After the great session with high strength Balmenachs, I thought why stop, so instead of doing a Braes of Glenlivet, I'm instead going for another bunch of whiskies bottled at about 60%abv. This time from Mortlach Distillery. Mortlach is known for a meaty style, some heavy perfumy whisky. I have not tried many enough to say either yay or nay on that characterization, but maybe after this session, I'll be a bit wiser.
Mortlach 11yo 1984-1995 40% Gordon & Macphail Centenary Reserve
I don't think this series is produced no more. I remember it had some well received sherried ones, but unfortunately, like so many other G&M-series, in many cases it couldn't live up to the potential of the spirit because of heavy dilution. The color is golden, adjusted with caramel. It smells malty and perfumy, kind of flat and uninspiring. The taste is oaky, malty, bland, floral, oily, carrot juice, cod liver, raw bacon.
Nice palate, but it's still an undemanding malt in all aspects: 4
Mortlach 15yo 57% Gordon & Macphail Eagle label
Bronze color, nice red-ish hue. It smells meaty, roast, barbeque sauce, phenolic, cinnamon, peppery, sherry, very nice. The taste is peppery, sweet, dark grapes, honey, cinnamon, sweet mustard, one of the better sherried youngster's I've had. The finish is nicely sour and peppery, pickled jalapenos is what comes to mind. A sherry bomb that would make a great sherried malt initiation for those that wants to experience a real sherry influence.
Old style sherry, there's nothing like it: 8.5
And now for something a bit different. I have two Mortlachs from Blackadders Raw Cask range. One is 12yo and one is 13yo. One is bottled in 2003 and one is bottled in 2004. One is 59.4% and one is 59.9%abv. One comes from a "sherry oak butt" and one comes from a "first fill sherry cask". That's all good, but then, both bottlings comes from cask#5149, which means, that this cask has been bottled at two different times. I hope these will be distinguishable on my palate, and not just two versions of the same stew... or.. well, lets just say I hope the versions of the same stew will be very contrary. Another fun fact is that the whisky has actually gained %abv as time has gone by. Oh yes, another point is that they do scrape out the inside of the cask to put in the bottles in this series, which they are the only ones to do. But if the casks were scraped in 2003 and they refilled the scraped casks with whisky to mature for another year, this is almost a finishing then? I'm a bit overwhelmed to be honest.
Mortlach 12yo 1989-2002 59.4% Blackadder Raw Cask cask#5149
A good amount of cask sediments in this one, which I do like. I know the purists out there doesn't agree, and I know that the sediments probably doesn't affect the whisky much. But chewing and grinding on these small buggers after the whisky is consumed, or in the midst of the dram, is a treat I enjoy. The color is golden honey. It smells smoky, sweet, orange marmalade, Jägermeister, herbal, sweet wine. The taste is bitter, burnt, grassy, phenolic, needs some water to open up I think. With added water it tastes now sweeter, smoother, leather, onion stew, pickled mushrooms, beef stock, meaty, thick. I do like it a lot with a bit of water added.
Great Mortlach, yet a very typical one: 7.5
Mortlach 13yo 1989-2003 59.9% Blackadder Raw Cask cask#5149
I'm a bit disappointed of the small amount of cask sediments in this whisky. The color is just the same as the 2002 bottling. It smells stronger, more spirity and oaky, needs some breathing I think. Now it gets thicker, heavier, sulphury, cinnamon, honey, hay, sumptuous, glazed onions, caramel, dark chocolate, vanilla, lots of sweet desserts in here. Let's just say this then, it's certainly not the same whisky as the last one even though its the same spirit and comes from the same cask. The taste is dry, cinnamon, syrup, peppery, red onions. Sherry influence all over the place. Water added. Now it gets sweeter, onions, caramel, black pepper, beef stock, fried batter, a bit more MOTR than the 12yo.
Why didn't they empty the cask at 59.4%abv? I guess we'll never know: 5
Mortlach 20yo 1978-1998 62.2% OB Rare Malts
A high strength old Mortlach, oldest one in this session, and hopefully the age in cask will prove to make a great sherried malt. The color is dark golden. It smells pungent, a bit spirity, drying, spirit marker, herbs, raw onions, grassy. the taste is very rich, cigar smoke, dried paprika, smoked ham, poached eggs, caramel, red onions. With added water it turns sweet, light but not much differs from the bare version.
It lacks the richness I've found in the others so far: 3.5
Mortlach 8yo 62.4% The Whisky Connoisseur
In last session I had a Balmenach from The Whisky Connoisseur, which was excellent, I hope this youngster from Mortlach will be the same. The color is pale white wine. It smells spirity, caramelized sugar, licorice, flour sugar, extremely sweet. The taste is peppery, dark chocolate, black pepper, chilies, drying, smoky, another, more raw side of Mortlach for sure. This is a modest malt that wins with its rich sweetness and smoky levels which goes from light at first till heavy in the finish. With water it turns lighter, grassy, wheat, burnt.
A bit too hardcore for me I'm afraid, and lacks a bit finesse: 5
Next tasting: Braes of Glenlivet Distillery
Ingen kommentarer:
Legg inn en kommentar