Invergordon 43 Year Old 1973 Liquid Art

Liquid Art is a Belgian bottler (active since 2014), founded by the well-known whisky aficionados Bert Dexters and Serge Reijnders of Cask Six fame (remember their wonderful Clynelish?). It is a npo that strives to combine good spirits with art. Their labels are thus works of art, created by local artists. At this point, they already have 10 bottles, including 6 whiskies, 2 rums, a cognac and a… champagne! The first we will try if an old Grain: Invergordon 1973, which they released in cooperation with Beacon Spirits.

Soft, sweet nose on coconut milk and vanilla, white chocolate with pieces of tropical fruit (mostly banana and pineapple). Hint of wood glue. A twig of mint. Nicely balanced between a young bourbon and an old rum. Pencil shavings, a bag full of it. After a few moments some mocha and espresso kick in. Nice!

Very creamy and soft. Honeysweet on tropical fruit. Seasoned with liquoirice, cardamom, cinnamon, mint and ginger. A bitter touch of the oak. Again, nicely balanced. The coconut milk returns, which cannot be said of the chocolate. Overinfused green tea. Finally some almonds.

The finish may be rather short, but the smile on my face is already indelible.

A grand grain, that much is certain. And it can still be obtained from their website for 165 EUR, which I find a lot of bang for your buck. Ah, old grain can be so lovely… Thanks again, Bert, for the generous sample.