The beast of Dufftown and its Wee Witchie


October 10, 2022

The beast of Dufftown and its Wee Witchie

We're in Dufftown again, for the new Mortlach Special Release and one or three other siblings, we'll see what we can find in the library, we'll improvise anyway.

Mortlach 'The Lure of the Blood Moon' (57.8%, OB, Special Releases, Elusive Expressions, 2022)

No age statement and a funny name, not an unseen combo these days. This one was first matured in refill American oak, then finished in virgin oak, tawny Port, and red muscat casks, which is very modern as well. Distillers used to claim that whisky was all about age, then all about oak, could be that 'it's all about wine' will be the next selling point. After all, it may be a smart alternative way of adding 'terroir' to whisky… We'll see… Colour: straw. Nose: feels a little hot and spirity at first, with very obvious notes of kirschwasser and perhaps bison vodka, then we find pears and cranberries, and even young fine de Bourgogne or something. Intriguing and a little destabilising when unreduced, to tell you the truth. With water: the barley is back, together with breads, leaven, yeasts and porridge. Excuse me, but hurray! Mouth (neat): very fruity, more on fruit liqueurs than on eaux-de-vies this time. Amaretto, maraschino, Heering, guignolet… Got to love cherries, I do. With water: it's rather spectacular how the malt wins it once H2O's been added, although it would remain pretty fruity altogether. A croissant filled with cherry jam, yum… Finish: rather long, clean, with those fruits but no obvious 'wineyness'. Comments: very fine, sweet, fruity, pretty easy. I'm not sure Mortlach's usual meatiness and fine sulphur were have their say here, having said that.
SGP:641 - 85 points.

Mortlach 14 yo 2008/2022 (50%, Hunter Laing, Old Malt Cask, refill hogshead, cask #HL19622, 310 bottles)

This one seems to be fully natural. You really have to turn to the indies to find all-natural malt whisky these days, most distillers being deeply into the finishing craze. Are they not happy with their whiskies as they are in their natural state? Colour: white wine. Nose: bang-for-you-buck. Sunflower oil, pumpkin seeds, paraffin and suet, macaroons, maize bread, liquorice, light pipe tobacco, fresh butter, putty… Well this is marvellous, With water: more liquorice. A fresh pack of liquorice allsorts plus cut apples. Very lovely and rather fresher than other young Mortlachs. Mouth (neat): absolutely excellent, with Mortlach's full-bodied waxiness in the front and then and small berries, cassata, muesli… With water: touches of brioche, vanilla, blackberry jam, blancmange… Finish: medium, with traces of oak and a touch of menthol. Comments: ravishing young Mortlach al natural.
SGP:651 - 87 points.

Hold on…

Mortlach 13 yo 2007/2021 (52.2%, Hunter Laing, Old Malt Cask, Port barrel, cask #HL18599, 216 bottles)

A Port barrel? Seatbelt fastened, let's proceed… Colour: salmony, towards partridge eye. Nose: phew, it would not burst with raspberries and peonies, but it's still not as deliciously natural as the 2008. Rather coconuts leading the pack here, plus touches of violet and roots, perhaps salsify? With water: as usual, the breadiness comes out, and as usual, we're happy about these changes. Mouth (neat): we're pretty fine, but the Port feels and there's even a bizarre mineral side. Charcoal and some kinds of rocks. No scandal for sure. With water: water improves it, but the 2008 still rules. Whats more, the wine feels rather more than in the Special Release with a funny name (but some lovely artwork). Finish: medium. Bizarrely, I'm finding croissants filled with cherry jam this time again. Comments: an extremely honest drop, but it didn't stand a chance after the 2008. My fault, I'll have to whip myself.
SGP:651 - 83 points.

Mortlach 2009/2021 (55.4%, Signatory Vintage for Or Sileis, Taiwan, hogshead, cask #306347, 267 bottles)

The label itself is good fun, isn't this a artist's loose interpretation of a 'Wee Witchie'? Colour: straw. Nose: a natural bready one once more, with vegetal oils, nuts, waxes, almonds, amaretti and cut apples. No false notes, no make-up, pure natural Mortlach, with even a (very) wee whiff of sulphury coal smoke. With water: wool and grist, plus apples and lemons (wee bits). Mouth (neat): apples, cherries, grasses, waxes, porridge, muesli, shortbread… With water: impeccable, it even gets fatter, oilier, with more obvious touches of cherries of all kinds. Finish: medium, with a fat body and a feeling of having quaffed a teaspoon of fruity oil. Comments: not much literature needed here (shh, I can hear you). Perfect young Mortlach, with all the markers being in place.
SGP:551 - 87 points.

Let's go try to fetch a 90+…

Mortlach 30 yo 1973/2004 (50%, Douglas Laing, Old Malt Cask, refill hogshead, cask #1388, 298 bottles)

This one's got a pretty high reputation, but for some reason, it always slipped through my hands. Now's the time, Charlie! Colour: gold. Nose: it was already a fattish, waxy, oily drop on the nose, but there were more fruits, such as bananas, then butterscotch, shortbread, pancake sauce, mirabelle jam, quince jelly, those sorts of thing. In awe, I am. With water: oh, herbs, grasses, fruit peelings, even fresh asparagus, banana skin… This is all wonderful. Mouth (neat): oily as Mortlach, with a more solid body than in the young ones (a feeling of drinking hazelnut oil), some meats this time, ham perhaps, and probably a higher smokiness, but that would rather be wood smoke, as in, say smoked salmon. And bananas. With water: perfect. Bananas and a little smoke, plus a tiny metallic side, pretty pleasant in this context. Finish: some wood spices coming out, but the whole remained incredibly fresh, and always on waxy bananas. Comments: what was Miles Davis doing in 1973? I have a new theory; whisky vintages were of higher grades when Miles Davis was in better form. A little A.I. told me that. Very elegant 'old old' Mortlach.
SGP:551 - 91 points.

Goody good, a last old one and we shall call this a tasting session.

Mortlach 36 yo 1986/2022 (51.4%, Adelphi, cask #2040, 176 bottles)

This a bottle that does NOT come with a magnifier, but despite the small letterings on a label that even young eagles won't be able to read, it should be magnifique, let's see... Colour: gold. Nose: Mortlach! Fatter whisky even at 36 years of age, but with waxes that were starting to decompose into tropical fruits (not only bananas this time), while sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and a large panettone would shamelessly start to fill (even stuff) your nostrils. And we shan't even complain. With water: elderflowers and honeysuckle! And 'visiting a garden centre around the end of the month of April'. Mouth (neat): incredible, it's even a little hot at first, but it would then become pretty Meursaulty, with a little butter and many floral jams and jellies. Tarte tatin, quince pie, sorb liqueur, mullein syrup… You see! With water: tops tops tops. Power and delicacy in the same glove. I mean, in the same tulip glass. Finish: medium, with all flavours gathering in the end and a feeling of a waxy fruit salad. Have I mentioned sorb and jujube? Comments: after almost 20K tastings, I think I've found out about what should define an old whisky; that would be elegance. Very elegant old Mortlach.
SGP:651 - 91 points.

Check the index of all Mortlach we've tasted so far