tirsdag 18. januar 2011

7 Mortlachs tasted between 1.4.2008-28.5.2011

Mortlach 15yo 40% Gordon and Macphail Rare Old

I´m not sure what´s the name of this G&M-series, it says Rare Old on the label and there´s a golden eagle above the distillery name. Light, malty, spirity and a little rubbery smell. This could be an older bottling from the 80´s perhaps so I´ll give it some time to settle down. Some bitter citrus notes develops after some time, grapefruit perhaps.. The taste doesn´t have the meaty character many associates with the distillery, for me it´s more rustic, sweetness, sufary bitterness, burnt sugar? Spirity, sweet with an acidic bitter finish, like some strange bitter schnaps.

Rare Old perhaps, but for me, not Good Old: 3



Mortlach 12yo 1997-2009 50% Old Malt Cask Douglas Laing

I'm doing two young whiskies today traded from a fellow online whisky browser. I don't know what cask been used but it's pretty pale so I guess it's from a bourbon cask as I do not believe there's many refill casks in the OMC series? Smells somewhat peaty and raw chopped onions, it definately got a bite. The taste is fresh, spiced and full of vanilla. Kind of one-dimensional, but not boring. This is very spicy and sweet, hard to describe other than some vanilla, peppery and banana notes, perhaps some lime skin. The aftertaste is starch and smoke, a bit woody.

A well expressed malt, if not very refined: 5

Edit: Note from owner of an original bottle says that the label states this comes from a sherry cask(!) I guess perhaps a refill then, or maybe Fino or Manzanilla? It's just too pale to come from a fresh Oloroso or Amontillado.



Mortlach 19yo 1990-2009 57.5% Signatory Vintage

A Mortlach from Signatory's Cask Strength Collection, this series I often enjoy a lot, but the when I enjoy it it's usually always been in a sherry cask for a good while. This one smells sweet, syrupy, vanilla, corn and fluoride mints. The taste is of sage, oregano, lots of herbs, a very herbal malt, something a bit like paprika butter and mashed red onions. This is just too high %abv. on this one, I'll add water. Now it gets very floral with lots of herbs. This is not good, better without water.

A spirity and green Mortlach: 3.5



Mortlach 12yo 1998-2010 59.1% G&M for The Whiskyshop Dufftown

Another purchased sample, this time from the whiskysamples.flyingcart.com, not nearly as estethiqually bottled, but like with humans, it's what's inside that counts? And it smells delicious, these smoky, sweet, farmy aromas on the nose, and something citrussy, mouth-watering! The taste is fruity, grapefruit, sour, zesty, very good, but considering the high %abv and the very intense flavours I'll add some water. With water it gets more oaky, peppery, even drier. This sherry cask does give a lot of surprises. The finish is creamy, voloptous (in lack of a better word) and smoked meat.

A Mortlach with much character: 6



Mortlach 12yo 40% Gordon & Macphail

One from the flat bottled series of the 80's by G&M. I've never found a Mortlack that stood out as far as being a really good whisky. The nose is smells of cotton, old books and apple pie. The taste is also pretty schizo, theres sort of a nice round buttery sweetness and at the same time a real dusty, harsh sourness. The aftertaste is a bit the one you get from a bad stout, let's say Beamish or Buffalo (Sorry to the ones I may offend).

No wonder there's lots of these strange bottles still lying around: 2



Mortlach 50yo 1936-1986 40% Gordon & Macphail's

This one is with no doubt one of the rarest malts I've had in my hand, therefore I will not dilute it with any water. It's very mild at first nosing, perhaps it needs some more air and time. Still mild, candyfloss and cinnamon. It's pretty strange-tasting, mild at first, as some sort of artificial malt aperitif. But the finish is so oaky that it's almost like licking a barrell.

It's sad, but it doesn't reach higher than: 4.5



Mortlach 22yo 46% Cadenhead's

Wow, this one seems pretty massive, but straightforward, candied apples and dark liqueur chocolate. At first very sweet, like honey concentrate, but with an aftertaste that can be a little too dry for some of us. Seems almost to be like a very tannined red wine on the palate.

Schizofrenic Whisky: 6

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