Official bottlings of Mortlach have been few and far between in years past, but in 2014, that has changed. This is the 18 year old single malt Scotch whisky from Mortlach, released in 2014 as part of a new range from the distillery, alongside the Rare Old, the 25 Year Old and the travel retail exclusive Special Strength.
Matured in a combination of Sherry and refill American oak casks, the Mortlach 18 Year Old is presented in a very striking bottle, with fancy metal framework at its base.
Nutty at first, followed by vibrant spices - think ginger and cinnamon - paired with fresh green apples and lemon zest. Lyle's Golden Syrup and toffee pennies too.
The decadent syrup and caramel notes develop on the palate, with oak, earthy tobacco and almonds adding depth. Tropical fruit notes give it a lively backbone.
Citrus, mocha and more tobacco notes last.
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Smooth.
This bottle has two big downsides: It is to small. And it is overpriced. Compared to other whiskys in this price range it is not good enough. It tastes like a good 120€ one, not like a 300€ / 0,7l . If it would cost about 150€ for a 0,75 bottle, it would still be expensive, but ok. It IS good stuff, but is it that good? Imho: No. When I remember the Flora& Fauna bottling , tears come to my eyes...
Very good whisky, strong fruit on the nose, spice and mild oak on the palate. Not nearly as oak flavored as Macallan 18, which I like to use as my go to comparison standard. Mortlach has a unique taste, especially the 25 year old, and that can be a major factor for taste tests. You either like it or you hate it! The Mortlach 18 has better balance between fruit and oak and is more "tolerable" than the 25 year old, unless you are just crazy about strong fruit tastes and salty aftertaste. I like the balance of the 18 yr and rate it an 8.
I'm surprised at the disappointing reviews here. I tried quite a lot Mortlach 18yo last night with a friend. We have a tasting session every fortnight, usually of something in the £100/bottle range, and this, equating to £220 for a normal sized bottle, was our most expensive yet. Despite being a little prejudiced against the too expensive presentation we agreed it was quite wonderful stuff. Easily the equal of any of the (admittedly half price) single-malts we've tried over the last couple of years. And I see it's won two recent awards, so the negative comments here seem odd to me.
Just been given this one as a gift and immediately opened to taste a generous tot. Not ungrateful for the gift, but daren't tell my Darling that I would have been happier with many better known options at half the price. Has a sharpness on the tongue and as others are saying, the rather bitter edge to the lingering aftertaste is, to say the least, a bit of a let down. Packaging and bottle design with the metal work is inviting, but certainly not worth the extra £70 or £80 over and above what is available for less than £100 without the bling. I should add that I am now well beyond pensionable age and was first introduced to single malts by my Grandfather at the tender age of 13 years old, much to the disapproval of my Father. Slainte A Macdonald of Clanranald.
