Invergordon 34 Year Old 1988 Blackadder Raw Cask Single Bourbon Hogshead #8168 Statement Edition #46 Highland Single Grain Scotch Whisky (2022) 70cl
1 of 269 bottles produced from a single bourbon cask.
As with all of the Raw Cask series, this whisky has not been filtered at all and may contain harmless cask sediment.
Blackadder are a family owned independent whisky bottler established in 1995 by Robin Tucek who now runs the business with his son, Michael, and daughter, Hannah. Initially a whisky bottler, they have since developed their range to include other spirits, including rum and gin.
The Statement Series represents the highest level of Blackadder: single cask, minimal intervention, and maximum expression of cask and distillate.
TASTING NOTES
Nose: Smooth and complex. Vanilla, crème brûlée, and toffee are complemented by coconut, ripe bananas, and a subtle oak note. Subtle spices and hints of honey round out the bouquet.
Palate: Silky and balanced. Sweet vanilla, caramel, and tropical fruits combine with a creamy texture. There are also subtle wood notes, grain character, and a light spice in the background.
Finish: Medium to long. Soft, slightly sweet with vanilla, honey, and subtle oak notes.
About Invergordon
The Highlands grain distillery, now owned by Whyte & Mackay, sits in a region of Scotland historically associated with malt distilling.
Grain distilling has long been a specialty of central Scotland. Distillers there had access to a wider selection of grains, meaning there was a different character from the earliest days. A larger market on their doorstep meant that bigger distilleries were built, while the development of trade with England – mainly for spirit to be rectified into gin – resulted in the adoption of new distillation technology, most significantly continuous stills.
With most blending houses, bottling facilities, and distribution networks also based close to the central belt, it seemed unnecessary to build a grain plant elsewhere. Discovering one in the far north-east of Scotland therefore comes as a bit of a surprise.
Grain distilling has long been a specialty of central Scotland. Distillers there had access to a wider selection of grains, meaning there was a different character from the earliest days. A larger market on their doorstep meant that bigger distilleries were built, while the development of trade with England – mainly for spirit to be rectified into gin – resulted in the adoption of new distillation technology, most significantly continuous stills. With most blending houses, bottling facilities, and distribution networks also based close to the central belt, it seemed unnecessary to build a grain plant elsewhere.
Discovering one in the far north-east of Scotland therefore comes as a bit of a surprise. The town of Invergordon however specialises in confounding people’s expectations of what the Highlands are about.
It was established as an ‘improved’ town by local landowner William Gordon at the start of the 18th century when the surrounding land was drained and turned over to the cultivation of arable crops. By the end of the century it was already being flagged up as an ideal situation for “a manufacturing village”. Part of its attraction was its deep water port which allowed rapid (at that time) links to the south.
It was used as a naval base from WWI, but when the Navy pulled out in 1956 the search was on to find gainful employment for the locals who had been made redundant. This also coincided with a wider series of incentives to establish industries in the Highlands; in time Invergordon has also been home to an aluminium smelter, while it is situated close to the oil rig repair yard at Nigg Bay.
The locality was already home to many malt distilleries – it sits between Dalmore and Glenmorangie – and the combination of ready access to cereal crops and its port made it an ideal site for a grain distillery. The timing was also perfect as this was also the start of the great North American Scotch boom.
In 1959, Invergordon Distillers was founded and the distillery started operations in 1961. Four years later the Ben Wyvis single malt distillery started up. This closed in 1977 (the Ben Wyvis stills are now at Glengyle, itself set up by industry legend Frank McHardy who started his career at Invergordon).
Invergordon Distillers went though a series of owners before being absorbed into Whyte & Mackay in 1993. A 10-year-old single grain, The Invergordon, was launched in 1990 and was targeted specifically at the female market. Though well-regarded it was withdrawn a few years later.
About Blackadder
Blackadder’s philosophy is very simple – they believe that the Cask is King. Sixty to seventy percent of the flavours in a whisky are taken up slowly from the cask as the spirit lies maturing in the warehouse. The action of changing temperature draws the spirit in and out of the cask.
A family operation started and piloted by whisky legend Robin Tucek, they sell to a few limited countries around the world, primarily Taiwan, Japan, the USA and Sweden.
Blackadder was established in 1995 by Robin Tucek who runs the family business with his daughter Hannah and son Michael. Blackadder International gets its name from fugitive 17th-century preacher, John Blackadder. He is famous for preaching against the evils of alcohol.
Hannah Tucek states that the Blackadder International company will always be family-run. Each of the three owner-operators brings something unique to the table. Michael Tucek used to be a chef. He uses his familiarity with a wide range of aromas and flavours to write all tasting notes. Michael feels that “our sense of smell is the most direct sense to our brain and also our most complex. It’s proven that once you go over three aroma compounds mixed together, everything is subjective and becomes very personal. Every aroma can evoke a different memory in each of us and we build up our aroma library as we grow. By not being afraid to say what we sense and share it, we can all learn something from each other.” Like Michael, Hannah grew up around whisky and has come to appreciate whisky at its pure state. Her father and brother joke that she is the one that’s really in charge.
Every cask is unique, with its own fingerprint. This is why they bottle most of their whiskies from single casks. They don’t believe in chilling or otherwise heavily filtering their whiskies, and they never, repeat never, add caramel colouring or flavouring to their spirits. They have always believed the personalities of their whiskies are colourful enough. Their raw cask is famous for the barrel char in each bottle.
52.6% ABV
70cl
