Slainte-Mhath
Invergordon 1964 56 Year (East Village)
Spirit — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed
January 8, 2022 (edited August 17, 2022)
Strictly speaking, this underproof Invergordon is no whisky, but who cares when dram in the glass is fantastic? The aroma unfolds with Mon Chéri confectionery, antique furniture and marzipan, enriched by rosemary, marjoram and cocoa powder. What a great nose! Light as a feather and yet full of flavor, the palate continues with complex wood spices, coconut cream and a touch of menthol. Licorice, dark chocolate and baked banana linger in the aromatic finish. A sublime grain, 56 years of maturation have taken this impressive spirit to another level.
RATING: 4.5/5.0 stars ≙ 91 pts → SUPERB
349.0
EUR
per
Bottle
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@Scott_E @Slainte-Mhath. Yeah, that 1% is negligible….turns out an amazing value for the buyer
@Slainte-Mhath I agree that the extra 1% or 2% is essentially marginal. That technicality is just a win for you. Glad you got to enjoy it. Sounds quite good.
@Scott_E I don't think it makes much of a difference tastewise, 39% tastes more or less like 40-43% ABV, but it would been a huge difference in the price if this grain was labeled as 'whisky'.
@Slainte-Mhath ahh. Makes sense.
@Scott_E It is my assumption that this barrel was forgotten, and it was already underproof when the IB acquired it. This happened to many old grain whiskies, as none of these casks were meant to be bottled as single grain decades later.
@Slainte-Mhath @PBMichiganWolverine Interesting that they bottled late. Craigallechie decided/had to bottle their 51 year at that year because one year more, it would have gone under proof, based on their calculations.
@PBMichiganWolverine It is not so much the price of the whisky bottles going up, it is the value of fiat money going down.
@Slainte-Mhath it’s gotten to a point of sheer silliness. Quality has gone down and prices have skyrocketed up.
@PBMichiganWolverine Probably not the worst inflation hedge in these times, I am amazed by how prices explode and the value of my collection creeps up.
@Slainte-Mhath wow, but €349 is still pricey for under proof. Then again, you’re right…at over 50yr, we’re looking at at least €600 for grain whiskey
I took a break from reviewing whisky, but this dram got me so excited that I wanted to wrap up my thoughts and write a review. I wish you all a Happy New Year 2022, may it be healthy and sucessful for everyone!
Additonal comment: What a disappointment it must have been, when you realize that your 50 years+ cask went underproof. As a single grain, this bottle would have been twice as expensive and I would not have bothered to buy it.
Additional information: Distilled in 1964 and bottled in 2021 by East Village Whisky Company, exclusively for the German market (only 91 bottles, 39% ABV). As far as I know, all bottles were sold before they could even hit the market.