Mortlach 11 Year (2010), Signatory Vintage
Whisky : Mortlach 11 Year (2010), Signatory Vintage
Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside
ABV : 58.2%
Cask : Refill Hogshead (10Y), First Fill Sherry Butt (1Y)
Age : 11 Years (Distilled 8 Feb. 2010, Bottled 17 Feb. 2021)
Nose : Rich dried fruit, spice, and leather. Dried dates, figs, cherries, and berries all came to mind with a rich tight fruity aroma that led into a general mustiness and notes of leather. In the background were interesting notes of holly and Christmas wreaths, a bit of waxiness, orange rind, pepper, and anise.
Palate : Medium bodied and juicy with waves of berries, spice, and leather. Spice backed by a youthful heat came first and, in combination with big fruit notes, brought to mind holiday mulled wine with star anise, cinnamon, and cloves. Medjool dates along with cassis led into cherries and cherry pie. Maltier notes hung on toward the end with honey oat cakes. A bit of water brought out more cherry and cola notes.
Finish : Lingering honey, dried fruits, and mild dryness
Score : 6
Mental Image : Date Cakes
Notes : I know these heavily sherried drams are all the rage among some aficionados, but I am not often a huge fan. I do enjoy aggressive earthy or maritime flavors, but I am less fond of the sherry driven dried fruits and leather. I prefer the cask to be in a more complimentary role— and the sherry finish on this was aggressive. There is clearly enough of a market for this kind of bold sherried dram that bottlers and distilleries keep producing them. So, if you love a good heavily sherried bottle, I am sure you will rate this higher than I did.
Overall, while I thought this had a really nice spice bouquet, it was a bit hot and the sherry notes drowned out a lot of the meaty Mortlach malt. A few drops of water tamed the heat, but only seemed to intensify and simplify the fruity profile. I scored this a bit above average because it was still cohesive and engaging even if young aggressive sherried malts are not to my taste.
Image Credit : The Whisky Exchange
