Mortlach 15 Year Distillery Labels (Gordon & MacPhail)

Nose: Rich and sweet, like Sugar Frosties (a tooth-decaying breakfast cereal for kiddies). Iced doughnuts, sweet marmalade, apricots, ginger snap biscuits, tangellos and mandarin orange. It's a melange of warm cereal sweetness and fruity malt that trips the light fantastic with fleet-footed aplomb, avoiding any cloying notes. Alongside the fruity notes there are savory, meaty and vegetal aromas and a very nice medium sherry influence - just a hint. What a lovely nose! Palate: A perfectly balanced arrival, treading a taught high-wire spanning sweetness and spiciness with the skill of a master aerialist. Ginger, orange, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, and a bushel of dried fruits. Just wonderful. Underneath is a hearty lamb tagine, simmering in lemon and apricot slices. Drool. YES! This is what Mortlach should taste like. A touch drying, but in the most adorable manner imaginable. A slight chocolaty dry malt hint that pinches everything together, like a neat Cornish pasty. The texture is perfection - so precisely oily that it does not seem to be so. Finish: Medium/long, it flows on from the development and fades gloriously into a vibrant sunset. There's even a little touch of mustard spice in the tail. You will not realize how long this finish is, the aftertaste is so subtle, I guarantee. I've discussed this whisky with my mate from across "the ditch", Soba45, of late so I thought it was time for a proper review. This whisky has incredible presence and authority, but is simultaneously soft and appealing. For me it is the embodiment of David Gilmour's guitar playing, where the silence means as much as the notes. Stately and poised, with class, balls, authority and verve. That's the blues defined. What a great introduction to single malts this would be for a newcomer. I weep for those who will never experience it - it is like Springbank 10, but with sophistication and élan. If you want to know the deal with all the hype surrounding Mortlach and why old whisky geeks keep blathering on about it - try this whisky. It's a constantly produced licensed bottling, so almost a core range product. "Very Good" : 87/100 (4.25 stars)

DISCLAIMER: This review is for the 11 year old Mortlach from Classic Cask, not the 15 year G&M. Stop number 51 on the SDT is Mortlach. This Speyside distillery is owned by Diageo and is primarily used as a blending component in Johnnie Walker, however there are a few official single malt releases. This bottle came from the independent bottlers at Classic Cask. A single, first fill hogshead (not sure if its ex bourbon or sherry) was used and only 384 bottles were released. Distilled in 2002, bottled in 2014, making it 11+ years old. 46% ABV, non chill filtered and natural color of pale straw which would point to the cask being ex bourbon. The nose is bright and citrusy. Lemon and a little lime. Buttercream, vanilla, very light oak. Some sharp alcohol burn early on. Light bourbon notes, butterscotch and caramel. Furniture polish and a bit of a metallic sensation. Some almond paste and after a while a nice thin layer of smoke arrives, just enough to let you know it’s there. Sourdough bread, malty. More fruits show up in the form of plums, some brine and olive oil as well. A very homogenized nose. Nothing really stands out except the citrus and everything else I had to fight for. A sweet arrival on the palate with a touch of spice. Lemony citrus and a general fruitiness, but like the nose, nothing stands out. Light brine and vanilla. Weak raisins and weak smoke. Not complex at all, very simple. Nothing wrong with it, just nothing special. Medium bodied mouthfeel that starts dry, then becomes mouthwatering...then dry...then mouthwatering. A medium length finish with citrus, cream and raisins. Dry. Pretty much the definition of mediocre. Nothing at all stands out except the citrus. Difficult to pull distinct notes from it. Unfortunately this is another subpar offering from an independent bottler. At $88 it’s not worth the price of admission. Thanks to @Telex for the sample. 3 stars. Cheers

Reviewed Blind --- Nose - Oddly muted, dried apple rings, golden raisins, what's there feels like it might be "hot" Taste - Dried apples, gentle heat, bitter cocoa nibs, gentle oak, light salt, toffee Finish - Lingering tingle, very gentle dried apple ring sweet, light fruity bitterness Score - 76/100 Final Thoughts - The nose on this one was oddly difficult to pick out. It seemed very subtle and hidden and what I did get when I nosed it felt like it might be one of those hidden high proof bombs where what was there felt like it could've been "hot". I was terribly wrong though as when it hit the palate, it initially felt quite low proof only to gradually hit a bit higher. Strangely enough, the muted nose translated to the palate, but more of the same dried apple rings with a hint of bitter cocoa nibs and the tiniest hint of some dark dried fruits, but barely there. The finish was more of the same where it was more a general heat/tingle than anything and it was quite forgettable. Not a bad dram by any means, but it feels as if what's there is quite muted. Would I drink it if offered? - Maybe Would I specifically order it? - No Would I buy a bottle? - No NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

A much needed pour to start my late Friday. Need a soother [and catching up on the backlog of samples] finds me pouring this particular scotch courtesy of @Telex. Note: This is for the 11 year old Mortlach from Classic Cask, not the 15 year G&M. A few inhales pulls in melon, pears and apples with a touch of butterscotch sweetness. Opening more, fresh baked bread and lemon zest, though light, is detectable. Rubbing alcohol encases all the fruity sweetness. All the aromas are light and diffused. The arrival is spicy white pepper hot. A glimpse of pineapple tropical with some lemon zest, vanilla. Loaded with flavors, this one is not. The finish is bitter of lemon and ginger. Oaky and spicy that is woody dry. This is a unremarkable with no real memorable qualities. It’s boring and bland. Though not terrible, it’s completely sippable and, if nothing else was around, a second pour would be denied. [82:100][Tasted: 4/20/18]

I finally had the opportunity to try two whiskies from Gordon & MacPhail, an independent brand i have never tried before. Mortlach has a good reputation as a single malt and i was able to try it in this independent expression. On the nose, not the best thing. Very Spicy upfront, then fresh lemon peel in a nice way, brown cake and Apples. On the palate it gets a little better, very elegant oak, Hints of lemon, very well matured and balanced. Spicy ginger very balanced as well. Finish medium with a ginger note, mouth numbing. It is a regular Whisky but incredibly balanced; that is the best feature. Overall i give this dram a solid 88 over 100. Worthy experience.

I bought a half bottle of this to give it a second chance after a tasting in a bar left me a little underwhelmed. Turns out my initial impressions were accurate. The nose is a delicious mix of peanut skins, nutmeg and a hint of honey cake, but the palette fails to deliver on that promise. Beyond a delicate caramel finish, I was hard pressed to find much in the way of flavor. It tastes a little muted for my liking, and I found myself wishing for a higher ABV to punch up the volume up. Still, I enjoyed the nose, so perhaps in future I’ll simply inhale from the bottle and call it a dry day.