Review #133: Mortlach 25yr 1987/2013, 59.4%, Adelphi, Cask #3100, 208 bottles

heard this one was good.

Or maybe it was a different 1987 Mortlach. Whatever. This is the one I have and -- I spilled a drop on my finger -- it tastes very bourbonny.

nose: toffee, grass, fruit, and charred oak. the toffee isn't sweet or overpowering; the grassiness veers into herbs, pepper, and cooked vegetable; the fruit is apricots and cooked apples; the oak is dry and smoky. Some malt and toolbox notes. too.

palate: a fight between rich toffee and dry oak. Meaty and sweet in the end.

finish: the wood lingers, and more fruit comes out -- cherries and bananas. More vanilla than before.


I take it there's a lot of barrel influence here, but the spirit holds up nicely to it. It makes me think of this Glen Spey but it's a whole lot better because it keeps a wide range of intense flavors, instead of being dominated by the toffee. Very accessible, too, even at 59.4%.

score: 90

Review #73: Knockdhu 18yr 1978/1996, Adelphi, 58.8%, Cask #1888, 638 bottles

also known as An Cnoc

This is from Knockdhu, which the distillery is still called, even though the OB's are now called An Cnoc, to avoid confusion with Knockando, I guess, because none of this is confusing. They've had some pretty labels in duty free, but haven't established much else of an identity yet, I don't think. They're an 80's whisky crisis distillery in Speyside that managed to re-open.

This one smells sherried -- although not too much so -- right out of the bottle, which makes sense given the output of 638 bottles at 58.8%

nose: it starts very grassy, actually, with a touch of smoke and aspirin, before it nicely turns into soft cider and raisins with a hint of marshmallow. all sorts of very subtle sherry notes in the background: dusty old leather, cocoa, honey ...

palate: nicely balanced between sweet and bitter, with a little saline nip, too. cider apples, vanilla, dried fruit, and cocoa. a little bit of a burn, too (58.8%1), but not particularly full bodied.

finish: longish, but the alcohol takes over where the fruit and spices leave off.  I should probably add water, but I like it fine like this.


This strikes me a nice, well-made, Speyside malt from a very good refill sherry butt. There's nothing spectacular here, but also nothing wrong. I really should add some water, but I like it a lot.

score: 85