Whisky felling #13. Mortlach of all kinds: Mortlach 1989/2012 DD 56.1%, Mortlach 1989/2014 GM cask #4302 50.0%, Mortlach 1994/2014 MoS cask #14046 53.6%, Mortlach 1997/2017 Chieftain's 56.8%, Mortlach 1992/2017 HL 58.8%, Mortlach 19 yo Manager Dram (bottled 2002) 55.8%

So we took 6 Mortlachs from 6 different bottlers and tried to find the difference..

A whole month has already passed after tasting, so I'll do my best to recall the impressions and notes.

The whole set:

Mortlach 1989/2012 Daily Dram 56.1% - selected as a starting dram, but don't ask why :)

Nose: quite gentle and fruity with lots of oranges and apples.

Taste: spicy and powerful with just a pinch of meaty Mortlach essence. Lots of fruits again and noticeable bitterness.

Finish: medium-long and plenty of wood-driven spices and oak itself.

Overall: not an easy malt and not so typical for Mortlach I'd say.

Score = 22 22 22 22, 88/100!

Mortlach 1989/2014 GM Exclusive cask #4302 50.0% - matured in a refill sherry hogshead, 282 bottles released.

Nose: that's sherry, babe, leather, cinnamon, raisins, chocolate and hint of smoke.

Taste: leathery and salty (!), raisins and touch of coal.

Finish: long, tad smoky, sweetness combined with coal and coffee.

Overall: wonderful sherried malt, both powerful and elegant, but where are matches and sulfur?..

Score = 22.5 23 23 23, 91/100!

Mortlach 1994/2014 Malts of Scotland cask #14046 53.6% - matured in a sherry hogshead, 309 bottles released.

Nose: tad sweeter and fresher comparing to previous one, usual sherry palette plus orange zest, cherries and touch of sulfur (at last!).

Taste: powerful, sweet and mineral, dried fruits and bitter chocolate.

Finish: long one on tobacco leaves and cocoa beans.

Overall: should be great with a cigar I guess. Or instead of a cigar, it does have enough tobacco and coffee inside.

Score = 22.5 23 23 22.5, 91/100!

Mortlach 1997/2017 IM Chieftain's 56.8% - still not on WB, Karuizawa style bottle with black label and large cork.

Nose: some alcohol at first, with water it reveals sherry notes and oranges which is similar to previous malt.

Taste: extremely powerful, spicy and dense.

Finish: long, tannic, expresso and bitter chocolate.

Overall: well, I liked GM and MoS expressions notch better, but this one is also very good.

Score = 22 23 22.5 22.5, 90/100!

Mortlach 1992/2017 Hunter Laing Platinum 58.8% - 319 bottles released, most likely sherry hogshead again.

Nose: lots of oranges and ripe cherries.

Taste: grapes juice itself :)

Finish: long, tannic and spicy.

Overall: I'd say the weakest among these 4 sherried Mortlachs. But still quite good.

Score = 22 22 22 22, 88/100!

Mortlach 19 yo Manager Dram (bottled 2002) 55.8% - the only official expression tonight. It's not stated on the label, but we guess it was mainly matured in bourbon casks. Extremely rare stuff nowadays.

Nose: fresh barley, touches of meat and smoke, vanilla and cinnamon.

Taste: spicy, malty, citrus zest and oak.

Finish: long and malty with a layer of Mortlach meat.

Overall: good old days and good old Mortlach it is.

Score = 22 22.5 23 22.5, 90/100!