The Single Malts of Scotland "A Marriage of Casks" Mortlach Aged 22 Years

Style: Meaty and Sherried

Rating: ☆ [Recommended]

Nose:

A condensed fire-blast of sherried Mortlach aroma. Incredibly meaty - think coullion, black pepper sprinkling on pho beef stock. On the other hand, the fruity, even the floral facets are not entirely overwhelmed by the meatiness. Beneath it plenty of dried cranberries and strawberries awaits, then in comes fresh zesty orange pinging the soft white floral fragrance which has been lingering around. Sharp peppermint and assorted fruit gummies. Another dash of chicken soup on a big sherry finish.

Palate:

Sweet and bright blackcurrants and blueberries rolling in. The meatiness is now off the steering wheel while a strong herbal wave soars in. Muscovado sugar lightly diluted by honey water. Goji berries and red dates slowly transition to taro cream, beef jerky and barley husk. One last spoon of chicken soup, red fruits overtone growing stronger at the back end.

Finish:

Red fruits on the brighter side, most meaty notes have dissipated by now, with barley sugar embedded in it.

Thoughts:

A typical but also atypical Mortlach for me, it possess the two signature traits of the distillery: Its meatiness and works well with sherry casks. However, the meatiness (especially on the nose) is very robust and distinctive while in most other cases it only takes up a supporting cast; It stood up against the sherry and did not cave in for a long period of time. While most expressions look for integration but this bottling went for the opposite direction. I don't mind this style, but probably it won't be everyone's cup of tea. Memorable dram.

[54.2% | Independent Bottling | 2018 Bottle | Vatting | Four Hogshead and One Sherry Butt | 1200 Bottles | *]

Originally published on Instagram