Invergordon

Introduction:

Invergordon Distillery is notable for being a grain whisky distillery, producing whisky from grains such as wheat or corn (maize) rather than malted barley. It is primarily known for its production of grain whisky for blends, with the vast majority of its output going into the Whyte & Mackay blends. In terms of official bottlings, Invergordon has a 10 – year – old single grain whisky as its main offering. Independent bottlings from Invergordon are relatively scarce but can be found from bottlers such as Duncan Taylor, Signatory Vintage, and Douglas Laing.

Production:

Invergordon is located in the Northern Highlands of Scotland, making it the most northerly grain whisky distillery in the country. It has an impressive production capacity of 40 million liters per year. The water used in production is sourced from the nearby Loch Glass.

The Pot Stills:

Unlike malt whisky, grain whisky is not produced in traditional pot stills. Invergordon utilizes tall column stills, also known as Coffey stills, which resemble skyscrapers. The distillery has five such stills, with four used for grain whisky production and one for producing neutral spirit.

Maltings:

As a grain whisky distillery, Invergordon does not use malted barley in its production process. Instead, the starch in the grains is converted into sugars through a cooking process involving heat and pressure. This allows the yeasts to ferment the sugars and produce alcohol for the subsequent distillation process.

The Warehouse:

Grain whisky is aged in a similar manner to single malt whisky. At Invergordon, the majority of the spirit is transported offsite for blending purposes. The few casks intended for single grain bottlings are stored onsite in dunnage warehouses. Invergordon utilizes a combination of European and American oak casks for maturing its whisky.

History:

Invergordon Distillery was founded in 1960 with the aim of becoming a large-scale grain whisky producer. Initially equipped with one column still, two more stills were added in 1963, followed by a larger still in 1978. In 1993, Whyte & Mackay, the Indian-owned whisky production company, acquired Invergordon Distillers Ltd. It is worth noting that from 1965 to 1977, the site also hosted the Ben Wyvis Single Malt distillery.

Visitor’s Centre:

Unfortunately, Invergordon Distillery is an industrial complex and is closed to the public. There is no visitor’s centre or tour available at the distillery.

Visitor information:

Invergordon Distillery (Whyte & Mackay Ltd.)
Golf View Terrace
Invergordon
Ross-shire
IV18 0HP