Mortlach 15 (Gordon & MacPhail) Review
Mortlach, like so many Scottish distilleries, has a long and interesting history. Founded in 1823, it was the first distillery located in the notable whisky-producing region of Dufftown, Speyside, pre-dating other Dufftown distilleries (such as Glenfiddich) by at least four decades. The distillery changed hands several times in its early years and ended up having its equipment stripped and its buildings converted into a brewery and a church. Eventually new owners converted Mortlach back into a distillery in 1852, although it continued to change hands several more times over the years.
Today Mortlach is owned by drinks giant Diageo, who use its whisky as an important component of the Johnnie Walker blends. Diageo does also release single malt versions of Mortlach, but they tend to be grossly overpriced and difficult to find (at least here in the US). Luckily it’s not too hard to find independent bottlings of Mortlach, perhaps the most common (and affordable) of which is this 15 year old from Gordon and MacPhail (G&M), which is bottled as part of the G&M “Distillery Labels” collection.
Mortlach has a rather unique still set up, using an unusual configuration of different sized and shaped stills (six stills in total). It is one of a small number of distilleries who use a “partial triple” distillation—Springbank and Benrinnes being the others (although Benrinnes stopped using this technique in 2007). The spirit produced at Mortlach is known for its meaty and robust character, doing particularly well when matured in sherry casks.
According to the G&M website, this particular bottle of Mortlach was aged in refill sherry casks. The last time I reviewed a bottling from G&M, it didn’t go terribly well—the G&M Glentauchers 16 Year received the lowest score I’ve given to a whisky so far. Let’s hope this Mortlach turns out a little better.
Mortlach 15 (Gordon & MacPhail) Review
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Region: Speyside
ABV: 43%
Nose
Leather and dried fruits. Tart cherry pie. Rhubarb. Cigar leaf. Fresh mint leaf. Bacon grease. Chocolate malt.
Palate
Thick and meaty. Cooked fruits. Musty and viscous. Vanilla syrup. Milk chocolate. Beef jerky. Oily, almost like olive oil. Fruit roll ups. Orange peel. Amaretto. Salted caramel. Sage. A restrained floral element that is clearly present, but can’t quite work its way past the more robust elements. Mint and cinnamon emerge on the backend. Big, robust, and complex.
Finish
Slightly floral, much more so than the palate. Fresh mint. Vanilla. Cocoa. Drying oak. Somewhat short, and not quite as interesting as the nose or palate, but tasty while it lasts.
Overall
I’ve had a few different bottles of Mortlach over the years. I’m a pretty big fan of the distillery’s style of malt, which is unique and distinctive. This bottling is no exception. Although far from being the best Mortlach I’ve had (more to come on that matter in a future post), this is a good example of what Mortlach is all about.
This particular bottle reminds me a bit of the Ben Nevis 10 I reviewed a few months ago—big and robust, with a restorative property that makes you feel like you’re ready to conquer the world. And as much as I like the Ben Nevis 10, this Mortlach is better.
SCORE: 87/100
Final Thoughts
I’ve found most of the Gordon & MacPhail “Distillery Labels” bottlings I’ve tried to be rather mediocre, but this is a terrific bottle of a classic whisky at a reasonable price. If you’ve never tried Mortlach and happen to come across this at an affordable price, I recommend giving it a try.
Mortlach, somewhat like Springbank, can be a polarizing whisky. If you prefer light, delicate whiskies, this might not be for you—this is hardly what one might describe as “smooth” (whatever that really means). But if you like big, complex, funky malts, with loads of distinctive characteristics, then you really ought to give Mortlach a try sometime.
Buy Again? Yes.
Questions about my scoring system? Refer to the Review Method & Scoring Scale page.
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