Inchmurrin 12yo Thompson Bros
Good Spirits Co. vs Thompson Bros. | 54.8% ABV
Score: 8/10
Something special.
TL;DR
Grab this belter of a fruit bomb if you can
What’s Your Favourite Whisky?
It’s a question that I’m sure every single whisky fan has been asked. In fact, once our social circles learn that we’re into it, this becomes a question to get relentlessly lobbed at you, usually from someone holding a lukewarm beer.
I was recently cornered at a friend’s barbecue - sun shining (an incredible position itself for Scotland in August), sausages sizzling, and a whisky interrogation squad in full swing. I got hit with that question not once, not twice, but multiple times, from different people of course, like I was some kind of malt oracle.
While some folks can rattle off their favourite dram with the confidence of a politician dodging a difficult question, I am firmly in the other camp - the one that stares into the middle distance and mutters something about “context” and “seasonal preferences” while reaching for another IPA. I mean, after a certain point in our exploration, there are a lot of variables that are going to affect an answer. I think a lot of whisky drinkers will be in my camp on that one.
And do not get me started on the follow-up: “But what’s the best whisky ever?”
That idea of a favourite whisky is like trying to pick your favourite song while your playlist is on shuffle. It changes. Then changes back. Then changes again depending on what rabbit hole I’ve fallen down - peated Islay, bourbon barrels, funky Campbeltown, sherry bombs, you name it. I have a rotating cast of contenders, each vying for the spotlight depending on sensitivities such as mood, weather, and occasionally influenced by what I had for dinner.
Sometimes I’ll think back to drams wondering if I’ve found the one, only to realise I haven’t tasted it in months because it’s tucked away like a sacred relic - too “special” for everyday sipping. And then doubt creeps in. Was it really that good? Or was I just in a particularly poetic mood that night?
The fact is that I may not have even sampled the dram that I did think was my favourite for a while - after all it is likely to be a ‘good’ bottle that I am not using for everyday dramming; so I start to second guess whether it is as good as I remember.
But the question I can often answer is: what my favourite dram, or go-to dram, has been in the last week or so.
Review
Inchmurrin 12yo, Loch Lomond distillate from their straight-neck stills, bottled by the Good Spirits Company and the Thompson Brothers, refill barrel #1185, filled 1st March, 2013, bottled June 2025, 54.8% ABV
£65 direct from Good Spirits Company
Over the last couple of years I have been slowly getting more and more interested in the spirit coming out of Loch Lomond distillery and at the same time some of the single cask, independently bottled spirit coming from the Thompson Brothers have been incredible: so surely this marriage of the two would be great.
This one had been loitering on my shelf for weeks - over a month, truth be told. There had never been the right moment for this one to be opened. So I recently cracked it open on a trip to Dornoch, which felt fitting.
Score: 8/10
Something special.
TL;DR
Grab this belter of a fruit bomb if you can
Nose
It is really bright and fruity on the nose, lots of sweet apple, grapefruit and tropical fruit with grassy elements and a little salinity.
Palate
It’s a full-blown fruit bomb - no two ways about it. Banana, grapefruit, pineapple, orange, and apple all tumble out in a juicy riot, backed by a flicker of spicy oak and cracked pepper. The label cheekily suggests watermelon; it might be there but I wasn’t fully getting it.
A generous dollop of creamy vanilla lingers long, coating the palate for a very satisfying finish.
Visually, the liquid looks noticeably paler in the glass than it does in the bottle. There’s a medium oiliness that gives it some grip, and just a gentle glowing warmth.
The Dregs
Wow, what a belter.
Way beyond what I’d been braced for. Bursting with fruit - orchard-fresh and citrus-bright - and a clean, invigorating freshness that caught me off guard. At 54.8%, it’s no wallflower, but the alcohol integrates so smoothly it never feels aggressive.
Having spent the last few weeks immersed mostly in peat driven spirit in bourbon casks, this was a lovely fruity change, the tropical aspects were just what was needed during the Scottish summer heat.
I don’t think I have ever tried a whisky before where the tasting notes were so graphically illustrated on the label; it’s an almost cheeky illustration. It’s as if the bottle was daring you to disagree.
Now, let’s be honest - when someone asks for your favourite whisky, they’re not waiting for you to say “Thomson Bros, 12 Year Old Inchmurrin.” That’s not a crowd-pleasing answer.
It’s easier to reach for a Springbank or a Bruichladdich - both strong contenders for top spot in my book. This was my whisky of August though.
Next up: my review of the best whisky ever. Or maybe not, just the best whisky that day I would guess. Stay tuned.
Score: 8/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. CC
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