Mortlach 25 Year Distillery Labels (Gordon & Macphail)

This bottle of Mortlach was bottled by Gordon & MacPhail on September 16, 2019 as a part of their Distillery Labels series. It is age stated at 25 years and is 43% ABV. It sells for around $300. This is my second bottle of Mortlach 25 year. I reviewed my first bottle in 2020 from a 2017 release, and it sounds like I quite liked it. Alas, I don’t remember if that bottle was also a sulfurous piece of shit like this bottle is, and I was just too enamored with the idea trying different single malts to care back then. Or perhaps Gordon & MacPhail doesn’t care and just puts whisky in rotten egg sherry casks occasionally instead of throwing those abominations out. Whatever the case, this bottle is not good. But I won’t give it a one-star rating because it does have some salvaging features. It is quite impressive in 2024 to still be charging $300 for a 25-year-old single malt from a popular distillery, and you can smell and taste the well-aged whisky here. There are rich notes of toffee and crystallized candied orange. There is also a good kind of sulfur in here that old Mortlachs sometimes display with distinction – a meaty, umami, shitake mushroom flavor that is rare in whisky. There is a good whisky in here, but it is just clobbered and maimed by some horrible sherry casks.

So far, my short exploration into Mortlach has been quite incredible and to finish this run is a sample from @Richard-ModernDrinking of this 25 year old bottled by Gordon and Macphail that I’ve been looking forward to for quite a while. The nose starts with floral grassy notes and light sherry influence with Raisinette candy then light sulfur and minerality that fade but remain in the background of blood oranges and baked apples followed by a light spice of white pepper and dusty leather-bound books with light ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with sherry influence of musty grapes, high percentage dark chocolate and fresh figs followed by some vanilla blossom floral notes then a light sulfur and minerality that gracefully transitions to citrus fruits of blood oranges and apple peel leading to a light spice of white pepper, cloves and dusty leather-bound books with light ethanol burn. The finish is long with light sherry sulfur, dark chocolate, fresh figs, blood oranges, dunnage floors, and dusty leather-bound books that lingers for minutes. This is simply a stunning whisky with an incredible balance of those rich sherry notes with some medium citrus, light florals, minerality and very old oak that flows harmoniously together creating a masterpiece of liquid art. I was very close to giving this a 5, but in a side by side comparison to my favorite Hazelburn 13(2020), the flavors were a bit more subdued, likely due to the lower ABV causing me to lower my rating slightly. On a quick google search, it appears that these are still widely available for under $250 which is surprising for the quality and age considering that’s nearly the same price if not less than the Mortlach 20 year and this is by far superior to the 20 year. I’ll have to add it to my whisky shopping list for next time I place an order and another huge thank you to @Richard-ModernDrinking for the generous pour of this gem.

Sample from @Richard-ModernDrinking. Very rich. Like this more than Macallan 25 Year. Nose: Raisins, Chocolate, Toffee, Cherries, Dates, Plums, Honey, Hazlenuts, Cinnammon, Brown Sugar, Orange, Apricots, Sultanas, Citrus, Almonds, Marzipan, Barbecue, Baking Spices, Vanilla Palate: Raisins, Dark Chocolate, Meaty Sulphur, Plums, Toffee, Pepper, Oak, Brown Sugar, Burnt Oranges, Hazlenuts, Flowers Finish: Burnt Orange, Chocolate, Maple, Pepper, Beef, Leather, Smoke

Bottled Jan 18, 2017. Mortlach is the savings bond of whisky. Putting it in a cask is a long term investment that has the lowest risk of failure. Original bottlings get shat on, but the older ones are not bad whisky; they are just overpriced, and Diageo’s attempts to doll up the bottles for the luxury market are cringe-worthy. The overpriced official 18 year old was good; I’m sure the overpriced official 25 year old is good, but nobody without bipolar disorder on an epic manic episode will ever buy it; and the current 16 year old is even decent value for money. But, if you really want a full Scotch experience at a fair price, get an independent Mortlach that is old enough to buy alcohol. This G&M 25 year old is actually fairly available. It is more contemplative and gentle than what is typical from “The Beast of Dufftown.” The serving strength of 43% undoubtedly contributes. But there is a mesmerizing rough harmony to this one that can snap you out of a daydream about something else, and have you just as quickly daydream about this instead; like a Corrine Bailey Rae song. Hard and soft, at the same time. Okay, some actual notes. Tropical fruits in gummy bear form, fresh pineapple, and Cara Cara navels – it’s very fresh and floral with an exotic sweetness at the beginning. Chocolate and herbal tea notes develop later on. You have to really move the whisky around in the mouth to get that classic Mortlach burly meatiness, with a touch of ginger and white pepper. The texture is fairly oily and the flavors cling for a soft but longlasting finish. This is an exemplary whisky. Perfectly balanced and perfectly priced. Score: ** (unimaginably good) How much does a bottle cost: $230-270 How much do I think a bottle is worth: $250

Another standout from last night’s tasting at @Richard-ModernDrinking. I’m continually baffled that how is it Mortlach puts out lousy original bottlings, but the IBs are superb. Something’s wrong with that logic. If I had this alone without having had the Michter 10 rye, Ardbeg 19, and Octomore 10, this would’ve been easily a 5 star pour. But...when you’re in company of other superstars, you’ll get scrutinized a bit more than if you’re alone. Nonetheless, damn good pour, showing tastes of hazelnut and light sherry. Nutty and buttery aftertaste. Like maracona almonds. Solid bottling by the always trusted G&M.

Chocolate, raisins, damp soil and mulch mark the nose of this independently bottled Mortlach, a beguiling combination that keeps revealing new textures. The palate is equally complex: prunes, black tea, a little spice, caramel. The finish is long and gentle, with a hint of cocoa powder. I found the flavors on the 15-year-old from G&M disappointed muted, but its older sibling turns their volume up a couple of notches and mixes them with perfect balance. One of those whiskies that leaves me with a spring in my step.