The Mortlach 15 Year Old is most frequently bottled by Gordon & MacPhail. A rich, sherried drink, this is one of the more underappreciated whiskies on the market.
The Mortlach 15 is an exceedinly well-balanced whisky. The most prominent themes are of Christmas cake – make no mistake, this is a rich, creamy whisky that may be too much for sherry-haters.
Its competitors in the sherried Speyside market include the Aberlour A’bunadh and the Glenfarclas 105, both at similar price points. The Mortlach 15 has more prominent cereal and spice notes compared to the raisin and chocolate of the A’bunadh. Taste wise, the Mortlach 15 is more similar to the Glenfarclas 105 but again with more emphasis on cereal notes.
The nose is very malty, with apple, vanilla citrus and spice rounding out a full, rich nose.
To taste there are prominent cereal notes, again spice (definitely cinnamon & nutmeg but some lighter spices as well), malt, hints of oak and toffee. Unlike some other sherried whiskies it is a restrained taste that doesn’t pop in your mouth. It required some work and patience to get all of the flavors down in my tasting notes. There may have also been some sulfurous notes present as well.
The finish is long, very smooth and warm, with creaminess giving way to a light oak completion. A definite highlight and one of my favorite finishes from any whisky I’ve tasted!
Interestingly, going back at later dates for repeat drinks of this whisky had me enjoying it more and more. Too often I find myself getting bored of whiskies before I get to the end of the bottle, but the Mortlach for me was definitely an acquired taste. If you can be patient with it, I think it will interest anyone with an appreciation for sherried whiskies.
Mortlach 15 Year Old Information
Type: 15 year old single malt
ABV: 43%
Region: Speyside
Price guide: 40 pounds
Mortlach 15 Year Old Score: 8.6/10