Whisky : Invergordon 29 Year, Barrel to Bottle 

Country/Region : Scotland/Highland Grain

ABV : 55.2%

Cask : First Fill Tennessee Whisky

Age : 29 Year (Distilled 16 May 1990, Bottled June 2019)

Nose : Vanilla, almond, and coconut. An aroma loaded with vanilla and coconut cream candies, macerated coconut flakes, meringue, and ice cream. Sweet brown sugar led to notes of macarons, almond flour, and candied nut filling.

Palate : Full-bodied and tannic with loads of oaky vanilla, coconut, and spice. Brimming with vanilla extract, vanilla custard, dried coconut, and coconut candies. Subtle notes of cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, and dark chocolate. Toward the end were slightly bitter oak notes of cacao nibs.

Finish :  Lingering oaky tannins with subtle brown sugar and dried coconut.

Score : 6

Mental Image : Haupia Vanilla Chiffon Cake

Notes : This dram was an absolute oak bomb with tons of vanilla, coconut, and cream. It reminded me of the cask strength Jameson 18 Year Bow Street with similar heady sweet notes. I imagine that this would be the perfect scotch for a bourbon fan. It embodied so many of the notes that I associate with bourbon but without quite so much tannic astringency as most older bourbons. The only real knocks against this dram were a pretty simple, straightforward flavor profile and a bit more spirited heat than I expected from something that spent just under three decades in the cask.

Overall, I have no deep thoughts to offer on this dram— it was a solid older grain with just a few drawbacks. If you love vanilla and coconut notes, then this should be pretty nice— if not, then there is not much more here.

Image Credit: Cellar.com