Mortlach Core (12-, 16- & 20-year) Single Malt Scotch Reviews & Tasting Notes

 

Dufftown, Scotland, has been around since the 6^th century, founded as part of the Mòrthlach parish. In 566 A.D., it was home to St. Moluag, an early Christian church. In the 11^th century, the Diocese of Mortlach was one of 13 Scottish bishoprics.

 

The current town was founded in 1817 by Earl James Duff. He needed somewhere to house and employ his soldiers returning from the Napoleonic Wars. He utilized the village of Mortlach as its foundation, and growth occurred from there. The Earl then renamed it Dufftown.

 

Today, Dufftown is known as the Whisky Capital of the World. Located along the River Fiddich, a tributary of the River Spey, it is home to seven working Speyside distilleries: The Balvenie, Dufftown, The Glendullan, Glenfiddich, Kininvie, and Mortlach.

 

The Mortlach Distillery was established in 1823 on the grounds of an illicit distillery by James Findlater, Donald Mackintosh, and Alex Gordon. It was the first of the licensed distilleries in Dufftown. The Grant brothers acquired the distillery in 1837 and, in turn, stripped it of pretty much everything and used what they took for their Rothes (Glen Grant) distillery.

 

Then, in 1852, John Gordon took over Mortlach. A year later, George Cowie, an engineer, joined Gordon, who brought the distillery back to life. His son, Alexander, took the helm in 1897 and doubled the size of the distillery. In 1923, Mortlach was acquired by John Walker & Sons, which, two years later, became part of Distillers Company Limited, which became Diageo, its current owner.

 

Mortlach’s distillation system is unusual. Its whiskies are distilled 2.81 times. That number looks weird, right? It is due to the way the stills interact with each other; this is a system that was designed back in 1897!

 

Today I’m exploring Mortlach’s three core single malt Scotch expressions: The Wee Witchie, Distiller’s Dram, and Cowie’s Blue Seal. Samples of each were provided to me by Diageo in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest reviews.

 

To engage in my quest to #DrinkCurious, I poured each of these into Glencairn glasses and sipped them neat.    

 

The Wee Witchie

  

• 12 Years Old
• Double-Casked in former Bourbon and Sherry casks
• 43.4% ABV (86.8°)
• $58.99 for a 750ml

 

Appearance: The liquid inside was the color of raw honey. It formed a heavy rim that generated thick, watery tears.

 

Nose: This whisky smelled of cocoa powder, raspberries, honey, toasted oak, and nutmeg. I found apples and pears when I pulled the air through my lips.   

 

Palate: The Wee Witchie possessed a thin, silky texture. I tasted leather, honey, and vanilla on the front of my palate. The middle offered malt, raspberry jam, and almonds, while the back had English toffee, apples, and toasted oak.

 

Finish: Apples, pears, malt, and almonds vanished quickly with a short finish.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: The Wee Witchie is a reasonably simple whisky that is extremely easy to sip. This would be a fantastic toe-dipping opportunity for someone new to Scotch. There’s nothing that would offer offense; it lacked any medicinal taste, smokiness, or burning sensation. More experienced fans of Speysides might find it too mild, especially on the finish. As such, a Bar rating is appropriate.   

 

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Distiller’s Dram

 

 

• 16 Years Old
• First-fill and refill Sherry casks
• 43.4% ABV (86.8°)
• $86.99 for a 750ml

 

Appearance: The liquid was a deep bronze and formed a thick rim. It took a bit, but massive, crooked tears eventually crawled back to the pool.

 

Nose: The aroma consisted of chocolate, orange citrus, shredded tobacco, nutmeg, and honey. A taste of toffee rolled across my tongue as I inhaled through my lips.

 

Palate: The mouthfeel was thick and rich, leading to flavors of apricots, oranges, and stewed peaches that hit the front of my palate. Next, I tasted raw honey, nutmeg, and tobacco leaf in the middle. The back featured leather, toasted oak, and candied ginger.

 

Finish: The leather and candied ginger carried through, along with nutmeg, orange, and chocolate, for a medium-lengthed finish.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Distiller’s Dram could still appeal to a beginner, but I don’t think they’d appreciate what this Scotch offers. Conversely, an aficionado will find what’s in the glass fascinating and tasty. The price is reasonable, and in my opinion, this whisky deserves a Bottle rating.  

 

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Cowie’s Blue Seal

 

 

• 20 Years Old
• Sherry butts
• 43.4% ABV (86.8°)
• $199.99 for a 750ml

 

Appearance: This Scotch is presented as an orangish amber in my glass. The thick rim yielded syrupy tears.

 

Nose: The first thing to hit my olfactory sense was lemon zest. Yet, beneath the lemon, I found a variety of other fruits, including blueberries, apricots, apples, and raisins. A whiff of fresh pastries and coffee wafted from my glass. A smattering of nuts and vanilla crossed my tongue when I drew the air into my mouth.

 

Palate: Cowie’s Blue Seal had a slick, oily texture. Flavors of lemon curd, apricots, and dates were on the front of my palate, while tastes of toffee, mocha, and pecans hugged the middle. Leather, clove, and nutmeg rounded things out.

 

Finish: Things quickly transitioned from sweet to savory, ending with barrel char, roasted coffee, clove, and pecan. Everything then faded into something slightly mineral. Overall, it held for a medium-to-long duration, building from light to robust.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Cowie’s Blue Seal is a Scotch drinker’s Scotch. It has a bit of everything to grab your attention. Some may be less intrigued by that mineral kiss at the very end. This whisky was an example of what can happen with drier Sherry casks. I enjoyed it, and I believe you will, too. My Bottle rating is well deserved.

 

Final Thoughts: It was fun to experience three very different expressions. It has been many years since I’ve had Mortlach, and when I did, it was an independent bottling. Of the three, my favorite was the Distiller’s Dram, then Cowie’s Blue Seal, followed by The Wee Witchie. Cheers!   

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you do so responsibly.