This session contains five grain whiskies. There are two North British 1991 bottlings (from Dramcatcher and The Whisky Fair), one Invergordon 1972 (Dramcatcher) and Invergordon 1990 (Thompson Brothers).
We end with the last of the Special Releases 2022, one that we hadn’t reviewed before: Cameron Bridge 26 Year Old.
Invergordon 50 yo 1972 (41,5%, Dramcatcher 2023, hogshead #106192, 60 btl.)
Nose: nice lime acidity with pineapple, papaya and coconut. Then orange peels and green banana skins. Some glue underneath, maybe something balsamic even, as well as the obvious vanilla. Hints of mint leaves, nutmeg and almonds. Subtle leather, as well as floral hints of wood shavings.
Mouth: a similar sourness, which may be wood-induced. However, it works really well alongside pineapple, peach, green banana and vanilla. Then there’s a hint of vanilla and corn syrup. Hints of white rum as well. Rather thin in the middle, but elegant and never woody.
Finish: good length, rather lean and citrusy with leathery hints and floral notes.
This reached the 50 years milestone without blemishes. Most of the typical creaminess has been replaced with acidic fruits and floral hints. Really good and still available from Dramcatcher.
North British 31 yo 1991 (44,9%, The Whisky Fair 2023, bourbon barrel #264528, 206 btl.)
Nose: again on the lighter, more elegant side. More pepper and rounder vanilla though, as well as a faint grassy side. Hints of nail polish remover and furniture polish. Then lemons, walnuts, honey and shortbread.
Mouth: sweet vanilla cream and plenty of coconut, with crystallized oranges and a pleasant fatness. Then melons and bananas with a touch of ginger. Hints of white rum again. A nice oily side, with just a subtle hint of spirity character. More green tea in the end.
Finish: thinner now, with some fructose, coconut and walnut.
Very solid again – this whisky got rid of its inherent grainy character and shows the classic aromas in a balanced way. Very drinkable, while not extremely complex. Still available from eSpirits. Score: 84/100
North British 32 yo 1991 (47,7%, Dramcatcher 2023, cask #200319)
Nose: marshmallows, custard and dried coconut flakes. Whiffs of jasmine and heather – quite floral this one. Then green tea and plain grainy notes, with vanilla and orchard fruits in the background. Slightly more mundane perhaps.
Mouth: getting difficult to come up with specifics now. A tad more (synthetic) sweetness perhaps, as well as gingery notes, lemons, banana cake and dessicated coconut. The louder floral side seems to set this one apart. Later this becomes a herbal note.
Finish: medium length, mostly on bitter almond and floral notes.
This doesn’t have the same richness and clarity of the others in my opinion. The floral side seems to narrow it down. Available from Dramcatcher. Score: 83/100
Invergordon 32 yo 1990 (51,1%, Thompson Brothers 2022, two refill hogsheads, 507 btl.)
Nose: plenty of varnish up front, as well as plain oak and hints of sunflower oil. Now we’re really entering white rum territories. Hints of peaches and vanilla after a while. On the other hand it also shows some mineral, almost cement-like austerity.
Mouth: a good substitute for white rums. Mild sweetness, some citrus tones, alongside coconut and vanilla. The grainy character is kept at bay and there’s no roughness. That said, there’s not much complexity either. Grassier notes appear in the end.
Finish: medium length, slightly rougher and more neutral.
Certainly passable but not very exciting, lacking a bit of depth in this line-up. Grain whisky for card players. I hear Cameron Bridge is a popular game. Score: 83/100
Cameron Bridge 26 yo ‘The Knight’s Golden Triumph’ (56,2%, OB Special Releases 2022, refill American oak)
Nose: almonds and solvent. Butter pastry, caramel and vanilla appear later, as well as pear and vegetal notes. Big mint. Dried coconut. Whiffs of ethanol, coming accross a little younger than it actually is. Then increasing hints of fresh oak shavings, more than I expected.
Mouth: sweet and spicy, slightly dominated by white pepper and nutmeg, with a lot of ginger. Loud oak indeed. Vanilla, coconut and toffee appear, but they are playing second fiddle. Sawdust but none of the antique polished notes you’d expect.
Finish: not too long, with lots of vanilla, chilli, ginger and an almost earthy astringency. Hints of wood char too.
In short: this doesn’t feel like a Special Release. It’s an interchangeable grain whisky with quite an oaky footprint. An underwhelming release. Score: 80/100