review #67: Mortlach 1995/2012, A. D. Rattray, 49.1%, ex-bourbon hogshead, C#2437, 276 bottles

in celebration of new spending opportunities

Apparently there will be some new official bottlings of Mortlach soon. The bottles are pretty. I won't be buying any, however -- not that they'd sell to me, anyway.

Here's one that's about 18 yrs old -- so it would cost about $450 for a 750ml bottle at the official rates. I suppose they must be picking casks from a pretty good selection for the OB.

nose: a little odd -- curiously young and old, and conventional and unusual at the same time. So: malty and even a little beery, then stale cigarettes, then some sweet orchard fruit (Asian pears, I think), a little vanilla, wood smoke, new carpet, cherry cream cheese cake. It takes a while to open up, but gradually becomes more perfumed, albeit with wood smoke still in front.

palate: malty, sweet, and a little phenolic

finish: weird! stale cigarettes and vanilla, very clearly, and maybe a little poached pair.

It's hard to get a measure on this, but I think I'll settle on: conventionally pleasant, but with an interesting twist.

score: 83

Review #54: Clynelish 17yr 1995/2013, A. D. Rattray, 45.2%, sherry hogshead, cask #4630

very pale for a sherry cask

I had some big and bad reviewing plans, but right now a Clynelish seems comforting. Sherry must have had only a long-forgotten rendezvous with that hogshead, judging from the color

nose: waxy/fruity. That Clynelish nose presents itself right away. A big whiff of cardboard comes next, but it disappers pretty fast. Some smaller flavors take time to develop: honey, peaches and apples, yoghurt, marzipan, peonies, white chocolate, green grapes, and a wisp of smoke.

palate: oily and tangy. the fruit flavors become stronger and tarter, the white chocolate becomes creamier, and there's a little sour wood.

finish: nicely persistent with the smoke returning and a little chalkiness.

Clynelish is consistently pretty good, and this is typical Clynelish. I guess one could hope for a little more intensity and complexity, but I really like this profile.

score: 87