| |
Residence
1000’s of tastings,
all of the music,
all of the rambligs
and all of the enjoyable
(hopefully!)
Whiskyfun.com
Assured ad-free
copyright 2002-2022
|
 |
|
| Hello, that is one in all our (nearly) each day tastings. Santé! |
| |
|
| |
| |
|
October 10, 2022
|
|
  |
|
The beast of Dufftown and its Wee Witchie
We’re in Dufftown once more, for the brand new Mortlach Particular Launch and one or three different siblings, we’ll see what we are able to discover within the library, we’ll improvise anyway.
|
 |
|
|
Mortlach ‘The Lure of the Blood Moon’ (57.8%, OB, Particular Releases, Elusive Expressions, 2022) 
No age assertion and a humorous title, not an unseen combo today. This one was first matured in refill American oak, then completed in virgin oak, tawny Port, and pink muscat casks, which could be very trendy as nicely. Distillers used to assert that whisky was all about age, then all about oak, could possibly be that ‘it is all about wine’ would be the subsequent promoting level. In any case, it might be a sensible various manner of including ‘terroir’ to whisky… We’ll see… Color: straw. Nostril: feels just a little sizzling and spirity at first, with very apparent notes of kirschwasser and maybe bison vodka, then we discover pears and cranberries, and even younger superb de Bourgogne or one thing. Intriguing and just a little destabilising when unreduced, to let you know the reality. With water: the barley is again, along with breads, leaven, yeasts and porridge. Excuse me, however hurray! Mouth (neat): very fruity, extra on fruit liqueurs than on eaux-de-vies this time. Amaretto, maraschino, Heering, guignolet… Bought to like cherries, I do. With water: it is quite spectacular how the malt wins it as soon as H2O’s been added, though it might stay fairly fruity altogether. A croissant crammed with cherry jam, yum… End: quite lengthy, clear, with these fruits however no apparent ‘wineyness’. Feedback: very superb, candy, fruity, fairly straightforward. I am undecided Mortlach’s standard meatiness and superb sulphur had been have their say right here, having stated that.
SGP:641 – 85 factors. |
|
|
Mortlach 14 yo 2008/2022 (50%, Hunter Laing, Outdated Malt Cask, refill hogshead, cask #HL19622, 310 bottles)
This one appears to be absolutely pure. You actually have to show to the indies to search out all-natural malt whisky today, most distillers being deeply into the ending craze. Are they not pleased with their whiskies as they’re of their pure state? Color: white wine. Nostril: bang-for-you-buck. Sunflower oil, pumpkin seeds, paraffin and suet, macaroons, maize bread, liquorice, gentle pipe tobacco, recent butter, putty… Properly that is marvellous, With water: extra liquorice. A recent pack of liquorice allsorts plus lower apples. Very beautiful and quite brisker than different younger Mortlachs. Mouth (neat): completely wonderful, with Mortlach’s full-bodied waxiness within the entrance after which and small berries, cassata, muesli… With water: touches of brioche, vanilla, blackberry jam, blancmange… End: medium, with traces of oak and a contact of menthol. Feedback: ravishing younger Mortlach al pure.
SGP:651 – 87 factors. |
|
|
Mortlach 13 yo 2007/2021 (52.2%, Hunter Laing, Outdated Malt Cask, Port barrel, cask #HL18599, 216 bottles) 
A Port barrel? Seatbelt mounted, let’s proceed… Color: salmony, in direction of partridge eye. Nostril: phew, it might not burst with raspberries and peonies, but it surely’s nonetheless not as deliciously pure because the 2008. Reasonably coconuts main the pack right here, plus touches of violet and roots, maybe salsify? With water: as standard, the breadiness comes out, and as standard, we’re blissful about these modifications. Mouth (neat): we’re fairly superb, however the Port feels and there is even a weird mineral aspect. Charcoal and a few sorts of rocks. No scandal for certain. With water: water improves it, however the 2008 nonetheless guidelines. Whats extra, the wine feels quite greater than within the Particular Launch with a humorous title (however some beautiful paintings). End: medium. Bizarrely, I am discovering croissants crammed with cherry jam this time once more. Feedback: an especially trustworthy drop, but it surely did not stand an opportunity after the 2008. My fault, I will need to whip myself.
SGP:651 – 83 factors. |
|
|
Mortlach 2009/2021 (55.4%, Signatory Classic for Or Sileis, Taiwan, hogshead, cask #306347, 267 bottles)
The label itself is sweet enjoyable, is not this a artist’s unfastened interpretation of a ‘Wee Witchie’? Color: straw. Nostril: a pure bready one as soon as extra, with vegetal oils, nuts, waxes, almonds, amaretti and lower apples. No false notes, no make-up, pure pure Mortlach, with even a (very) wee whiff of sulphury coal smoke. With water: wool and grist, plus apples and lemons (wee bits). Mouth (neat): apples, cherries, grasses, waxes, porridge, muesli, shortbread… With water: impeccable, it even will get fatter, oilier, with extra apparent touches of cherries of every kind. End: medium, with a fats physique and a sense of getting quaffed a teaspoon of fruity oil. Feedback: not a lot literature wanted right here (shh, I can hear you). Excellent younger Mortlach, with all of the markers being in place.
SGP:551 – 87 factors. |
|
Let’s go attempt to fetch a 90+…
|
|
|
Mortlach 30 yo 1973/2004 (50%, Douglas Laing, Outdated Malt Cask, refill hogshead, cask #1388, 298 bottles) 
This one’s obtained a reasonably excessive repute, however for some purpose, it all the time slipped by way of my palms. Now’s the time, Charlie! Color: gold. Nostril: it was already a fattish, waxy, oily drop on the nostril, however there have been extra fruits, equivalent to bananas, then butterscotch, shortbread, pancake sauce, mirabelle jam, quince jelly, these kinds of factor. In awe, I’m. With water: oh, herbs, grasses, fruit peelings, even recent asparagus, banana pores and skin… That is all great. Mouth (neat): oily as Mortlach, with a extra stable physique than within the younger ones (a sense of ingesting hazelnut oil), some meats this time, ham maybe, and possibly the next smokiness, however that will quite be wooden smoke, as in, say smoked salmon. And bananas. With water: good. Bananas and just a little smoke, plus a tiny metallic aspect, fairly nice on this context. End: some wooden spices popping out, however the entire remained extremely recent, and all the time on waxy bananas. Feedback: what was Miles Davis doing in 1973? I’ve a brand new concept; whisky vintages had been of upper grades when Miles Davis was in higher kind. Slightly A.I. instructed me that. Very elegant ‘previous previous’ Mortlach.
SGP:551 – 91 factors. |
|
Goody good, a final previous one and we will name this a tasting session.
|
|
|
Mortlach 36 yo 1986/2022 (51.4%, Adelphi, cask #2040, 176 bottles)
This a bottle that does NOT include a magnifier, however regardless of the small letterings on a label that even younger eagles will not be capable to learn, it ought to be magnifique, let’s have a look at… Color: gold. Nostril: Mortlach! Fatter whisky even at 36 years of age, however with waxes that had been beginning to decompose into tropical fruits (not solely bananas this time), whereas sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and a big panettone would shamelessly begin to fill (even stuff) your nostrils. And we shan’t even complain. With water: elderflowers and honeysuckle! And ‘visiting a backyard centre across the finish of the month of April’. Mouth (neat): unimaginable, it is even just a little sizzling at first, however it might then change into fairly Meursaulty, with just a little butter and lots of floral jams and jellies. Tarte tatin, quince pie, sorb liqueur, mullein syrup… You see! With water: tops tops tops. Energy and delicacy in the identical glove. I imply, in the identical tulip glass. End: medium, with all flavours gathering in the long run and a sense of a waxy fruit salad. Have I discussed sorb and jujube? Feedback: after nearly 20K tastings, I feel I’ve came upon about what ought to outline an previous whisky; that will be magnificence. Very elegant previous Mortlach.
SGP:651 – 91 factors. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
