A 31-year-old single grain Scotch from Invergordon, distilled in 1987 and bottled from one cask, number 88721, by The Distinctive Spirits Company. Old grain whisky from a single cask is a different animal from young blending grain, and this one is soft, sweet and surprisingly layered.
About This Whisky
This cask was filled in March 1987 and bottled in September 2019 at a natural cask strength of 54.8% ABV. It spent its whole life in a refill cask that had previously held bourbon, so the oak has added vanilla and toffee without masking the gentle, creamy grain spirit. Column-distilled grain whisky needs a long time in wood to gain real depth, and three decades have given this one plenty.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Vanilla custard, coconut and butterscotch, with ripe banana and a light floral lift.
- Palate: Creamy and sweet, with caramel, toasted coconut, baked apple and a soft pepper warmth from the oak.
- Finish: Long and gentle, ending on vanilla pod, honey and fine wood spice.
Serving & Food
Try it first without water in a tulip-shaped glass, around 18 to 20°C. At 54.8% a teaspoon of water softens the alcohol and brings out more fruit. It pairs nicely with crème brûlée, coconut tart or a plate of roasted macadamias.
How to Enjoy
Drinkers curious about well-aged single grain, and fans of bourbon-cask Scotch with a sweet, easy texture.
Product Details
Bottler: The Distinctive Spirits Company
Distillery: Invergordon
Category: Single grain Scotch whisky
Country: Scotland
Region: Highlands, Scotland
Vintage / Age: 1987; 31 years old
Bottled: 2019
Cask: Single refill ex-bourbon cask #88721
ABV: 54.8% ABV
Volume: 750mL
About the Distillery
Invergordon is a grain distillery on the Cromarty Firth in Easter Ross, a couple of miles from Dalmore, and the most northerly grain plant in Scotland. It was founded in 1959 to bring industry and jobs to the area and began distilling in July 1961 on a Coffey column still, with more columns added in 1963. For twelve years the site also housed a small malt distillery, Ben Wyvis, whose stills were later moved to Glengyle in Campbeltown.
Process water comes from Loch Glass in the hills above the town. Whyte & Mackay took control in 1993, and nearly all of the spirit goes into that company's blends, so single cask releases come mainly from independent bottlers.