For a long time Gordon & MacPhail provided the only means to try single malts produced at quite a few Scottish distilleries. Their practice of acting as the licensed bottler for distilleries without a single malt under their own branding made them one of the forerunners to the contemporary independent bottler scene. This put them somewhere between what we might think of as an independent bottler who buys casks and bottles them under their own label, and an official bottler who controls the trademark and sets the house style for the distillery.  They were official in that they were the licensed bottler for the retailer and consumer, but independent in that they did not control the distillery or production, but did control maturation.  

This Mortlach, bottled almost a decade ago, may become a historical curiosity before long as Gordon and MacPhail seemed poised to gradually wrap up the licensed bottler chapter of their history.

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Whisky: Mortlach 15 Year, Gordon & MacPhail Distillery Label

Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside

ABV: 43%

Cask: Oak

Age: 15 Years (Bottled 2016)

Notes: Subtle and pleasant, the aroma offered blood oranges and figs on a wooden cutting board— fruit sampling in the afternoon with jars of artisanal honey, molasses cakes, roasted nuts, and wispy burning incense. A touch of dark chocolate and hints of cured sweet meats lingered in the background of the mild aroma. Light-bodied, the flavor profile was much the same, though the resinous, spicy, and slightly floral incense was much stronger. Floral honey and orange cakes lined up with crushed pistachio, cardamon, and perhaps sumac— the impressions were fleeting. A touch of Turkish coffee and dark chocolate waited at the end. The finish was medium-length with a gentle pepper, honey, and floral spices.

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Score: 6-7 (79)

Mental Image: Garden Honey Tasting

Conclusion: A striking whisky with a rather old-fashioned and floral quality to it— I usually associate some of these notes with much older Mortlach, but here they were in abundance. The combination of sweet, floral, spicy, and slightly bitter elements gave this a surprising amount of depth, though I kept wishing for more intensity. The influence of the sherry casks was impossible to miss, though perfectly tamed through whatever vatting was used for this release. Overall, enjoyable— while I love a meaty Mortlach, I have been on something of a floral kick the last year or so.