Mortlach young & Mortlach old & Mortlach very rare

Mortlach is often dubbed the Beast of Dufftown, and not without cause. It is renowned for its meaty character, able to withstand invasive maturation from exotic casks, as well as the above average maturation time. Today, we are going to put both claims to the test. In the glass we have a very young Mortlach bottled by The Duchess, a Dutch bottler who we have gotten to known as someone who is not afraid to take risks. We tasted an Ailsa Bay by him that mightily impressed us. Another bottler with a good reputation is Hunter Laing, nowadays also a distiller with Ardnahoe. So, without further ado, let’s move on to the tasting notes!

We added a third sample from our own archives, a mystery sample from a blind tasting club I participate in, which turned out to be a Mortlach. A very rare one, since it was bottled for (or by) the Wine Society from Stevenage Hertfordshire, which is indeed the same as the current day Wine Society, and therefore the oldest wine club in the world. We dug a little deeper in their story and found some information on their whisky (which they still bottle to this day). We take this quote: “Until our bottling line closed in 1992, sherry would be shipped in barrel for bottling in the UK. The empty casks would then be sent to Scotland to be filled with new-make spirit for using in our own-label malts and blends. We worked with a great many fantastic distillers over the years, from Mortlach to Glenrothes, Bowmore to Glengoyne. Such was the quality of these rare malts that we decided to bottle the very best in a special range of small-batch whiskies. The process was painstaking: every barrel, butt and hogshead was tasted with only the finest selected for inclusion. The results provide a fascinating look back in time, showcasing a unique range of malts that may otherwise have been lost in a blend.” We got one for you on the tasting table.

Mortlach 2016, 7 years old, bottled at 54,7 % abv by The Duchess

Makeup: Distilled on 14 November 2016, this Mortlach matured for 7 years in a Pedro Ximénez Quarter Cask. It produced 189 bottles. Go check out the fantastic snow owl on the label made by Hans Dillesse. The Morlach was botted exclusively for the shop Best of Wines.

General impressions: A bit secluded on the first sniff, then we pick up some cinnamon. Strong on spices. The Duchess calls their bottling series Game & Wildlife, and I feel the smells do represent an environment where you could hunt for grouse or boar. This smells like the kitchen where you left your results of the hunt, and preparations have been going on for an hour. I left the glass well alone to get more impressions. Some fruity notes emerge after some breathing.

What I expected based on the rather closed character, is that this Mortlach is too hot at this strength and the pressured maturation in a Quarter Cask.

TWater is desperately needed here, but after the first few drops, the situation does not really improve. Some sulphur comes out, but not really what I was looking for. We try to dilute a bit more. This brings out more grassy notes. On the tongue, there are finally some sweeter notes and more balance, but I really had to work for it.

Conclusion: In my eyes, the drinkability of this Mortlach leaves a lot to be desired. I am trying to understand it but it fails to impress me. Then again, I am not a fan of pressurised maturation in quarter casks. It gives an almost artificial feeling to it. The whisky does feel like it is what it should be, no technical flaws, it just has to be your cup of tea. I see that Sjoerd at Maltfascination used the same words to come to his conclusion, but with a different score.

Score: 81 points

Mortlach 1989, 30 years old, bottled at 48,5 % abv by Hunter Laing

Makeup: Distilled in 1989 and matured for 30 years in an oloroso sherry cask. The output was a quite decent 317 bottles, which make me think this was butt, unless the bottler themselves decided to lower the abv. Bottled in 2019, obviously.

General impressions: This glass was screaming at me as soon as I poured the sample. Sniff me! Let me tell you, this one has everything. It is vibrant, fresh, full of raisins, cigar leaves, an abundancy of sweet notes, but also earthy and spicy tones, like a dunnage warehouse. If there ever was a whisky that absorbed the environment it matured in, this Mortlach is it. Delicious. And I am delighted by how alive this is after 30 years in wood.

On the tongue, the Mortlach does display some tiredness. Wood invasion here, bitter chocolate tones, all very much in the direction of a good Cuban cigar.

The absence of any sweetness is a pity, it would have elevate this whisky into stratospheric greatness. Let’s see if we can tame this beast with a drop of water. It does bring out some more wood spice and sulphur, but in a pleasant way, you are drinking Mortlach after all, not a whisky for the faint of heart. The smell is now also taken over by nice chocolaty hints. Some clove and oranges make this almost a Christmas whisky. The taste however leans too much toward bicycle tyre now. On the finish milk chocolate emerges.

Conclusion: An old giant, that needs some tinkering and playing around with, but is nonetheless a great addition to your whisky cabinet when in need of a grand drop for special moments.

Score: 89 points

Mortlach 15 years old, bottled at 57 % abv for The Wine Society

Makeup: A 750 ml bottle. The label shows the Mortlach Distillery. No information on makeup other than this is “Natural Strength Whisky” at 15 years old. From the background information we gathered, we know this is a small batch bottling in first fill sherry wood.

General impressions: Now this delivers on what I hoped for and expected from the previous two samples. A fat, meaty, sherried Speysider with sulphury spices and a ton of raisins. This is an aggressive boxer coming at you with raised fists. It does seem to mellow in the glass rather quickly after some breathing time, revealing the whiff of dusty old leatherbound books in late afternoon sunlight. In the background lurks a note of Chinese tea and copper coins. Such complexity.

The taste is just something otherworldly. Really, really impactful at 57 % abv but you can handle it if you make it through the first alcoholic attack.

Just keep it on the tongue and then let it bathe in wonderful chocolatey flavours, delicate wood notes and heavier fruits, like plum, oranges, pomegranate and this unusual deep red apples I used to buy at the Moroccan store in my home town. The finish is warm and glowing, and does not have any aggressive bite at all. The word smooth is something I am hesitant to use, but it applies here.

With a dash of water, it turns out this Mortlach can also swim like an Olympic champion. The smell becomes fresher, but weirdly enough I pick up more meaty notes, like a quickly charred tournedos, bleeding still on the inside but locked up inside delicious crust. This has become a blog for the omnivore. A very light fruit tries to come up. The taste has gone over to a copperish side, which is interesting but not really an improvement.

Conclusion: A very raw and honest display of just how brilliant single malt whisky matured on first class sherry casks can be. That this whisky came from the Mortlach distillery creates a perfect storm of elements, making 1 + 1 + 1 turn into 5. An absolute time capsule of a dram, this Mortlach.

Score: 93 points

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