respectable length but continued the whisky’s central theme: rewarding for some, challenging for others.
Verdict
The tasting sheets tell a more divided story than those of the previous whisky.
Where Whisky #1 generated broad agreement around its balance and drinkability, this Inchmurrin prompted considerably more debate. Certain themes appeared consistently throughout the panel notes. Fruit. Vanilla. Honey. Freshness. Pepper. Alcohol. Again and again, tasters returned to those same characteristics, although they often interpreted them very differently.
For some, the whisky’s spirit-driven profile was its greatest strength. The combination of orchard fruits, creamy texture and herbal complexity created a dram with individuality and charm. Several panellists clearly connected with it and found far more depth than its pale appearance initially suggested.
Others found the same characteristics less convincing. The youthful edge that appeared on the nose continued onto the palate and finish, leading several tasters to describe the whisky as sharp, hot or insufficiently integrated.
What makes this result interesting is that neither side appears entirely wrong. Reading through the tasting sheets, it becomes clear that this was a whisky capable of showing different faces depending on the palate assessing it. Few drams from the competition generated such contrasting reactions while still maintaining a recognisable core identity.
When the scores were finally counted, the whisky achieved 71.40 points in the DRAM1 Indie Awards 2026. Considering the division of opinion found throughout the tasting sheets, that result feels entirely logical. While some panellists struggled with the youthful spice and alcohol heat, others found a whisky full of character, texture and fruit. The final score reflects a dram that earned respect from the room, even if it never achieved complete consensus.
Looking back after the reveal, the result makes sense. Inchmurrin has always been one of Loch Lomond’s more distinctive spirit styles, and this independent bottling showcased both the strengths and weaknesses that often accompany that individuality. The fruit, honey and creamy texture attracted plenty of praise, while the peppery youthfulness prevented a stronger consensus from forming.
DRAM1 Indie Awards 2026 Ranking
Whisky #2 – Set 1
Official DRAM1 Indie Awards Score: 71.40 Points
Final Thoughts
As the second whisky poured during the DRAM1 Indie Awards 2026, this Hogshead Inchmurrin 11 Year Old arrived at a point where comparisons had already begun to emerge around the table. The panel had established an initial benchmark and was starting to separate enjoyable drams from memorable ones.
The tasting sheets suggest that this Inchmurrin generated exactly the sort of discussion that blind tasting is designed to encourage. There was enough fruit, texture and complexity to win genuine admirers, but also enough youthful sharpness to prevent universal approval.
Perhaps that is the most fitting outcome for an Inchmurrin. Even without knowing the distillery behind the sample, the panel recognised a whisky with character, individuality and a few rough edges. Blind tasting often rewards consensus. This whisky earned something slightly different.
It earned discussion.
And in many ways, that makes it one of the more interesting whiskies from the opening set.
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