 Master of Malt Invergordon 41yo  
Invergordon Distillery - Invergordon, Cromarty Firth. |
Tastes & Smells
Despite its age, there was much less to this in body than I'd have expected (it was tasted blind, so I only found this out later!) - the nose was hard to distinguish but had a reasonable flavour with some cream sherry, light citrus and a distinctive menthol edge, whilst it evoked the taste of butterscotch candy dropped in the sea. It made me think of ants..? Perhaps because it was hard to pin down, like the confusion between an itch or an ant crawling up your arm. When tasted, it was immediately very sour and salty in a weird and unusual way, made me think of rancid cheese, but mellowed slightly into Metaxa and dry sherry. But the dominant force in the drinking was its over-oiliness, with the less pleasant flavours clinging on whilst the nicer ones were washed away.
Any good?
From the tastes and smells, you can probably pick up this isn't going to be a winner. It wasn't an absolute disaster, but in a blind tasting of 5 Invergordons, it was the clear loser (and 2nd-most expensive). Anything that came across as pleasant seemed to be quickly out competed by something less-desirable, all the time encased in too much oil. If you're a big fan of what dry sherry has to offer then don't dismiss it entirely, but most would find better value elsewhere.
Reminiscent of...
The strong Metaxa flavours immediately made me think of Greece, sat outside on a cooling evening with a glass of the stuff, but accidentally pouring in a few drops of olive oil. Equally, a barrel of wine or sherry just starting to go rotten in the sea. Perhaps concentrate on the first image, it's nicer.
|
Tasted on: 03/03/13
|
  This 41yo was more like an over-ripe cheese than a refined gentleman. |
In summary:
Not showing the positive sides of its age, this Invergordon is outclassed by its bedfellows and has taken in on a dry, tangy nature from its cask - in my opinion, it's best avoided.