Signatory Vintage Mortlach 12 Year Old 2013 - 100 Proof Edition #60 - 57.1%
Another from the Signatory 100 Proof Edition, this time from Mortlach aka ‘the Beast of Dufftown’. Matured in second-fill oloroso sherry butts for 12 years before bottling at 57.1% abv.
Appearance: The colour of burnished gold, forms a thin line which beads before falling slowly as thin, oily legs
Nose: Sweet sherry-soaked dried fruit, Medjool dates, hazelnuts and a moderate ethanol burn
Palate: Thick, and mouthcoatingly oily. Sweet dried fruit, nutty oak, malt loaf, caramel toffee, well-worn leather, a touch of minerality and a black pepper prickle. With a few drops of water it becomes creamier and nuttier
Finish: Tannic astringency, hazelnuts, oak spice and black pepper. With a little water the finish becomes sweeter and drier
Overall: A relatively young Mortlach, but still with plenty to offer. The characteristic worm tub meatiness is there, along with many of the notes you would normally associate with the distillery. The use of second-fill Oloroso butts for the full maturation has brought a noticeable sherry influence without overpowering. It’s a moderately sherried whisky, not a ‘sherry bomb’.
Whilst it may not top the list of my all time favourite Mortlach bottlings it’s far from the worst and, at a price under £50, it’s an absolute bargain.
