Whisky: Mortlach 24 Year (1997), Hart Brothers

Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside

ABV: 49.7%

Cask: First Fill Sherry

Age: 24 Year (Distilled April 1997, Bottled Oct. 2021)

Nose: Sour tropical fruits, longan, tangerine, crushed sugar cane, persimmon, a hint of salt or fish sauce, bitter orange, herbal tea, herbal and peppery.

Palate: Medium-bodied, bitter orange, tangerine, mint, waxy, a kiss of salt, green papaya, guava candies, tamarind, prickly pear, tobacco at the end.

Finish: Medium-length with mellow herbal tobacco and citrus rind.

Score: 6-7

Mental Image: Papaya Salad

Narrative & Notes: The aroma was rich and complex with a bounty of sour tropical fruits that opened into longan, persimmon, butter orange, and tangerine candies. An underlying grassiness joined the fruit with crushed sugar cane, peppery dandelion greens, rhubarb, and Thai basil. Sweetened fish sauce and strawberry soda arrived as a mellow saltiness nudged at the dominant sugary notes. The palate was medium-bodied with an odd gravity that pulled the dram toward the center of the palate with a heavy waxiness. The flavors at the center of the palate were an intense melange of bitter orange, muddled mint, sweet fish sauce, green papaya, and guava candies. Waxy with tamarind and prickle pear dueled on the mid-palate before an herbal, occasionally bitter, tobacco, arrived on the back end. The finish was medium length with herbal tobacco and mellow dry citrus rind.

Wow, what a unique and interesting Mortlach! The aroma was complex and well-structured, with layers of tropical fruits and herbal notions spilling out in different directions. The palate had an odd gravity as the waxy spirit pulled the flavor experience to the middle of the palate, where it exploded with fruits that faded toward vibrant spice and herbal tobacco. On the back, and through the finish, a slightly bitter and drying quality pushed its way to the front, cutting off the delicious fruit and tropical notes.

Overall, a wonderful experience with just a few weak points. It is hard not to love a mature sherried Mortlach. Water was not required; however, extra time to rest in the glass brought out more fruit, so some of the herbal-bitter notes at the end faded.

Image Credit: Whisykbase