Invergordon
Translation: Mouth of the Gordon
Region: Northern Highlands
Famous lodgers are not everything.
For a while Invergordon is like Strathclyde's colleagues. For a short time there was also a Malt distillery on the grounds of both Grain Whiskey distilleries. At Strathclyde that was from 1957 to 1975, the Kinclaith distillery. Invergordon's "lodger" from 1965 to 1977 was Ben Wyvis. Just like Kinclaith, the Ben Wyvis Malt is a sought-after rarity among collectors today. But Invergordon - even more than Strathclyde - can also score with their own whiskey and records. Invergordon is the only Grain distillery in the Highlands. And because the Invergordon Single Highland Grain has been fairly active at times, it has probably been the entry into the world of Grain Whiskey for many. Not a bad start.
A little history
The Grain Distillery was founded in 1959 by Invergordon Distillers Ltd. built. Invergordon is the only Grain Distillery in the Highlands. Production began there in 1961, and in 1963 the two existing Coffey stills (also called column or patent stills) were supplemented by two more.
In 1965, the Malt distillery Ben Wyvis was built on the Invergordon site. However, it was shut down only 12 years later. In 1978, another, even larger, column still was installed. This made Invergordon one of the largest distilleries in Europe in terms of production capacity.
Invergordon was taken over by Whyte & Mackay in 1993, who in turn belong to the Philippine Emperador Group.
What do I actually have in the glass?
The Invergordon Grain seems to come right out of the Christmas bakery. It smells and tastes of vanilla, caramel, nut, candied fruits and spices. All involved in a slightly lighter, finer body than the malt cousins have. A feast for all biscuit and whiskey fans.
3 reasons to love Invergordon
1) Because this interesting Grain does not have to hide from anything or anyone.
2) Because there would have been no Ben Wyvis without Invergordon.
3) Because the Highlands without Grain distillery would miss something.
The one drama for the lonely island
The 21 year old Vintage 1993 from the Clan Denny series by Douglas Hamilton is a poem by a Grain. A single cask bottling with a powerful 51.1% vol. and an abundance of flavors and tastes: Toffee and caramel meet spices and citrus fruits, and the vanilla flirts with the coconut!
numbers and facts
Address: Cottage Brae, Invergordon, Ross & Cromarty, IV18 0HP
Founded: 1959 by Invergordon Distillers
Status: active
Owner: Whyte & Mackay (Emperador Inc.)
Capacity: about 36,000,000 liters
4 Coffey stills
Water: Hole Glass
Visitor Center: -
Telephone: +44 (0) 1349 - 852451
Website: -
