Review

Invergordon Organic Gin

Invergordon Distillery (owned by Diageo), Cottage Brae, Invergordon, Ross-shire, Scotland, UK.

Whyte & Mackay and Diageo.

Invergordon is in the northeast of the Scotland (25 miles North of Inverness, by road) and was once a thriving commercial and naval port as it has one of the best deepwater harbors in Europe. However, the port fell into decline when the Navy left in the 1950’s. In 1959 Invergordon Distillers Ltd commissioned the building of a distillery at Invergordon. It started operating in 1961 and became, and still is, the furthest north whiskey grain distillery in the Highlands. They have four coffey stills, which includes a large one added in 1978 and used to produce neutral grain spirit. This still is almost certainly used to make this Gin, and its sister product Invergordon Organic Vodka, both of whom were launched in the fall of 2000.

Since the 1980’s the Distillery has seen a change in ownership every decade: a management buyout in 1988; purchase by Whyte & Mackay in 1993; purchase of Whyte & Mackay by United Spirits in 2007; and purchase of United Spirits (including Whyte & Mackay) in 2012 by Diageo. It is fair to say Whyte & Mackay have been the main constant, as ongoing caretakers for the Distillery since 1993 - we shall have to wait and see what changes (if any) occur under Diageo.

Produced in a large coffey still, with additional columns, made for producing neutral grain spirit. Water used comes from nearby Loch Glass.

The Gin is presented in a tall clear whisky style bottle with a slim green (plus some white) colored label.

London Dry Gin.

37.5% (75 Proof).

$$$ - $$$$. Not available in the USA. Although available predominantly in Spain we have been unable to locate a suitable supplier to ship to the USA.

The organic botanicals include: angelica root, cassia bark, coriander seeds, juniper berries, liquorice root, orange peel and orris.

“Inver” in Scottish Gaelic means “river mouth” and can be anglocized as “inner” (often used to refer to an “inner harbor”), whilst the Gordon comes from an eighteenth-century laird, Sir William Gordon who owned the land – thus Invergordon.

Unfortunately we have not had the opportunity to taste this product, we look forward to being able to rectify this in the future.

Unknown.