I encountered this bottle in a whisky night with friends at the bar who hosted us for the evening and the bar owner allowed us to sample it.
It’s an older bottling of Mortlach, bottled by Douglas Laing under their Provenance brand name. It was distilled in Autumn 1997,aged over 12 yo in a refill butt #6372 and bottled summer 2010
It’s a bit young Mortlach but I bet it still have the familiar distillery profile. Right?
Let gives Islay a couple of days to recover from Feis Ile 2014 so we’ll put our sights on another region and distillery which have been a lot in the headlines this year – Mortlach.
Unless you lived under a rock in the last year or just didn’t followed whisky news, you’ve missed a lot of action here when Diageo expanded the distillery (doubled the capacity) and are releasing a set of 4 official bottlings with a new and very expensive price tags.
Since Mortlach are back in focus and due to the fact not many official bottlings exists (except the F&F Mortlach 16), we do get to taste indie bottlings, just like this one – a 1995 vintage, distilled on July 5th, aged for 17 years in two hogsheads and bottled on April 2013 for Signatory.
Last week WemyssTT3 Tweet Tasting was my first foray into Wemyss single cask releases. I’ve read reviews and heard from other bloggers that this series is good, so I was very happy to try 2 of those in the Tweet Tasting. The first one was this – a 14/15yo Mortlach named ‘Pastille Bouquet’. Just like SMWS bottlings, those single cask bottlings are given names based on their tasting notes. So let’s see if it’s matching.
It’s almost X-mas period where news are fading while everybody celebrates, but this week wasn’t too quiet!
Diageo has announced the rebirth of Mortlach™, one of the most formidable and revered Single Malt Scotch Whiskies to have been created on Speyside.
For decades, Mortlach’s output has been largely captured by Diageo’s blenders to add its unique notes to complex world-class Blended Scotch whiskies – though in recent times, a very limited number of bottles of Mortlach Single Malt Whisky have been available, and sold rapidly to connoisseurs in the know.
But now for the first time, and in response to suggestions over the years that such a rewarding Single Malt Whisky deserved a wider market, it will be available in global markets in four expressions aimed at global travel and the luxury and connoisseur segment: Rare Old, Special Strength, 18-year-old and 25-year-old.
Mortlach has been described by whisky connoisseurs as “The Beast of Dufftown”, for its rich and powerful flavours, produced in an astonishingly complicated and unique distillation process which commentators have attempted to explain as ‘2.81 Distilled’.
Just as both generations of Cowies made major investments to expand and improve their distillery, so they would undoubtedly be proud to note that its present owners (as announced in April 2013) are investing to double the distillery’s capacity and promote its whiskies widely – a statement of intent and ambition that George and Alexander would surely endorse. The expansion will include the building of a new stillhouse, which will replicate the bewilderingly complex distillation process which makes Mortlach™ unique.
The new Mortlach expressions will be available in selected markets in mid-2014. Further details of pricing, distribution and packaging will be released in early 2014.
AWARD-WINNING GLENDRONACH has today, 3 December, released Batch 9 of its succulent single cask bottlings, selected as always by Master Blender Billy Walker.
The magnificent nine, ranging from 41 to 18 years old, share GlenDronach’s typically richly-sherried signature taste complemented by notes of almonds, cherries, raisins, prunes and lime…even cracked black pepper, cocoa beans and red chilli sauce!
Six were matured in Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheons while the other three come from Oloroso sherry butts. The result is a swirling and mesmerising range of expressions – from delicate sweetness to puckering malt monsters.
The oldest is a 41 year-old Oloroso sherry butt distilled in February 1972 – cask # 702. Bottled at 51.7% vol, this veteran is a complex, fiery wonder – rich dark oak edged with deep ruby. On the nose, it gives sumptuous depths of classic sour cherries dusted with gentle toasted almonds. And on the palate, it’s a beautifully elegant vintage sherry style bursting with a combination of dark espresso, molasses, herbs and oak spices.
And as a contrast, the youngest in the batch is an 18 year-old distilled in April 1995. This Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheon, cask number 3302, was bottled at 53.7% vol. It is rich golden burnt amber in appearance. On the nose, vibrant citrus zest combines with touches of wild mint and oak spice while on the palate an initial sweet chocolate and vanilla fullness moves to a delicate lasting zest and herb note.
The batch details are:
1972 cask # 702 / 41 years old / Oloroso Sherry Butt / 51.7% vol
1985 cask # 1035 / 27 years old / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon / 53.7%vol
1989 cask # 5470 / 23 years old / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon / 49.2%vol
1990 cask # 1243 / 23 years old / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon / 50.6%vol
1991 cask # 5405 / 21 years old / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon / 49.9%vol
1992 cask # 195 / 21 years old / Oloroso Sherry Butt / 59.8%vol
1993 cask # 5 / 20 years old / Oloroso Sherry Butt / 53.0%vol
1994 cask # 3385 / 19 years old / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon / 53.4%vol
1995 cask # 3302 / 18 years old / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon / 53.7%vol
GLENGLASSAUGH distillery today, December 3, proudly launches its sumptuous 40 year-old single malt whisky.
With sherry notes complementing the fruit medley and array of spices, it’s typical, classic, gorgeous Glenglassaugh, a 40 year-old marriage of malt and oak and an outstanding representation of this rare and enduring Highland-style dram.
It has an initial run of around 800 bottles but it will be an ongoing product in our range, says Managing Director and Master Blender Billy Walker.
His personal tasting notes show that this is a truly magnificent malt where flavours and styles interlink beautifully to deliver seductive silky sweetness. At 42.5% vol, cask strength, non-chill filtered and at natural colour, this unique expression is full of character and complexity.
Colour: Deep gold.
Nose: An abundance of sweet, syrupy tropical fruits; banana, pineapple and mango in perfect harmony with gentle Oloroso sherry.
Palate: Sweet, rich, syrupy and complex. Oloroso sherry, toffee apples, mango and banana sit beautifully in the mouth alongside ginger and cocoa spice.
Finish: Rich, spiced sherry.
Founded in 1875 by local entrepreneur James Moir, Glenglassaugh has stocks dating back to 1963 and was taken over by BenRiach earlier this year. In August, the owners released their first Glenglassaugh bottling – a superb 30 year-old single malt – and the new 40 year-old continues the Portsoy distillery’s ability to subtly merge tropical fruits with sherry and gentle oak spice.
Billy Walker said: “We’ve inherited some astonishingly fine whisky at Glenglassaugh and we’re delighted to launch our second expression almost nine months after taking over the distillery. There is very strong demand for Glenglassaugh around the world.”
So after visiting Deanston Distillery, we resumed our way up north to the Speyside region. At first it was a bit scary as we felt like we’re driving on the wrong lane…
Feels so wrong…
But we soon got used to it and enjoyed the pastoral view around us. we even caught a rainbow while driving!
After 2 stops for caffeine injection and 3 more hours we’ve arrived to Craigellachie where we lodged in the Speybank B&B (highly recommended!). Although it was dark, cold, late and we were very tired, we braved ourselves and went to hunt the Highlander Inn for a couple of drams.
Whisky Gospel 