Yes, I know it’s been a while since my last post and it’s even a longer period since my last review. As this blog is just a hobby I try maintain alongside with family and work, sometimes they take precedence over it causing some periods of hibernation. But I hope to resume regular reviewing and posting on the blog from now on, at least until the next work related crisis 🙂

Few weeks ago I got a few samples from The Whisky Exchange. To be exact there were four samples of new whiskies bottled exclusively for the Whisky Exchange by Signatory. The one that I was really keen to taste was the sherried Mortlach 18 because I love sherried Mortlachs since I tasted the Flora and Fauna Mortlach 16 and indie sherried Mortlachs are practically nonexistent in the last few years since the official Mortlach line up was launched.

And even this sherried Mortlach didn’t spend its entire life in a sherry butt. It started in Hogsheads (bourbon I supposed) and then it spent 54 months (4.5 years if you really want to calculate) in a sherry cask, yielding 681 bottles at 55.8%.

1998 18 Year Old Signatory Vintage for TWE (55.8%, £120, Cask #5)

Nose: I thought (and hoped) it will be a classic meaty Mortlach nose but it’s not. Not that it’s a bad nose mind you. There are raisins and sweet dried red berries on the top with some cloves and cinnamon, overall feels a bit jammy. One time Lemon pie note, big brown sugar sweetness, A bit floral and polished furniture library. After a while finally some stronger meaty notes shows up here and there.

Palate: Ah, that’s more like it. A proper Mortlach, meaty and chewy, fat and thick (also because of the sherry), big nuttiness followed by sweet dried berries with baking spices, oranges, a good deal of cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg, dry oak spices and Christmas spices.

Finish: Medium long length, warm, lingering dried fruit sweetness, nuttiness, lingering cured meat and warm Christmas spiced fruits.

Thoughts:  This was one kick-ass active sherry cask that almost totally overrode the Mortlach character. The nose was mostly sherry dominated but the Mortlach profile did show up on the palate. Not exactly your textbook sherried Mortlach but it’s a damn good and balanced sherried dram.

(Official sample provided by The Whisky Exchange)