Whisky: Mortlach 15 Year (2006), Douglas Laing for K&L

Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside

ABV: 56.7%

Cask: Refill Hogshead

Age: 15 Years (Distilled April 2006, Bottled Oct. 2021)

Nose: Grassy, herbal, citrus, apples, malty dough, pretzels, lemon poppy seed bundt cake, hints of salt and lavender.

Palate: Medium-bodied, acidic and tart, juicy apple, citrus juice, grassy, musty at the end.

Finish: Medium-length with apples and chalk.

Score: 5+

Mental Image: Tea and Bundt Cake in the Morning

Narrative & Notes: Bakery in a summer field; waving grass, wildflowers, thistle, malty dough, pretzels, apple strudels, bear claws, poppy seed muffins, and lemon poppy seed bundt cake. Bright and fresh on the nose with sliced apples, new tennis shoes, and faint notions of something more tropical. Medium-bodied with a sparkling acidity on the palate, bright and crisp with loads of chopped apples and hints of citrus. The juicy tart fruits continued to develop with a grassy sweetness and hints of musty tobacco and leather. Water toned down the palate's sharpness and residual heat while elevating baked lemons and creamy butter. The finish was medium-length with apples and chalk.

Whenever I sit to write up some notes on a whisky, I always try to add water at some point to see what happens. Occasionally, when the whisky is so good that I get a bit lost in the experience, I forget. It is much easier to remember to add water and see what happens when a whisky is a bit hot on the nose or palate. This was a bit hot, so after I jotted down a few notes, I went ahead and played with adding a few drops.

A few drops seemed to deaden the dram and simplify the flavor profile— but this was not all bad as water also made the whisky more enjoyable to sip— it was less sharp, acidic, and without any spirited heat. Water presented a question of priorities— did I want to sit and search for notes despite the occasional prickle of spirit and sharpness, or did I want something easy to sip and relax with? This might be blasphemous to some, but I thought this was particularly enjoyable on ice, especially in the summer heat.

Image Credit: Whiskybase