Information:

Distillery: Mortlach^TM

Age: 25 years old

Strength: 43.4% ABV

Place of Origin: Dufftown

Region: Speyside

Taste:

in brief… A multi-faceted Mortlach that is all full-strength, full-on impact, with an intriguing mix of elegance and power.

in a sentence… Complex throughout and very moreish: a big and chewy dram with high complexity, mixing roasting spices and an almost animal intensity with dense layers of decadent sweetness.

Nose:

Restrained, elegant and mature with tropical fruits and an initial, enigmatic sweet-savoury mix of burnt cream and game pie! Quickly develops ripe fruit; soft plums and bruised red apples or hedgerow berry fruits, with dried blossom, blueberry jam and toffee Then more sweetness, as Christmas pudding and vanilla-rich white chocolate. Well-balanced, complex and deep, with smoky, waxy hints of chestnut purée and venison. Do not add water – with all this, why would you?

Palate:

Starts intense, urgent and very sweet. Very focused initially, with great energy. Softly coating with a smooth and delicate texture, then a burst of plummy fruit fools you into thinking it will get sweeter. But this massive barley-sugar richness instead develops into deep, rich, darkly malty notes then grows herbal, with a cough-candy warmth, light tannins and smoke. This is a big and chewy dram with high complexity, mixing roasting spices and a muscular, meaty nature with layers of dense sweetness.

Finish:

Smooth, sweet, warming and tongue-tingling. Develops a vanilla creaminess before an aromatic, liquorice root complexity asserts itself, leading to a gently drying and appetisingly pithy conclusion.