Whisky: Mortlach 12 Year (2008), Hunter Laing The Sovereign for K&L

Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside

ABV: 58%

Cask: Sherry Butt

Age:12 Years (Distilled May 2008, Bottled March 2021)

Nose: Very sherry, dried fruits, orange rind, cinnamon, fig pastries, brown sugar, molasses, hints of peppery barbecue and prickly heat.

Palate: Full-bodied with stewed stone fruits, molasses, hints of cinnamon and star anise.  Maple syrup and oatmeal pancakes, maple bacon, poaches pears, apple, quince, lingering spice at the end.

Finish: Lingering dried fruits and molasses.

Score: 7

Mental Image: Breakfast Accompaniments: Maple Syrup and Jam

Narrative & Notes: The nose announced the sherry train had arrived— dried fruits, citrus and orange rind floating in sangria, cinnamon sticks with hints of nutmeg, brown sugar, and molasses. Decadent fig pastries with raisins, dried dates, and tantalizing notions of barbecue sauce. The aroma had a bit of prickly spirit, but the palate was full-bodied, loaded with sherry fruits, a thick meatiness, and just a pinch of heat on the finish. Sherry-driven notes of stewed stone fruits and molasses took center stage with hints of cinnamon, star anise, and maple syrup. Pancakes came to mind with oatmeal, brown sugar, maple, apple butter, and quince jam. The finish was long and lingering with dried fruit and molasses.

A very sherry Mortlach, sure to dazzle the senses and please those in need of a dram with a good body, long finish, and stuffed to the gills with dried fruits and rich sugars. While this was not a super complex sherry bomb, there was good structure as it subtly transitioned from classic stewed stone fruits to a hardy breakfast of maple syrup, molasses, bacon, and oatmeal pancakes. It was the sort of dram sure to warm you up on a cold morning and drive the chill from your bones— not that I am often dramming quite so early in the day.

Overall, a lovely Mortlach— the sherry cask was the center of the show, and it fulfilled its duty admirably. The thick Mortlach spirit stood up well to the cask, provided some nice meaty depth to the sherry, and gave the impression of a hardy breakfast to the proceedings and teases of orange citrus, especially on the nose.

Image Credit: Whiskybase