Another dram from the Bottle-Share with the currently very popular Mortlach. A powerful spirit of which we don’t see nearly enough. It can both handle sherry casks and bourbon casks alike and has enough body to shine through in a very typical and maybe at one point recognisable way.

Nose:
The nose has a very classic feel to it at first with loads of barley and some wood. It’s rather sweet with barley sugar and has a certain crispness that I attributed to a coconut flavour, but it may as well be anise. That means, it’s not very prominent and you have to search for it. A tad dry with some yellow fruit (apples, star anise). Also leather and ropes, coffee and some saw dust. Some wood spices pop up late.

Taste:
The wood spices are more pronounced on the palate with more saw dust as well. It builds up in sharpness, but never becomes uncomfortable. I expected it to be peppery but it wasn’t, but it has some red cinnamon. It reminds me of Glenmorangie for some reason, and in a good way.

Finish:
The finish is nice but not very long. The flavours don’t change much but are quite full. There’s more fruit and less spices. Apples, pear, white grapes, star anise. Slightly drying as well.

Very classic, but very good at what it does. The finish is a bit short and in a way it’s not a very exciting whisky, but it is extremely nice and uncomplicated. Uncomplicated may conflict with it being not too complex. All flavours are there but it makes you settle for it more than you want to go explore. Good stuff, and I like this style more and more nowadays.

Mortlach 15, 11-1995, SMWS, 76.83 ‘Cocktails after Rugby’, First fill sherry butt. Available at the SMWS for € 88