Mortlach 13 (2003) Cadenhead’s Sherry Cask

Review by: Raygun

Love Mortlach, but I still haven’t had a sherry cask that’s impressed. I’ve preferred it in bourbon. Maybe this will be the one. My experiences with Cadenhead’s sherry cask line have been uneven as well. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 15 minutes.

Distillery: Mortlach  

Bottler: Cadenhead’s  

Region/style: Speyside single malt Scotch

ABV: 55.1%  

Age: 13 years. Distilled in 2003 and bottled in 2017. 

Cask type: Finished in a sherry hogshead, 306 bottles.

Color: 1.4 tawny. Natural color. Non-chill-filtered.

Nose: Nice and deep. Strong on leather and coffee. Worm tub meatiness comes through. Not a heavily fruity cask, but has fig jam and date paste. A bit of gunpowder and some black pepper.           

Palate: Yes, this works. The sherry accentuates the meaty spirit. Hint of gaminess, like lamb. Lamb shank, currants, figs. Meat broth with a nice touch of fruity sweetness. Leather. Rich, but not cloying. Like a fruit sauce accompanying a roast.   

Finish: Meaty again. Moroccan lamb shank with currants and dates. Well integrated spices. Cranberry sauce and hints of Assam tea. Not too sweet or too tannic.  

Conclusion: Reminiscent of sherried Benrinnes in many ways, which is not too surprising when both use (or used) partial triple distillation. Maybe a hair sweeter than it needs to be, but overall it harmonizes well. An assertive cask meets assertive spirit. Starting to change my opinion on Mortlach in sherry. There should be more like this. 

Buy a bottle? Wouldn’t mind at all, if I could find one. 

Score: 84

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)

Published by Raygun

Unknown's avatar

I drank Scotch occasionally (mostly at family gatherings) for years, but started getting more interested after an introduction and tasting from a Scottish acquaintance. That led to buying my first bottle (Highland Park 12). Now 600+ spirits later, Scotch is still my first love, but I drink other whisky and dabble in brandy as well.

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