Invergordon 30yo 1990/2020

Invergordon 30yo 1990/2020

#179, Maltbarn
Single grain - North Highlands
Dark gold
53.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, popcorn, pear drops, vanilla, peaches, apricots, white grapes. With water, popcorn, vanilla, corn syrup. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, expands, cool. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Peaches, pear drops, vanilla, apricots, corn syrup, rhubarb and custard sweets, white pepper. With water, popcorn, apricots, vanilla. 
Finish: Medium. White pepper, pear drops, vanilla, apricots. 

Comments: 

Very fruity and bright, it wears its age lightly. Plenty of apricots and peaches, even pear drops. Water brings out the grain - popcorn and vanilla abound.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Invergordon 30yo 1994/2024

Invergordon 30yo 1994/2024

Capella, North Star Spirits
Single grain - North Highlands
Golden, hints of copper
50% ABV

Dram

Nose: Vanilla, toffee, desiccated coconut, sandalwood, wheat beer, hints of photocopy paper. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, astringent, volatile, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Toffee, sea salt, salt caramel, wheat beer, raisins, dates, photocopy paper, hints of cooked rice.
Finish: Medium. Vanilla, toffee, salt caramel, dates. 

Comments: 

Very much like sticky toffee pudding, with some feinty notes underneath all that caramel. Quite intense, rich and deep, more on the salty rather than the sweet side.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Invergordon 32yo 1987/2020

Invergordon 32yo 1987/2020

The Whisky Trail, Elixir Distillers
Single grain - North Highlands 
Pale green gold 
52.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pears, vanilla, sea salt, lemon zest, desiccated coconut, hay, hints of malted grains, hints of leather. With water, magic marker, surgical spirit, hay, pears. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Fresh baked bread, pears, desiccated coconut, oak chips, golden syrup, hay, hints of malted grains, hints of butterscotch. With water, pears, honey, desiccated coconut. 
Finish: Long. Oak chips, golden syrup, fresh baked bread, desiccated coconut. 

Comments: 

Cask 88799. Quite spirity and volatile, lots of slight acetone notes that morph into something else. Water opens it up a bit but accentuates the spiritiness. It’s a mite tired, I would say.

Verdict:

I like this.

Invergordon 32yo 1990/2022

Invergordon 32yo 1990/2022

Thompson Brothers
Single grain - North Highlands 
Bright gold 
51.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, tutti frutti, sea salt, oats, cornflakes, apple juice. With water, honey, oats, sea salt. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, syrupy, sticky, thickens. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Sea salt, oats, cornflakes, apple juice, lemon zest, nutmeg, hints of cinnamon. With water, saltier, oats, pear drops. 
Finish: Medium. Cornflakes, oats, honey, vanilla, apple juice. 

Comments: 

Lovely and light, fruity, spicy and slightly savoury. It’s a very good aged grain, lots of character, lots of fragrant cereal. I absolutely loved it, and the price was very good too. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Invergordon 45yo 1974/2019

Invergordon 45yo 1974/2019

Single Cask Nation, Jewish Whisky Company 
Single grain - North Highlands 
Dark gold, hints of amber
46.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cinnamon, canned peaches, sandalwood, nutmeg, vanilla ice cream, hints of raspberries. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, loose, expands slightly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Magic marker, sandalwood, canned peaches, vanilla ice cream, cornbread, lemon curd, cream. 
Finish: Medium. Corn syrup, lemon curd, vanilla ice cream, cinnamon. 

Comments: 

Cask 7844000025. Very creamy, with a slight toastiness that reminds me of incense, even burning sandalwood. Also heaps of fruit, and it’s very sweet. Lovely whisky all round, great mouthfeel, taste and nose. Delicious indeed. Aged grains rule. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Invergordon 53yo 1966/2019

Invergordon 53yo 1966/2019

Extra Old Particular, Douglas Laing
Single grain - North Highlands
Chinese tea
49.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, vanilla, cocoa powder, milk chocolate, lemon sweets, hints of Horlicks. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, syrupy, sticky. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Vanilla, tutti frutti, chocolate, lemon sweets, black tea, hints of caramel. 
Finish: Long. Caramel, black tea, chocolate, butterscotch, Horlicks, hints of condensed milk. 

Comments: 

Cask DL13339. Another old grain, this one superbly mellowed and sweet. The fruit and spice and been boiled down to more-ish chocolate and Horlicks and condensed milk, all very chewy and delicious. This was truly magnificent, not over-oaked at all.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Invergordon 27 yo 1988/2015

Invergordon 27 yo 1988/2015

Number 48, Maltbarn
Single grain - North Highlands
Brass
51.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, bananas, toast, strawberries, marshmallows, hints of honey. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, slippery, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Toast, strawberries, bananas, black tea, honey, hints of orange peel. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, fresh cut grass, marshmallows, vanilla. 

Comments: 

Not as sweet as most grains, I think this one has mellowed in the cask. Good grain whisky, and beats any number of single malts for complexity. There's even a alluring toasty note. There's really no substitute for cask aging, and it's a shame that age now equals expensive.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS G5.3 (Invergordon 18 yo 1993/2011)

SMWS G5.3 (Invergordon 18 yo 1993/2011)

2011, SMWS
Single grain - North Highlands
Copper
65.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, raisins, marmalade, sesame seeds, oak, dried coconut, peaches, prunes, bananas. With water, lemons, cranberries, dried limes.
Mouthfeel: Light body, astringent, tingly, hot, loose.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Vanilla, raisins, marmalade, peaches, dried coconut, dried limes, cranberries, bananas. With water, more sour, peaches, brown paper, lemon juice.
Finish: Long. Marmalade, prunes, vanilla, bananas.

Comments:

Very sweet on the tongue, almost something I'd associate with bourbon or rum. Water brings out some tarter notes, this takes splashes of water as opposed to drips. Very complex, and eye-wateringly strong!

Verdict:

I like this.

SMWS G5.1 (Invergordon 34 yo 1974/2009)

SMWS G5.1 (Invergordon 34 yo 1974/2009)

2009, SMWS
Single grain - North Highlands
Amber
55.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Rum, raisins, vanilla, bananas, orange peel, walnuts, magic marker, hints of pears. With water, turns salty, fried bananas.
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, loosens quickly.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Rum, raisins, bananas, orange peel, vanilla, marshmallows, magic marker, pears. With water, fried bananas, salt caramel.
Finish: Long. Orange peel, walnuts, bananas.

Comments:

This is bourbon! Even more bourbony than proper bourbon, with bananas every which way. Raw and peeled, maybe in a banana split (with rum and raisin ice cream, no less), and, when I added water, fried! Lovely, flavourful grain whisky (actually, it's better than most bourbons).

Verdict:

I like this a lot.