Mortlach Aged 13 Years Special Release 2021

Style: Sweet and Fruity

Rating: ☆- [Recommended]

Nose:

Begins with a strong alcohol presence, not surprised as it is a youthful 13 years old after all. Honey lightly drizzled on delicate red apples and pink peaches, which is quickly surrounded by floral green grass patches. Excellent top layer aroma. Digging deeper we have black peppercorns, sourdough, garden herbs and eau-de-vie, showcasing the drier facet of the spirit, as well as some chalkiness and yeastiness alongside. A subtle wine-y umami undertone radiating from the bottom level.

Palate:

Relatively delicate but medium-bodied touchdown on the palate. Orchard fruits are heading towards a more sugary direction, taking the form of apple crumble, peach cordial and pink lemonade which are completely subsumed into the herbal spirit. Orange zest cascading onto the sweet barley-malt. Coconut cream and wood shavings coating around the backbone while red chilli firing up spicy bursts at the back palate. The soy/umami element remains elusive but ever-present throughout the journey, giving a lovely depth to the expression.

Finish:

The sugar rush softens - white peaches, lemons, tropical fruits, coconuts together with some barley whispers to finish. Gentle but quite delicious.

Thoughts:

Other than being a tad young and abrasive, there is nothing much I can complain about. Although the alcohol hasn’t been able to completely integrate into the expression because of its age, the rest - flavour intensity, profile, fruitiness, depth and complexity (covered by a deft virgin oak tweak) are wonderfully executed. Quite technical perhaps, but it is another distillate masterclass by Mortlach. Decent dram.

[55.9% | Original Bottling | Vatting | Refill & Virgin Oak casks matured | Limited Edition | Natural Cask Strength | *-]

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