The Second new release from S&S after the lovely 13 year old Ledaig, is quite different : an older Single grain from the Invergordon Grain distillery. This one’s 45 years old , bottled at 46.6% abv, and also has been finished in a sherry cask for 24 months. This time the cask yielded only 150 bottles (i guess angel’s share was high).
S & S Invergordon 45 yo , 46.6% , ~ £200
Nose: Sweet and rich nose, with caramel, and some creme Catalan, as well as old wood spice, and a nice red fruit note as well. A hint of sour cherries and icing sugar, old balsamic, and a bit floral too.
Palate: More of the sweetness, with a honeyed touch, more of the sherry goodness, not very sweet, the cherries are back, some dark chocolate, and polished oak, more oak spices, a bit of pepper and a hint of exotic fruit.
Finish : spicy oak, sugar candy, tannic.
Conclusion: A very nice older single grain, quite sweet and easy drinking, with good complexity and a nice combination of fruit, sweetness, spice and oak. I would have loved to see a bit more polished wood at this old age of 45 years, however the sherry finish does add a nice dimension and this is not all about oak which is nice if you’re not fond of too much oak. At 200 quid it is priced in par with similar offerings from other bottlers, so fairly priced in today’s pricing climate.
Score: 86/100
Available on inquiry form S&S , check out their web site for more info.