So a few weeks ago, I reviewed a very old and delicious Glen Grant (1949) from Gordon & MacPhail, but now I’m back with something that even had been distilled several years before, namely a Mortlach 1938. A sample I received from Whiskynorway and for which I am very grateful. So many thanks for that.
Both Glen Grant and this Mortlach are bottles that are no longer affordable these days, at least not for me. So that makes it even more wonderful to taste such old and rare stuff. It remains fascinating to be able to taste something that old, and this Mortlach is even distilled before the 2nd world war. Can you imagine that? Such a whisky is actually a kind of liquid time capsule that takes you on a journey back in time.
That is also exactly why I had these samples in my sample drawer for quite some time. I was looking for the perfect moment to enjoy it to the fullest, but I never actually found that time. But now with the recent events that are going on in the world and we are obliged to take our rest, I finally got a chance to enjoy it.
This Mortlach has matured for about 47 years and is bottled at 40% ABV.
Mortlach 1938 tasting notes:
Nose: The old stuff! Wow! What an incredible nose. Tobacco and oranges at first. Earthy notes and overripe apples. A touch of milk chocolate. And, strangely enough, a hint of milk. Later also mint.
Taste: Tobacco leaves and an earthy note here too. This is followed by oranges and milk again. Chocolate. A whiff of honey. Sweet raisins. Earl grey tea. Oak. And a handful of spices in the end, such as cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. A sour note, which reminded me of concentrated lemon juice.
Finish: Quite a long finish for 40% ABV. Drying and oak. A hint of tobacco and mint. And in the very end, a citrus note.
Wow! Yes, I say it again. But what an amazing dram! There is plenty of oak, but it seems the work. The finish is a little bit dry, but it keeps going and going and going. Absolutely loving it.
Photo credit: Whiskybase
