Invergordon 1972 + 1973 (Cave Aquila vs. Boogieman vs. Whisky Exchange)

In the left hand corner: Invergordon 1972 bottled by Cave Aquila (the one-man bottling project by Belgian whisky lover Daniel Quanten). A joint bottling with the other small bottler Brachadair.

To the right we have an Invergordon 1973 bottled in the Boogieman series by whisky specialist van der Boog in Holland.

In the middle: the brand-new Invergordon 44 Year Old (probably 1973?) bottled by The Whisky Exchange as one of the Whisky Show 2018 festival bottlings.

 

 

Invergordon 44 yo 1972
(46,7%, Cave Aquila ‘A Knight’s Dram’ 2017, cask #20, 60 btl.)

Nose: rather exemplary. Tinned peaches and sultanas. Vanilla cake, various honeys, maybe hints of quince jelly. Plenty of beehive notes too, nice. Faint potpourri. Late mocha notes.

Mouth: sweet, with rummy notes, vanilla and coconut, hints of marzipan. Herbal teas. Toasted wood and a little coffee roast in the background. Crème brûlée. Cinnamon pastry.

Finish: long, a tad too woody / tannic now, on nutmeg, ginger and pepper.

A classic old grain profile, with a fine balance of aromatic oak and woody oak, if that makes sense. I believe it might still be available for around € 225.

Score: 88/100

 

 

 

Invergordon 43 yo 1973 “The Gaper” (47,7%, Boogieman 2017, barrel, cask #31, 66 btl.)

Nose: this one is slightly straighter, with more pencil shavings, citrus fruits and floral notes. Green banana and light vanilla custard. A wee touch of tobacco. Great freshness, but it misses some of the fruity roundness and complexity of the 1972.

Mouth: typical coconut / grassy notes, with pepper and gingerbread. Again more freshness here, with citrus, mint and echoes of passion fruits in the background, nice.

Finish: long, on oranges, mint, ginger and white rum. Less tannic than the 1972.

Do you prefer pastry sweetness or minty freshness? That would decide between these two bottlings. This was around € 200 but it seems to be sold out.

Score: 87/100

 

 

 

 

Invergordon 44 yo
(51,6%, The Whisky Exchange for Whisky Show 2018, hogshead, 268 btl.)

Nose: typical again, but softer. Varnished wood and hints of glue at first. As it warms up the pastry notes come out, with vanilla and fudge, raisins and baked banana and pineapple. Subtle floral scents (dandelions) and rhubarb compote. Honey and milk chocolate. Light pepper too.

Mouth: totally round, even though the ABV is higher. Orange candy, vanilla cream and a little caramel. Apple pie with nut crumble. Subtle coconut and herbal tea. Almond, hazelnut.

Finish: long, mellow and fruity, with a bit more varnished oak now and a drop of limoncello.

Very balanced, very good. Slightly softer with no rough grains at all. All three are pretty much on the same level, there are only tiny differences in terms of sweetness and oak influence. Yet this one makes a difference. Still available from The Whisky Exchange.

Score: 90/100