Mortlach 1990

16 year old Speyside 57.5 % vol

1 of only 492 bottles from cask 5947

Sometimes referred to as ‘The Mighty Mortlach’ on account of its overall weight of character (bestowed by a curious two-and-a-half distilling process and by the use of worm tubs), the make stands up well to European oak maturation. This is a perfect example: unusually, a first-fill ex-sherry puncheon. The colour is polished mahogany, the nose deeply fruity (oranges and plums in liquor; plum pudding; then, increasingly, prunes in syrup). The overall effect is slightly bosky, and when water is added this continues, although the fruit dries out somewhat (dried fruits and glace cherries). Interestingly, there is no trace of sulphur. The taste is deep and sweet, with a thick mouthfeel; not as mouth-drying and tannic as we would have expected, with dark chocolate in the lingering aftertaste.

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