Mortlach 16 Year "Distiller's Dram"

Affordable price with great taste, win the best score in our blind test, sweet, fruity with zero smokey smell.

The Beast of Dufftown in its new cloak - boy, that rebranding was so desperately needed. To hell with Mortlach's ultra-premium deluxe image! On the nose, blood oranges, cloves and heather jump at you. Raspberries, sage and honey follow shortly after, and there is an earthy note creeping in. Full-bodied and intense, the palate guides you through the flavor wheel: fruity, bitter and sour, then slightly dry, sweet and savory. Tangerine, peppermint and a touch of stout escort the long and cask-dominated finish. A great comeback of a characterful Speysider. RATING: 4.0/5.0 stars ≙ 88 pts → FIRST-CLASS

Bottled in 2019. They call Mortlach the Beast of Dufftown. This would then be an elegant beast. Mortlach is a meaty feinty distillate. 16 years of scrubbing and delousing in a sherry cask, and this beast has emerged surprisingly clean on the other side. The sherry influence is not dominating, but definitely noticeable. You get an elegant orange zest, raisins, apricots, cinnamon, and nutmeg; but there’s still a little dirt in the fur with notes of matchsticks, pencil shavings, and MSG. I can appreciate a little dirty. I am delighted by an official Mortlach bottling with the proper cask selection and duration of aging, finally, with this release. Do not bother with the NAS or 12 year official bottling. Any Mortlach less than 15 years is an abortion. This distillery not only can take on some serious aging in a cask, but it also demands a lengthy aging. I am even more delighted that an official bottling has a competitive price. A 25 year old Mortlach is great, I’m sure, but pricing it at $1000 is offputting, to put it kindly. This 16 year old gets just the one star because although it is a great standard release, I know how truly phenomenal this distillery can be with more age, more ABV, or a combination of both. Gordon MacPhail, Cadenhead, Duncan Taylor, and other independent bottlers are still what I look for first when I’m thirsty for Mortach. Score: * (unforgettably good) How much does a bottle cost?: $80-120 How much do I think a bottle is worth?: $130

It’s a perfect spring whiskey. The nose is very floral, like a bouquet of spring flowers. The taste was quite hot with notes of mineral and brine. With water, it mellows out the taste but makes the nose harsher. The finish is long and sits in the bowl of the back of my tongue.