Mortlach 16 Year Old Distiller's Dram
Mortlach · Mortlach Distillery
Mortlach's famously muscular distillation style — the "Beast of Dufftown" — is on full display, but sixteen years of maturation have smoothed the edges into something elegant. This is Speyside at its most concentrated, rewarding slow sipping and patience.
Nose
Immediately meaty and rich — dried fruit and dark chocolate layered over a buttery, waxy foundation. Sherry influence is pronounced but never syrupy, with a whiff of orange peel and subtle clove spice.
Palate
Dense and chewy, with cocoa and hazelnut dominating the first wave. The mid-palate opens up to honey and dried apricot, while a persistent earthy undercurrent keeps things grounded. There is genuine weight here.
Finish
Long and warming, with clove spice and dark cocoa lingering alongside a woody, resinous dryness. A final note of vanilla emerges as it fades.
- Region
- Speyside
- Cask Type
- Sherry and Bourbon
- Peat Level (PPM)
- Unpeated
- Distillation
- 2.81 times distillation (partial triple distillation)
- Maturation
- Ex-sherry and ex-bourbon casks, minimum 16 years
- Chill-Filtered
- Yes
Cocktail Suggestion
Beast's Old Fashioned — 2 oz Mortlach 16 · 0.25 oz Pedro Ximénez sherry · 2 dashes chocolate bitters · Stir with ice, strain into a rocks glass over a large cube, garnish with an orange twist.
Food Pairing
Venison medallions with a blackberry reduction
Distilled through Mortlach's uniquely complex 2.81 times distillation regime in Dufftown, this 16-year-old expression was crafted under the oversight of master blender Dr. Craig Wilson to showcase the distillery's legendary intensity.
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