| |
House
1000’s of tastings,
all of the music,
all of the rambligs
and all of the enjoyable
(hopefully!)
Whiskyfun.com
Assured ad-free
copyright 2002-2025
|
 |
|
| Hello, that is considered one of our (nearly) every day tastings. Santé! |
| |
|
| |
| |
|
January 22, 2025
|
|
  |
|
A small assortment of impartial Mortlach
|
|
|
| Dufftown’s Mortlach Distillery in 2012 (WF Archive) |
|
Mortlach has a status for being sturdy, meaty, and fairly sulphurous, however after all, we’ve all tasted ones that had been floral, cheerful, and as gentle as a summer time costume (copyright Christian Dior). I believe we’re going to get a stunning overview at present, however to essentially delve into issues, we’ll most likely want two periods. All the higher! We’ll begin with the youthful ones and end with the older ones, however no matter vintages, bottling dates, or alcohol strengths, alright?
|
|
|
Mortlach 7 yo 2016/2023 (54.7%, The Duchess, Recreation & Wildlife, matured in PX quarter cask, cask #216A, 189 bottles) 
189 bottles at C/S from 1 / 4 cask, that’s no imply feat. Color: gold. Nostril: the actual fact is that every one these little dried raisins swimsuit Mortlach properly, making a profile not too far faraway from the legendary Flora & Fauna sequence by means of which many lovers first found Mortlach. A flippantly earthy fruitcake, some pipe tobacco, a contact of Ovaltine, Bündnerfleisch, hints of bay leaf, and new leather-based… With water: the leather-based strikes to the fore. Mouth (neat): toffee, leather-based, tobacco, Pepsi, chicory, chocolate, and honeyed raisins. With water: it relaxes, changing into lighter, with a contact of sulphur and bitter oranges making a delicate look. End: lengthy, leaning extra on dried fruits, pepper, and clove. Feedback: a vigorous little beast, firmly marked by the sherry.
SGP:561 – 84 factors. |
|
We will style some which can be way more ‘pure’…
|
|
|
Mortlach 9 yo 2013/2023 (58.4%, Hogshead Import, refill hogshead, 133 bottles) 
I don’t suppose one might get a lot nearer to the distillate, given the color. Color: very pale white wine. Nostril: an explosion of all types of redcurrants, cranberries, gooseberries, and pink grapefruit. We’re far faraway from boar terrine doused in gravy and pipe tobacco (what?). With water: chalk, saltpetre, and shards of slate. It’s certainly ultra-distillate-driven. Mouth (neat): as soon as once more, a fruity explosion (two-thirds apples, one-third grapefruit) adopted by pear eau-de-vie and a touch of ginger tonic. It nearly tickles the tongue. With water: chalk makes a comeback, together with a number of unique fruits, particularly lychees, which add a muscat-like character. End: pretty lengthy, very fruity, nearly like an eau-de-vie. Feedback: I believe this could be pleasant for making sorbets (lemon, apple) with a splash.
SGP:641 – 86 factors. |
|
|
Mortlach 11 yo 1998/2010 (46%, Hart Bros., Best Assortment, bourbon cask)
You don’t see too many of those Hart Bros. bottlings round anymore, do you? Color: white wine. Nostril: we’re very near barley, bread, porridge, oatcakes… The sulphury aspect of the distillate (nothing to do with the burnt sulphur utilized in wine casks to forestall spoilage) is sort of outstanding and really interesting. Lemon and damp chalk. Mouth: porridge, fizzy aspirin, a chalky sensation, and lemon juice. Excellent for a champion’s breakfast! End: pretty lengthy, nonetheless very chalky, with a touch of acidity (once more, lemon) and the porridge (with a splash) lingering within the aftertaste. Feedback: it’s nice enjoyable to style these whiskies with out sherry or every other wine affect, particularly because the bourbon barrel appears to have been quite lazy. Or drained. We’re near the pure vibration of the distillate.
SGP:451 – 86 factors. |
|
|
Mortlach 12 yo 2011/2023 (48.4%, Douglas Laing, Previous Explicit, refill hogshead, cask # DL 17756, 361 bottles) 
Color: pale white wine. Nostril: apple juice, chalk, bread dough, lemon juice, porridge, and vanilla. I discover it excellent, although it’s hardly stunning. Water isn’t obligatory. Mouth: superb, maybe not overly advanced and barely much less fruity than anticipated, however this extraordinarily chalky and flippantly yeasty profile reminds us of nice Champagnes, which is totally pleasant. White peaches then steal the present. End: the identical. Feedback: wonderful class from this distillate, an ideal younger Mortlach by DL, best to combine with glowing water for a stunning ‘Champagne.’ Effectively, I suppose the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin Champagne can have my head for this—I’d higher steer clear of Wine Paris in February. Simply kidding, I’ll be in Andalusia searching manzanilla añada anyway.
SGP:551 – 88 factors. |
|
|
Mortlach 15 yo 2008/2023 (52.4%, Whiskyjace, Artwork Version No.6, oloroso hogshead)
A lot love for this label! As we’ve at all times stated on Whiskyfun, ‘Artwork, not Advertisements!’ Color: gold. Nostril: every part right here is about stability, completely poised between the sherry-soaked Mortlachs and people left completely naked, as nature meant (what?). Pretty notes of walnuts, hay, and tobacco, joined by apples, plums, and that signature earthy, chalky aspect. Altogether, we’re 100% within the countryside. With water: strikes extra in the direction of rustic farmhouse cider. Mouth (neat): quite vigorous and spicy, with a pleasing bitterness—these walnuts once more, a demitasse spoonful of mustard sauce, leather-based, after which apples returning. The sherry-distillate stability is properly maintained with out straying into redcurrant territory. With water: water works superbly; it’s a wonderful swimmer, although the sherry retains a little bit of the higher hand. End: apples, tobacco, walnuts, and only a drop of mustard. Feedback: completely excellent. Oh, they usually actually ought to supply large-format prints of these labels—if the rights enable.
SGP:551 – 87 factors. |
|
|
Mortlach 15 yo 2008/2023 (51.2%, The First Editions for HNWS Taiwan, oloroso quarter cask, cask #HL19853, 130 bottles)
Glad to be again in Taiwan. Color: deep gold. Nostril: this seems like a extra fashionable Mortlach, with hints of latest wooden, cedar, and thuja, together with traces of glue, butterscotch, after which the anticipated outdated walnuts (no reference to any French politicians at this stage) and apples. With water: autumn leaves, mushrooms, and humus—all of this including much more depth. It really works completely. Mouth (neat): completely faultless. Earth, tobacco, dried fruits, apples, light spices, and walnuts, all underpinned by some assertive citrus notes that keep the freshness of the profile. With water: large waves of butterscotch! Typical of comparatively new wooden. End: lengthy, with much more citrus, a contact of garam masala, and a faint Cognac-like observe. Feedback: what can I say, it’s clear that is no accident. Completely wonderful—Mortlach actually is an outstanding base. Lengthy dwell the Wee Witchie! (nonetheless no connection to French politicians—properly, possibly…).
SGP:651 – 88 factors. |
|
|
Mortlach 15 yo 2008/2024 (50.8%, The Whisky Cask, sherry)
Some quite old-school bottlings at The Whisky (or Rum) Cask, at all times superb so far as I can keep in mind. Color: amber. Nostril: basic sherry—earthy, with walnuts, outdated apples, and butterscotch, adopted by broom flowers and light-weight notes of anise and liquorice. That is the primary Mortlach we’re tasting at present with a distinctly floral aspect. After all, we love that. With water: a lot the identical. Additionally bag of outdated walnuts, but additionally a touch of coal gasoline. Mouth (neat): a contact of gunpowder and fairly outstanding pepper at first, progressively giving method to leather-based and tobacco, with even barely tangy and salty touches. Effectively then… With water: earth, truffles, tobacco, and artichokes. End: lengthy, now firmly on cooked greens. Roasted aubergines, to be exact. Feedback: a magical nostril and a palate that’s maybe much less, let’s say, consensual. It takes all types to make a world.
SGP:361 – 84 factors. |
|
Since we’re on the 15-year-olds, let’s have one final one, a lot older… As a result of right here, it is Whiskyfun.
|
|
|
Mortlach 15 yo 1969 (56.3%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Alternative, for Germany, 75cl, +/-1985) 
Previous Banner Label, as we used to name it. Connoisseurs Alternative at cask energy was very uncommon again then and has since turn into a lot much less so. That stated—sugar! Mortlach stopped utilizing its personal ground maltings in 1968. Only one 12 months off; speak about unhealthy luck… Color: gold. Nostril: the higher echelons, as they are saying. Remarkably, it’s hanging how a lot it jogs my memory of the fantastic 32-year-old 1971 official bottling from 2004. An interstellar stage of fruitiness, with baked fruits (at all times apple, plus honeyed mirabelle and Sauternes—just about the identical factor), together with chutneys and jams. Fig jam, specifically, stands out prominently. With water: this will need to have been malted at Ord—you possibly can genuinely scent it (actually!). Notes of olive oil, heaps of pollen, and beeswax. Mouth (neat): exceptionally agency, fruity, and liquorice-laden. Liquorice is a standard whisky flavour, however right here, it’s a real diamond. Tons of assorted honeys, waxes, and forgotten liqueurs… With water: the feel is unbelievable—you nearly want slightly spoon to scoop it out of the glass. I’m solely barely exaggerating. In brief, it’s oily and fruity—nearly like these intensely fruity olive oils which can be so fashionable lately. End: not overly lengthy, however lengthy sufficient—you get the concept. Honey, olive oil, ripe apples, and oranges lingering within the aftertaste. Feedback: what a bottle!
SGP:651 – 93 factors. |
|
We’ll cease right here for now and decide it up once more tomorrow; we have nonetheless bought fairly a number of Mortlachs to style…
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
