Mortlach 26 Year Old Special Release 2019

A mellow nose overall, with very light prickle. The aroma is profound and complex: rich with dark fruits in liquor; prune juice and Oloroso sherry, sloes in gin, prunes in syrup. Old oak and soft leather to start with, developing into hard toffee and chocolate-covered coffee beans. A rich Christmas pudding too; all classic sherry cask notes. Later, savoury, meaty notes as the Beast of Dufftown is roused from its slumber. A drop of water suppresses much of this.

Medium to full.

At natural strength, smooth and viscous in texture; mouth-drying and tannic. The wonderfully rich, fruity taste is immediately sweet, with damson fruit, lightly savoury with a trace of liquorice and spicy-dry, with a scented hint of cloves. Drying overall, with rich tannins. Sweeter and less tannic at reduced strength, with more sweet spiced fruit. Magnificent.

Seemingly endless and deeply impressive, with fruit and spiciness in perfect harmony and a warming glow spreading across the palate. Finally leaving the palate dry, yet wreathed in a glorious rich afterglow.