Not much luck with Invergordon today, but…

September 8, 2014

Not much luck with Invergordon today, but…

We’d better get ready for more grain whisky. They have oceans of them, and old malt is in short supply here and there. Let’s do a bit of training…

Invergordon 1988/2014 ‘Lemon Cheesecake’ (46%, Wemyss Malts, barrel, 220 bottles)

Colour: light gold. Nose: seemingly rooouuunded, smooooth, with some vaniiiilla (that’ll do, S.), brioche, toasted oak, white chocolate, café latte and only then, a little varnish and bubblegum. A little sawdust too, but since you’re wondering, no or little pencil shavings. Typical nice grain, but not sure ‘nice’ is such good a word here. Mouth: it’s not quite vodka-caramel, and indeed you could think of some slightly stuffy cheesecake. It’s just that it’s also pretty sugary, with a feeling of cane syrup I’m not too fond of. It’s me, it’s not the whisky. Finish: good length, sweet, caramely, chocolaty. ‘Cheesecaky’ indeed but that would not be the much lighter Mitteleuropa cheesecake. Comments: it’s great whisky, but I don’t like it too much. As I said, it’s not the whisky, it’s me. Too sweet for me, but then again, I’m sure it’s great. SGP:730 - 75 points.

Invergordon 24 yo (56%, Lady of The Glen, 156 bottles, +/-2013)

Most probably another 1988. Colour: light gold. Nose: same whisky, just bigger, so more ‘emphatic’, as they say. The juice is most probably the same, but grains take higher alcohol well. Toasted pastries, vanilla, toasted oak… With water: maybe a wee notch leafier. Very distant whiffs of damp earth, but that may well just be water and oak extracts interacting. Mouth (neat): sweetness. Sweets, syrups, caramel. With water: same as the Wemyss. Good, but not for me. Finish: same. Comments: these are very easy whiskies, they go down well, they’re sexy, they’re not too intellectual, they are even rather flattering. But… SGP:730 - 76 points.

Invergordon 35 yo 1971/2007 (49.5%, Bladnoch Forum, cask #66663, 120 bottles)

Colour: gold. Nose: not many differences, despite the older age. Right, maybe a little more coconut, as well as pleasant whiffs of aniseed and chives. Other than that, marshmallows, vanilla, croissants, white chocolate and all that. I’m afraid it’s also a little solventy. Mouth: I quite like this, but it’s very sweet whisky again. Sugar, sweets, syrups, liqueurs. Custard. Finish: medium length. Fructose, mirabelle liqueur, corn syrup. The aftertaste has got a little more sawdust. Comments: it’s actually a good grain, you just have to like this style. I know, I’m always wittering on about the same old things. SGP:740 - 79 points.

All right, that’s already enough. Let’s have one more grain, but that’ll be it.

Strathmore 1970/2014 (43.8%, Malts of Scotland, single grain, bourbon hogshead, cask #14032, 212 bottles)

Strathmore, aka Alloa, aka North of Scotland Distillery, has only been working between 1957 and 1980. I think this bottling’s another real coup by Malts of Scotland. Colour: full gold. Nose: it’s another old Scottish grain that really hints at bourbon. This baby’s jam-packed with coconut and vanilla notes, before it becomes rather more complex, with plenty of milk chocolate, cappuccino, faint whiffs of cologne, praline, pecan pie and then more and more roasted peanuts. Not complicated, but rather splendid. Great freshness given the age. Mouth: I’m not a grain guy, as you may know, but here, I succumb. Perfect fruity freshness, splendid nuts/pastries combination, and most appealing notes of café au lait. I know, sounds a bit like Starbucks (apologies), but it’s all simply perfect. Finish: not very long, as most grains are, but I really enjoy the added spices, all around speculoos /gingerbread. Bitterer aftertaste, which is more than fine. Comments: it was a great hoggie. SGP:640 - 91 points.