Our Dream Drams evening started with this mighty Mortlach – a mere 37 year old from Gordon & MacPhail.

Mortlach 37 year (1976/2013) 43% G&MP

What did we think? Initially the following…

• Nose – Beautifully restrained, old style with lovely cereals, wet leaf, sultanas, black pepper
• Palate – Meaty – dare I say beefy? Full-bodied, bacon, soya, oily, fabulous feel on the tongue, hint of peppers and spice
• Finish – Drops off quite quickly, then comes back… it is very much there but quite subdued with a hint of coriander

What made this whisky really worth paying attention to was the way each sip gave something different. As we kept chatting it revealed different dimensions… as it opened up, its character shifted…

• Nose – Cloves, mint, basil… increasingly herbal
• Palate – Lovely on the palate, still chewy with a dash of spice
• Finish – Astounding! We almost wondered if this was the same whisky! Why? The finish was absolutely fabulous. A long gorgeous pleasing finish

The more time we spent, the more we enjoyed. It was well-balanced, with many layers… Returning after some time, brought a lovely powdered vanilla and sugar to the nose, simply delicious on the palate and that truly fabulous finish. Perhaps even with the slightest hint of coal fired smoke?

Overall its character was complex yet surprisingly light.

Talk turned to how for whiskies with such long maturation, being in a 2nd fill cask becomes an advantage as it slowly imparts character… however the balance in this case was achieved, the results were superb.

Tasting Note by The Chaps at Master of Malt have to say:

• Nose: Sultanas, vanilla and cracked black pepper.
• Palate: The sultanas become raisins and the black pepper becomes smokier finally there is a nutty quality that emerges with water.
• Finish: The finish is fruity with notes of figs and dates with a little ground pepper to round it off.
• Overall: A vibrant and fruity Mortlach.

Mortlach 1976 Bottling Note