Review by: Raygun

I like a sherry cask as much as the next person—maybe more—but so far Mortlach has presented better in bourbon to me. I keep waiting for a sherried Mortlach to wow me. Maybe this one will be it. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 10 minutes. 

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Distillery: Mortlach

Bottler: Signatory Vintage

Region/style: Speyside single malt Scotch

ABV: 57.8%. Cask strength

Age: 11 years. Distilled on Feb. 8, 2010. Bottled on April 16, 2021.

Cask type: Refill hogsheads and then a first-fill sherry butt for fifteen months. Cask #10 

Color:  1.7 burnt umber. This is a dark one. Natural color. Non-chill-filtered.

Price: I’m guessing around $120. 

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Nose: Heavy on the grapes and fig, with some anise and a bit of orange peel. Oozes sherry everywhere. Reminds me of Glenallachie, which is not a great thing. Musty basement. 

Palate: Oof, that’s hot, even considering the proof. Flavor is good, though. It’s definitely mostly cask; I could believe this was a full maturation rather than a finish. Must have been a wet cask. Heavy on the dried fruit (raisins, figs, cherries) with some cocoa and a touch of spice. Cigar. Chocolate amps up with water, and there’s a bit more spice. 

Finish: Chocolate-covered orange peel, figs, and raisins. Sweet, but not cloying. A touch of fennel and candied ginger. Heat is an issue here, too; this one will need water. Water brings out some hoisin sauce. Seems sweeter as well. 

Conclusion: Heat was definitely an issue. Took some water to wrestle this one under control. Once there, it’s a pretty decent sherry bomb. Was hoping for some more Mortlach character, but this would be hard to tell apart from any other cask-driven sherried malt. Ends up somewhat generic. 

Buy a bottle? No particular reason to pursue this one. 

Score: 74

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky. (Convalmore 36)
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1)
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Ledaig 13 Amontillado)
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Tomatin 18)
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Glen Scotia 15)
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Aultmore 12)
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Glenmorangie 10)
• 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Pulteney 12)
• 0-49: Blech. (Muirhead’s Silver Seal 16)