Like quite a few others, I didn't know Mortlach distillery before our first trip to Scotland in 2016. My wife planned the vast majority of our itinerary and did a tremendous job finding some memorable adventures. One of the best activities was a 'distilleries walk' in Dufftown in the heart of Speyside. I can't recommend it enough.
That evening we were due to meet a local resident with long-standing ties to the small town of ~1600, and a few other people, to walk around and learn the history of the distilleries in the 'malt whisky capital of the world.' What made that night exceptional was a brief snowstorm (it was April) that scared off the other guests. As a result my wife and I got an amazing private tour. Currently the town has six working distilleries, including Glenfiddich and Balvenie, plus a few others that have shuttered. On our walk we saw them all, sampled drams and learned quite a bit. If you're curious how this all worked, our host toted around a sack containing a bunch of bottles. One of my biggest takeaways was the dirty trees, something I'll never forget. We were told the 'angels share' of whiskey (the percentage lost to evaporation during maturation) largely ends up all over the surrounding trees and buildings in a form that looks like soot. It's very obvious in Dufftown largely due to the density of maturation warehouses. There's a reason distillery buildings are historically and repeatedly painted white, otherwise they'd be continuously filthy.
It was on this walk that I heard of Mortlach for the first time. The oldest distillery in Dufftown, they're owned by Diageo (like Clynelish and Dalwhinnie, among many others) and always have a pretty limited selection of single malts available commercially. Most whisky produced there instead ends up in the Johnnie Walkers. When we visited, there were no tours and it appears that hasn't changed. Nicknamed the 'Beast of Dufftown,' the distillery is known for big, bold, rich whiskies that age well in sherry casks, which can often overwhelm other flavors in a spirit. At the time we were highly recommended the recently discontinued 18 year expression. She then warned us to stay away from its replacement, the 'Rare Old,' for it was neither of those things and considerably overpriced. Since that was the only option I saw for years afterward, Mortlach wasn't something I bought and had at home. There are some independent bottlers that sell whisky from Mortlach, but we'll ignore that for now.
Luckily for me, and all other lovers of Scotch, Diageo apparently realized Rare Old was a mistake and in 2018 re-did the Mortlach single malt line again. There's now the 'Wee Witchie' 12 year, the 'Distiller's Dram' 16 year, and the 'Cowies Blue Seal' 20 year. I want to try all three, but as a reasonable person decided to start with the most affordable option when these appeared in stores. They go like $60 to $100 to $250 btw. There was also a Mortlach expression released for the Game of Thrones line, a final bottle released after the shows finale and named 'The Six Kingdoms.' For $150+ I'll pass.
So I now have a bottle of the 12 year old Wee Witchie Mortlach single malt Scotch whisky, and that's what I'll be reviewing today. The name apparently comes from a tiny still used in the production process. The front of the bottle states that it's 2.81 (times) distilled, so I assumed this Wee Witchie is similar to a doubler, something common in making Bourbon. This is unusual for Scotch and made me curious. Here's an explainer I found before realizing more details display on the box. Everything has the aesthetic appeal of a luxury single malt and I'm definitely excited to jump in.
Stats:
ABV - 43.4% (86.8 proof)
Maturation - Ex-Sherry and Bourbon casks
Age - At least 12 years
Region - Speyside
Price - $60
Smell - Barley and nuts (?) surrounded by varied fruit, can pick out apple, overall very clean
Color - Solidly dark amber, almost reddish
Taste - Weighty waves of sugar and fruit - apples, pears, peach - plus sherry wood and spices
Finish - Not overly long, sweetness gives way to dry and spicy feeling in your throat
Final Thoughts:
I keep seeing Mortlach whisky described as 'meaty' and while initially I thought that's a little weird, it's fair and accurate. There's just something extra here, almost like a thickness to the liquid. Perhaps it actually has a slightly higher viscosity. As for flavor, it's complex, rich and beautifully fruity. It's Scotch as candy. The dry spicy finish reminds me a bit of a (American) Rye, a comparison I'm surprised to be making. All in all, it's exceptional and definitely one I'll be recommending going forward. It's got to be the best single malt I've had from any Diageo brand, perhaps excepting some rare picks during a warehouse tasting at Caol Ila.
The Mortlach 16 year 'Distillers Dram' is going immediately to the very top of my wish list. $100 couldn't possibly be too much for a whisky thats looks to be even better.
Sláinte!
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