Professional reviews
Serge Valentin (91)
NederlandsColour: dark amber. Nose: Mortlach as most of us know it, that is to say with a little gunpowder and even struck matches, plus savoury notes, a fatness, some coffee and some chocolate, a little glutamate, and something slightly metallic, around old copper coins. Really, feels like home to many older whisky enthusiasts – and the opposite of new bourbonised malts. With water: marrow soup, dried porcinis, cigars, umami sauce, crude chocolate, prunes, hoisin sauce… I'm sure you could quaff this with Peking duck. Mouth (neat): splendid old-skool sherried Mortlach, which is pretty old-G&M too, I would add. Stunning raw coffee beans and black chocolate, with a drop of Worcester sauce, Bovril, and just bits of pipe tobacco. Very tertiary. With water: salt, bouillon, old walnuts, fino sherry, black pepper, proper coffee, more chocolate, a wee spoonful of onion soup… Finish: long and indeed splendid, with a few higher notes, perhaps wild strawberries, pomegranates, ganache… All that mingled with some perfect chocolate. Coffee-y aftertaste. Comments: extremely and authentically Jerezian. Stunning old Mortlach by some of the best Mortlach specialists.
Whisky Notes (91)
Nose: big, fat, dry sherry. Lots of oranges, thuja wood, blackberry jam. Also a light acidity of raspberry. Smoked ham. Some wood smoke hints and gentle gunpowder but not at all dirty. Lovely dusty notes too (old books, tobacco). Chocolate. Love it.
Mouth: dark, dark. this is where the full-bodied character of Mortlach comes out. Pure chocolate, pipe tobacco, burnt bread, raisins, oak char and wood smoke. Coffee beans. Nuts. A little water helps to make it more accessible – this is a beast.
Finish: very long and rather dry, on walnuts and black tea.
Hugely sherried, with roasted notes and char, but also a fruity acidity that keeps it in check. A powerhouse. Quite expensive but recommended.
BOW (91)
