Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Brand: Mortlach (Gordon & MacPhail)
Distilled Around 1975 and Bottled around 1990
Type: Single Malt
Age: 15 Years
ABV: 40%
Colour: Full (Dark) Gold
Nose: Wow! This is completely different from everything I have nosed so far. It's a combination of an old book shop and a butchery. Sounds strange? Well my first impressions are Leather, Musty Old Books and Raw Beef. After a while I get Rum soaked Fruitcake with lots of Raisins and Sultanas, Oak, Vanilla, Floral Tones, Peat Smoke and Sugared Orange Zests.
Taste: Unexpected thin delivery. Once again I must state that this whisky should have been bottled at at least 46% ABV. The Leather, Raw Beef and Old Books of the Nose are confirmed, joined by Oak, White Pepper and Dried Fruits. A tad of Salt. Still, this was rather disappointing after the Nose.
Finish: Middle Long and Dry with Raw Beef, White Pepper, Orange Zest, Oak, Peat, a touch of Salt, Leather and Cigar Ash. The latter stays with you for a couple of minutes.
I added a couple of drops of water and the Nose gives away some extras in the form of Malt and Butter. However the intensity of the Nose is gone I'm afraid. Palate and Finish don't really benefit from the additional Water as well. So better nose and sip this one neat.
Rating: 86
Nose: 22 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 21.5 - Overall: 21.5
General Remarks: The Mortlach Distillery was founded in 1823 and was the first of seven distilleries that were built in and around Dufftown. Today it is part of the Diageo Group. Mortlach distills the spirit 2,5 times. As a result most Mortlach whiskies are complex and age well. The sample I'm tasting today is not the newly released 15 years Mortlach currently marketed by Gordon & MacPhail (Bottle pictured above). This sample comes from a batch distilled around 1975, probably bottled around 1990. Mortlach Single Malts are only available through Independent Bottlers like Gordon & MacPhail. The reason is that Mortlach is a key component of many Johnnie Walker Blends, including Black Label.
I got this sample from a friend in Holland who obtained it from Rare Whisky Site, an on line whisky shop operating from the Netherlands. I'm not sure if it's still available and at what price.
Drinking Experience Neat: Good
Conclusion: This is my first direct encounter with a Single Malt from the Mortlach Distillery and I must say I'm impressed. A very interesting Nose with an unmistakable smell of Raw Beef. It's like the Pepper in Talisker. Once you have tasted it, it's very unlikely you will forget the experience. Raw Meat, Old Books with a cover of Leather and Rum-Raisin Fruitcake are the main flavours of the Nose. Remarkable stuff. Unfortunately the Palate can't deliver everything the Nose promises and a big part is due to the fact that this dram was bottled at only 40% ABV. That's good enough for Johnnie Walker Red but not for Mortlach 15 for crying out loud! The Finish reconquers a bit of the lost ground and the Cigar Ash is a nice final touch. But once again I'm confronted with a whisky that could have been great but in the end is "merely" good. There should be a law that Single Malts should have a minimum ABV of 46%. As it is, I'm really looking forward to discover more about this distillery. Johnnie Walker Black Label has always been one of my favourite Blends. I never knew it contained a significant amount of Mortlach. But now I do and things start falling into place!
Jan van den Ende December 9, 2012
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