Invergordon 1973 42 Year (The Exclusive Malts)

Similar to other reviews, this isn't for the Invergordon listed, but for a 9-year-old from Battlehill and a 44-year-old from Maltbarn. This is a dual review, so apologies for the length. First, the 9-year-old: This is Invergordon, stop 37 on the SDT. Like a recently reviewed Girvan, this place only makes single grain whisky. I don't have much on this Highland distillery, but I'm pretty sure it's mainly for blends since official distillery bottlings are rare. This 9-year bottle is from independent bottlers Battlehill. It's bottled at a strong 58% ABV, is non chill filtered, and has a pale straw natural color. The nose hits you with alcohol initially, expected at this proof. It's very waxy, like candle or paraffin wax. Lots of vanilla and grain, which seems like wheat but could be another type. Green oak and sawdust. Some honey and another oak hit, this time charred. Then it went south with a very sour note, like sourdough bread. I added a lot of water to see what would happen. More grain, oak, and honey appeared, but so did more of that sourness. Really unpleasant. The palate is hot with sharp oak. Underripe stone fruits like apricots and nectarines, plus some bitter grapes or bad grapenuts cereal. Some bitter chocolate and maybe burnt coffee beans. The water brought the sourdough bread flavor to the palate too. A strange soap-like note came through as well. Not good and it actually made me a little queasy. The mouthfeel is hot, oily, and mouthwatering. Actually a rather pleasant mouthfeel. A medium-long finish that is sour with green oak. I think I made it clear this stuff wasn't good, at least not for my senses. Really unpleasant sour notes. It actually reminded me of Craigellachie with its sourness (most people love Craigellachie, but I didn't care for it). I ended up dumping about half of the sample a friend provided (sorry, friend). It just wasn't sitting well with me, and still isn't 30 minutes later. I can't imagine buying or recommending this bottle. The initial nose and mouthfeel are the only good things I found. I'm giving it 2 stars, and I think that's generous. Cheers Next, the 44-year-old: After the disaster that was the 9-year-old Invergordon from Battlehill yesterday, I was glad to try another Invergordon. This one is a 44-year-old single cask (ex-bourbon) from independent bottlers Maltbarn. It was bottled in 1972, making it ten years older than I am! This is the oldest whisky I've had so far. Bottled at 49% ABV, with an orange-amber natural color and non chill filtered. The nose is all bourbon, so much so I can barely detect any scotch. After 44 years in an ex-bourbon cask, that's sort of expected. A pretty strong mint note upfront. Caramel and toffee with a little brown sugar and cinnamon. There's a grainy note, but more like corn. Some fresh red berries and a lovely oak note. Creamy vanilla custard, a bit of cocoa powder, cherries, toasted coconut, and more vanilla. A really enjoyable nose. Like the nose, the palate is very bourbon-like. It arrives hot and a little peppery. Old oak, slightly bitter but not at all unpleasant. Mint and caramel. It reminds me of a certain bourbon, with maybe some young Bowmore mixed in. It has a slight earthiness. Coconut and maybe even mango. Given its age, it has a surprising youthful zip. A little graininess shows up eventually, but it integrates well. A full-bodied mouthfeel that is hot at first, oily and mouthwatering. Medium-length finish with oak, mint, and bourbon. There's a slight metallic note that comes and goes. When it's present, it's distracting; when it's not, it's very enjoyable. If I tasted this blind, you'd have a hard time convincing me it wasn't bourbon. I'd be interested to know the cask's origin, as it reminds me of a certain bourbon. Invergordon has officially redeemed itself with this beautiful whisky. Thanks to a friend for the bonus sample provided during this round of our Scottish distillery tour group. Cheers

Disclaimer: this review isn't for the listed Invergordon, but for 2 separate samples: a young 9 year old sample, independently bottled by Battlehill, and a 44 year old, independent bottling by Maltbarn. This is a combination of 2 separate reviews and will be a pretty long read. Turn back now if you aren't settled in.... To kick off our third round of Scottish distillery samples in a more exciting way, I decided to try the "official" Invergordon sample I supplied beside the extra sample my friend generously added. This isn't a comparison, but more of a case study in generations of Invergordon's single grain whisky. The 9 year old along side a rare, 44 year old sample. Up first is the older, much rarer 44 year old from German independent bottler- Maltbarn. This one is a slightly darker, amber than the much younger 9 year old. No surprise there. The nose is heavy charred oak. Heavy char- almost burnt. It's a bit of a shock after huffing its younger sibling. Yet, right on cue, those same cereal notes and toasted marshmallow notes appear. This time, though, they bring some berry sweetness instead of vanilla. It's a bit of a surprise. This one smells delicious and decadent. On the palate, there's the same initial blast of oak cask notes. This one seems like a more traditional, American bourbon. Lots of spices and significantly drier than its counterpart (the 9yo). Cinnamon and pepper spices and heat, with a similar fig and nutmeg finish. Speaking of finish, this one takes on all the typical, oak barrel notes while still being short and not really hot at all. I get the impression that the barrels used weren't of the highest quality but that long slumber extracted everything that was available and ultimately turns this one into a more complex dram. I think I could spend more quality time with Scottish grain whiskies and not feel "shorted" by any means. These siblings play well together and paint a beautiful picture of what's possible when aged properly. Blends be damned- I'd like to have these on hand when I really want something a little different, but I don't feel like experimenting with crazy blends or heavy flavor bombs. I just want to sip and get happy. 4 stars. Next up is the newer stuff- the 9 year old, independent bottling from Battlehill that comes in at a cask strength of 58%. It's a very pale yellow and smells of candle wax and cereal box marshmallows. There's hints of vanilla, figs and nutmeg. Even at 58% there's no evidence of ABV at all. The youthful, lightly charred oak provides an interesting backbone here, too. On the tongue, there's an initial blast of oak and pepper spice that's short lived and fades into a freshly opened box of Lucky Charms cereal, with the marshmallows! The vanilla and honey sweetness helps temper the burn as it fades into a sweet wheat and malty finish. It's more oily than I expected but rather short. I really expected a lengthy and hot finish because of the ABV, but I guess that's the joy of grain whisky. It's pretty smooth overall. It's really non-offensive, but with little to no depth, which is why it's mainly used for blending I suppose, but it's still surprisingly enjoyable. Liquified, Saturday morning cereal- with a kick. 3.75 stars. I like this more than I probably should, haha. To sum them both up- they are equally enjoyable for how simple they both are. This was one of the more enjoyable side-by-sides I've been able to do, not just on our "tour", by in general. A big thanks to my friend for providing the oldest sampled whisky I believe I've had to date. This couldn't have played out any better. Cheers, thanks for sticking around and reading my novella.

My first selection: Invergordan/Battlehill 9 Year Friday evening. Time to catch up on Homeland and Billions from the DVR. Pour me a sample, sit back, and taste. Ah, Fridays. The aroma is somewhat peculiar and distinct. Dominated by paraffin wax and cardboard. Sherry notes of figs or dates emerge with honey and vanilla. A brief flash of light caramel sweetness with charred marshmallows creates a strange, earthy undertone that detracts from the whisky. A grainy cereal (oatmeal/Irish oats) supports the few existing flavors. This finishes with oak drying tannins and vanilla wafers and tangerines that is somewhat brief. The 9 year was bland and thin of flavor and fullness. Rough and harsh and lacking in any real substance. [80/100][Tasted: 3/30/18] ———————————- My second selection: Invergordan 44 Well, it's Saturday night and part two of the Invergordan 44 provided by a friend through our little tour group. These have been sitting around for a while and now, I'm finding more time to catch up on these whiskies (bringing up the rear). The nose is more bourbon than scotch and would almost be hard to discern in a blind nosing. Rich brown sugar, cinnamon, caramel, cherries, vanilla, corn grain, oak, creme brûlée. It's almost akin to a Four Roses, and that is not a bad similarity. A lovely nose and I almost don't want to move on from here. The palate senses, from the nose, to expect a thick and syrupy fluid. The draw into the palate confuses the brain because the body is air thin. Again, more bourbon-like than scotch. Silky smooth and sugary sweet. Brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg spices. Bakers chocolate comes forward too and delivers the finish. Oak, ground cinnamon nutmeg and oranges round out the journey. Once again, more bourbon/grain than scotch/cereal. This is a nice dram from start to finish. Sweet, balanced, soft. The only true criticism I have is, due to the time it must have spent in the bourbon cask, I would not qualify this as a malt. But I would not turn it down if it comes my way again. [89/100][Tasted: 3/31/18]

Please note: this review pertains to two distinct samples, not the Invergordon listed. The first was a young, 9-year-old independently bottled sample by Battlehill, and the second a 44-year-old independent bottling by Maltbarn. I'll resolve this when the platform allows for custom bottle entries. Regrettably, the 9-year-old presented such a waxy aroma that it resembled the beeswax I sometimes use in bottling. Similar to another's observations, I detected soap, sawdust, and wax. Despite a genuine effort, finishing it was incredibly difficult, leading me to vow I would never purchase or consume grain whisky again. Fortunately, a friend provided the Maltbarn sample. It's unclear if such age is necessary for quality, but the difference was remarkable. The distinction was far greater than mere contrast. The 44-year-old offered notes of vanilla cookies, tropical fruit, and abundant oak. The palate was sweet with similar flavors, plus a subtle tang I couldn't identify, possibly a mineral quality like brine or salt, which I found quite enjoyable. My gratitude to friends for the opportunity to experience the full spectrum of Invergordon. The better of the two samples receives a strong 4.0 rating.

We've reached round 3 of our small group tasting of Scottish distilleries (expecting about 4-5 more rounds to cover all active Scottish distilleries), and I contributed this as a special addition (essentially, something we find interesting enough to share beyond our usual selection). Now, for the review. I recently watched the new Spiderman film, the one focusing on a teenage Spiderman mentored by Iron Man. Marisa Tomei played Aunt May. Many of us recall Aunt May as an elderly, grandmotherly figure. However, Marisa's portrayal challenges that perception. She has aged remarkably well and is far from the typical grandmotherly type. The point is... she possesses a certain captivating presence that subverts the image of an older, frail, white-haired grandmother. This 44-year-old Invergordan reminded me of that. You hear 'grain whisky' and immediately think of something harsh. But this demonstrates that with advanced age, some fine grain whiskies can completely overturn that notion. I won't do better justice to the tasting notes than the excellent review by the individual below – so I'll leave you with the image of Marisa Tomei.;-)

I'm belatedly tasting the 44-year-old sample from the individual mentioned below. The aroma is a sophisticated blend of marmalade and wax polish. It feels oily in the mouth, with tastes of caramel and warm sponge cake. Curiously, a brief peach note appears in the middle, completely unexpected with everything else but quite pleasant. The finish is very long and satisfying.