Mortlach 1976
Mortlach 1976, Gordon & Macphail, 43%
Thanks to G&M who have bottled a plethora of Mortlach to make up for the distillery having no regular OBs.
Pale gold. This 1976 beauty hasn’t got a bottling date! Sure it’s from the 1976 vintage, and it’s still in stores, so it’s got to be more or less recently bottled, making it a mid -30 yo?
Nose: Immediately rich, well balanced. Fresh green fruit, then lashing of warm spices. Cloves and ginger? Stewed oranges lurk in the background with sherry notes. The vatting should have included at least a few sherry casks, but rather reticent. Barley sugar and well held up by some oak. Nicely balanced, fresh yet rich.
Palate: Spicy burst, white pepper? Sweet and sherried notes coming through. Herby, is that bay leaf? And malty and zesty. Flinty gunpowder grip at the edge of the palate, like the very charred ends of a roast. Muscled but shows restraint.
Finish: Medium long, leaves you wanting more. Infinitely drinkable.
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