Mortlach Extravaganza with three classic bottles
To some blogs I look more forward to writing than others, simply because some whiskies unearth a deep feeling of nostalgia. Today, after a very long time, I have a Mortlach 16 years old Flora & Fauna expression in the glass. I think I last tasted it in the late “noughties”, around 2008 or 2009 perhaps. I had my own bottle and cracked it open and was just blown away by the sheer sherried quality of it. Since then, prices have gone up, and I only got round to replacing the bottle once. This might sound weird, but that one I bought for my Flora & Fauna collection. I know, I know, whisky is made for drinking, but over the years this folly of mine started to grow and now I almost own all F&F bottlings. Just a few of the very rare ones are missing, like Speyburn and Aberfeldy, or Aultmore and Craigellachie. Those few bottles from distilleries that traded hands so often that it was impossible to keep track of who the owner actually was. Did Diageo at one point own each distillery in Scotland? Sometimes it seems like that! Anyway, joking aside, let us dive into Mortlach, paired with a not too shabby 1992 and 1961 vintages, because … why not?
Mortlach 16 years old, bottled at 43 % abv
First things first: My sample is from a 2008 release in the Flora & Fauna series. The first expression was released in 1991, the last one came to the shelf in 2012. Since then, Mortlach appeared in the more squared bottles with its own core range.
Upon Sipping: To me, this is one of the absolute highlights of the Flora & Fauna range, together with Blair Athol and Rosebank. Check them out if you can find them. Back in the day, the Mortlach Flora & Fauna was something of a “poor man’s Macallan”, and when you stick your nose in the glass you know why. Luscious sherry notes that you would indeed expect from a regular Macallan of the time, with lots of red fruit and leathery notes. You can notice there is a lot of backbone, even though the well-known meaty character of Mortlach is not too much in the foreground here. Absolute brilliant balance, smelling like an ancient leatherbound Bible you just grabbed from a ghost hotel closed since the 1960s. The sharp fruitiness coming from overripe cherries are a delight. I promise you, you can nose this dram forever. The taste is surprisingly soft on the entry to the tongue, and gives off strawberry mousse vibes. Towards the finish things become decidedly more leathery dry, with a raw, meaty exit that borders on the slightest hint of rubber. What a solid sherry monster this is. Interestingly enough, it feels like it carries a peaty signature, something resembling a dry earthen note. On repeated sipping, you will pick up more nuttiness, but the oloroso signature of this Mortlach Flora & Fauna remains strong.
Word to the Wise: Still a classic. Note to self: try to find the Mortlach Flora & Fauna at cask strength one day! Everything about this whisky is solid perfection, with the exception of perhaps the low abv. On the other hand, it does not hinder the drinkability of this dram, so we won’t complain.
Score: 88 points.
Mortlach 1992, 16 years old, bottled at 57,2 % abv by Cadenhead’s
First things first: A variation on the sherry theme, as this Mortlach matured in a bourbon cask. Distilled in 1992, bottled in March 2009, the yield was 263 bottles in the Authentic Collection. You could say this carries the exact same credentials as the F&F above, since that one was probably also distilled in 1992 and bottled around the same time.
Upon Sipping: Wow, I know we are going back to the 1960s after this one, but the nose on this Mortlach already gives off old-school vibes! Meaty and hints of copper, luscious oak notes, quite some spices, light elements of bread and honey, some dry hay. What a wonderfully rich nose! Then a sip. Rich compote of orange marmalade and lemon zest, beautiful oak notes. Mortlach without sherry can still deliver, as this bottling proves. With water it turns more industrial almost, with greasy oil, like putting back the chain on your bike after an accident where it slipped off. With water, the oak really makes me think of old-style 1960s malts, like the one below. What a very interesting and complex bottling this is. The water has tamed this Mortlach sufficiently, which makes you enjoy the strong pumpernickel flavour on the tongue, with still a razor sharp and edgy finish, with a lot of spices and peppers. A Talisker of Speyside, this Mortlach.
Word to the Wise: Incredibly complex and fierce to drink, but oh so rewarding. An old-style malt, reminiscent of the 1960s. Surprisingly between the other giants on this blog, the winner.
Score: 90 points.
Mortlach 1961, bottled at 40 % abv by Gordon & MacPhail
First things first: Bottled in 1995, making this a 33 years old. Apparently, somebody knew it was not a 34 years old yet.
Upon Sipping: Old school single malt whisky, smelling like old leather books (even older than the ones we found in the F&F above) and also a very strong broth. Rather peaty, wood smoke and lingering fruits, but it is mostly the influence of three decades in a cask. Remember, 1961 is the year in which John F. Kennedy became president of the United States. Different times! Speaking of the sixties, this has an elements of hair water, greasy combs and cigarette filled boardrooms. A whisky for executives. With more time to breathe, there is certainly a more fruity element, but the oak remains dominant. On the palate, the Mortlach loses some steam, giving way to a creamy yoghurt taste, that probably tells us the power has run out a little. Let us not forget, the whisky was distilled 65 years ago, but the bottling took place almost 35 years ago. This is ancient in so many ways. It suffered a little under the screwcap that closed this bottle, but it takes nothing away from how tremendous this whisky is, till this day. A finish that lasts forever keeps reminding us.
Word to the Wise: Classic 1960s whisky, that it is just otherworldly compared to modern-day single malt. What else can I say?
Score: 88 points.