Two more single grain releases from the northern distillery of Invergordon, both distilled in 1973 and recently bottled by German indies. The first is part of the recent batch by Maltbarn, the other one was bottled for The Whisky Fair in Limburg in April.
Invergordon 44 yo 1973 (48,5%, Maltbarn 2017, bourbon cask, 135 btl.)
Invergordon 44 yo 1973 (48,5%, Maltbarn 2017, bourbon cask, 135 btl.)Nose: one of the round, mild expressions, full of vanilla sweetness, creamy coconut and almond milk. A bit of rummy notes (banana, pineapple), popcorn and white chocolate. Plenty of buttered / honeyed notes. Light oak prickle (pepper, ginger).
Mouth: same luscious sweetness, but not sticky. Classic coconut / vanilla / pineapple combination, here also with nice hints of apricots, nectarine and perhaps a hint of passion fruit. Sweet latte. Cinnamon pastry. Almond paste. Surprisingly little oak, really great. Highly ‘elastic’ whisky with no corners whatsoever.
Finish: medium long,
Excellent Invergordon, on par with the Invergordon 1972 from Maltbarn. Above par complexity and very luscious whisky. Around € 210.
Score: 89/100
Invergordon 43 yo 1973
(50,5%, The Whisky Fair 2017, refill hogshead, 180 btl.)
Invergordon 43 yo 1973Nose: same. Really, almost indistinguishable. That means balanced sweetness and spices, hints towards rum and American whiskey, and some very creamy roundness overall. Perhaps the prickle is a tad more prominent here, but it may be just the higher alcohol.
Mouth: same smooth profile, although I am getting a bit more grassy and spices notes here (pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg), but still less than what you would expect after 43 years. Peaches, coconut, a hint of mango.
Finish: medium long, with a rather vague sweet and spicy flavour. A light herbal dryness sets in.
I prefer the slightly more supple profile of the lower strength version. That said, this is simply very good grain whisky. Around € 230, still available from eSpirits.
Score: 88/100