Mortlach 15 Year old

Such stuff as drams are made on

Reviewed by
Connosr member:

WhiskyBee

Date:

20th Sep 2012

Reviewer rating:

About this score:

The average score for this whisky is 85.

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Tasting Notes by WhiskyBee

One of the most well-balanced whiskies I've tasted, Mortlach 15 yo (Gordon & MacPhail bottling) is kind enough for the novice, yet full-bodied and layered enough for the most demanding anorak. From nose to finish, it's a winner in every department.

Nose: Very malty at every stage, whether straight from the bottle or after 30 minutes of opening up. Also plenty of sherry, apples, sour citrus, vanilla, cake, and tiny dashes of just about everything on the spice rack. The only slight negative in the entire experience is a teensy trace of dust that emerges from time to time. But it's usually well-hidden by the many other delights.

Taste: Delicate -- almost fragile, in fact, as it opens up -- but so well-rounded and layered. Nothing screams; everything is whispered, yet there's so much going on that the total effect is as rich as it is cloud-light. Malt, sherry, vanilla, toasted wood, caramel, raisins, slight meat notes, a hint of milk chocolate, and I think I get a touch of spearmint in the finish. The arrival is a bit neutral, but the development reveals countless delights the longer you chew it. Finish is as smooth as butter on silk, and as satisfying as Grandma's Christmas dinner.

I've rated only two other whiskies in my cabinet as high as this one, and I would have awarded this an extra point or two were it not for one puzzling factor: why is my bottle at 40% ABV when it seems to be widely available at 43%? (I might have scored it even higher had it been at least 46%!)

Whisky details

Distillery/Brand:

Mortlach

Bottling:

Mortlach 15 Year old

Region:

Speyside

ABV:

40%

Colour:

Sunlight

Mortlach 15 Year old Such stuff as drams are made on Reviewed on 2012-09-20T04:27:00 scoring 95/100 by WhiskyBee

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Comments

mattberg wrote:

A great dram this and also worth trying is the 21yo by G&M... both superb.

28 December 2012 17:37

rigmorole wrote:

I am quite intrigued by this bottle. Thank you for the review. I trust your opinion.

13 February 2013 18:18

rigmorole wrote:

It costs $108 here. Worth it?

13 February 2013 18:18

WhiskyBee wrote:

@rigmorole -- yeow, that's about $30 more than what I paid for it. It seems to be an expression well-liked by most reviewers, although some don't rate it nearly as highly as I do. Dave Broom, for instance, has some nice things to say about it here (scroll down to the last review):

http://www.whiskyadvocate.com/whisky_reviews.asp?Search=Y

...but he gives it only an 82.

Personally, I don't buy $100+ whiskies unless I can sample them first. I'd suggest shopping around. It's widely available at about $79 at many locations. As much as I like it, I'd have to think twice about replacing my bottle for $108. Too much for a 15 yo, low ABV whisky, IMO.

13 February 2013 19:12

WhiskyBee wrote:

I just noticed the link I provided doesn't take you directly to the Mortlach review page. Search on "Mortlach" in the "Search by Brand Name" menu.

13 February 2013 19:16