Duncan Taylor Rare Auld Invergordon 1965 (38 year old) 51.6%
Cask No 15537/ Dist: 1965 Btl 2003/ Tasted: Mar 2007
A lovely perfumed nose of violets and winter flowers, delicate yet pronounced. Followed by an intensity of vanilla dusted sweet citrus fruits, a complex melange of spicy red wine infused fruits and a whiff of toasty oak to finish – simply sensational!
The palate is medium-sweet, with a cognacesque quality to it. Full of dried citrus fruit and grain. This opens into an intense wine infused creamy middle with a slight suggestion of spice and ends with the floralness that the nose evokes. Delicate, interesting and very long.
Duncan Taylor Rare Auld Invergordon 1965 (41 year old) 50.1%
Cask 15516/ Dist: 1965 Btl: 2006/ Tasted: May 2006
Big, juicy aromas of distinctive Bourbon-esque character. No surprise there is a huge array of dried fruit, sultanas, figs, candied citrus fruit, honey and a lovely menthol top note. In fact this is a lot more herbal than previous bottlings.
Soft and juicy on the palate, maybe not as full bodied as previous bottling, but it is still delightful. Very complex with and quiet sweet with the juicy Bourbon-esque fruits balanced by a subtle grainy-ness. And not forgetting the riot of herbalists! The length is divine with a touch of salinity in the finish.
Duncan Taylor Rare Auld Invergordon 1965 (41 year old) 50.1%
Cask 15516/ Dist: 1965 Btl: 2006/ Tasted: July 2007
A very expressive and rich nose of liquid toffee, dried fruits, corn, spice and lashings of vanilla dusted or icing sugar coated citrus fruits. A touch floral with a late banana note. Distinctly Bourbon-esque! Soft and fruity on the palate opening with the Bourbon-like corn, followed by dried fruit, vanilla, violets and sweet spices. Very long with a touch of stunning tropical fruit.
Water brings out a coffee/ vanilla note on the nose and softens the palate turning it into a real mouthful of rich, soft Bourbon-esque fruits. So soft and smooth!!!
Duncan Taylor Rare Auld Invergordon 1965 (41 year old) 50.2%
Bourbon Cask 15517/ Dist 1965 Btl: 2006/ Tasted: Sept 2007
Simply stunning aromas of grainy Bourbon-esque soft citrus fruit. Incredible depth and complexity, multi-dimensional with herbs, violets and grassy notes. Absolutely luxurious, harmonious with a touch of gin like botanicals. A drop of water softens it and maybe removes some of the character.
The palate displays an amazing depth of delicate yet rich dried fruits again very Bourbon like. Again a good complexity with quiet a bit of coating wood tannins. Water softens.
Medium length with the alcohol dominating. A bit disappointing to say the least. In conclusion – Absolutely stunning nose, yet in the mouth it doesn’t quiet live up to the complexity of the nose and the finish is a bit disappointing. Maybe I’m just splitting hairs it is 41 years old after all!
Duncan Taylor Rare Auld Invergordon 1965 (43 year old) 51.6%
Bourbon Cask 15536/ Dist: 1965 Btl: 2008/ Tasted: Oct 2009
Deep and not so overtly oaky on the nose. Retrained and earthy with what appears to be a touch of manurey-peat! The oak attempts to assert itself but it whispers rather than growls (well as far as grain whiskies go it does!) Beautifully grainy with some crumbly spices and hints of liquorice, charred oak and violets. Lovely bitter/ sweet balance.
The palate is soft, subtle (as far as gain whiskies go!), quite earthy with hickory, coffee, and like the nose, the oak is quiet restrained. It opens into a rich, spicy middle, with some lovely soft, embellished grains and some seriously conspicuous violet notes. Still the oak is impeccably behaved and adds a lovely bitter liquorice, cocoa and pure 90% dark chocolate notes. This is a very crisp Invergordon which could easily pass for a rye whisky. Stunning!!
Whisky According to Chris Whiskyman 