Whisky Discovery #313

That Boutique-y Whisky Company Invergordon Batch 1 (41.6% abv)

Single Grain Whisky

£59.95 50cl

This is the second whisky I've tasted from the recently released range of single malts from Master of Malt's new label 'That Boutique-y Whisky Label' featuring cultish comic book-style labels.

This bottle boasts an illustration of a Coffey still - one of the features of the distillery - though it takes the pronunciation of the name perhaps a little too literally!

This is Batch 1, with a release of 252 numbered bottles.

Tasting Note by The Chaps at Master of Malt

Nose: Massively deep and concentrated nose with creamy caramel and those hints of rancio one gets in a very good, old brandy. Black pepper and toffee apples. Old leather.

Palate: Unctuous, almost syrupy palate entry with stem ginger and cassia bark. Hints of nutmeg, clove oil and over-ripe black grapes. Black treacle too...

Finish: Long and toffee-led finish. All kinds of spice notes too, particularly more of those black pepper notes.

So What Did We Think?

I've not tasted a great deal of single grain whisky on this journey to date, but have noticed a few releases receiving some high praise. The SMWS have also released a few single grain whiskies, and I have tasted a 18 Year Old Invergordon from them a little while back. Whilst this is not a single cask whisky it certainly shares a number of similarities with the SMWS release I tasted.

Single grain whiskies are quite a rarity in comparison to single malts. Grain whisky is distilled in continuous stills to meet the growing need for blended Scotch whiskies which account for more than 90% of all Scotch whisky. The spirit distilled usually results in a higher percentage of alcohol by volume (abv), but less flavourful spirit than a single malt. Indeed grain whisky is seldom bottled by itself in Scotland. However, occasionally well-aged grain whiskies are released as "single grain whisky" or "blended grain whisky" in Scotland.

Although this Invergordon from Master of Malt has no age statement, you can be certain that this contains some fairly aged grain whisky that has matured in quality casks.

This has a wonderful creamy vanilla fudge nose, sweet with honey but there is an 'aged' note to it as well. My notes read an old leather chair with polished wood arm rests, because that's what it reminded me of at the time. There is certainly some spicy black pepper to it too, but left in the glass this subsides back to being sweet and creamy with just a hint of mustiness.

Sweet and spicy on the palate, treacle, molasses sweet, a 'dark' sweetness, even a little rum like? Long spicy finish with more of that black pepper. This is very agreeable and certainly think I need to be adding a single grain to my drinking shelf very soon.

Want one? Best be quick as there were just 252 bottles filled. check out That Boutique-y Whisky Label Invergordon Batch 1