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1993 Adelphi Mortlach 25 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

Speyside, Highlands, SCOTLAND
$499. 00
Bottle
$5988.00 Dozen
ABV: 56.1%
There's not a lot of Mortlach around nowadays, certainly not at price/age ratios like this.

Mortlach was the first distillery to be founded in the ‘distilling capital’, Dufftown. It's a big, oily new make, sometimes referred to as ‘The Mighty Mortlach’ on account of its overall weight (bestowed by a curious two-and-a-half distilling process and by the use of worm tubs).

Current owners, Diageo, used to release around 800 cases of a 16 year old annually under their Flora & Fauna label (even this is now discontinued). It retailed for about $160.00 and was bottled at 43%. The next closest thing to "official bottlings" of Mortlach have been the licensed releases by Gordon & Macphail. Otherwise, output is reserved for Diageo's blends, such as Johnnie Walker. It stands up well to European oak maturation. Adelphi's selection was distilled in 1993 and bottled in 2018 with a total outturn of 385 bottles.

Other reviews... A new Adelphi, always a joy (but not for my poor old eyes)… Colour: gold. Nose: we’re close to the new official 16, which cannot be bad news. Superb old agricole rum, chestnut purée, rye bread, chestnut honey (king of honeys, drop manuka), Jamaican coffee, chocolate, a pinhead of mustard… Fantastic and oh-so Mortlach! With water: some kind of Asian spicy dish, perhaps something Thai. Utterly love that! Mouth (neat): bang, we may have a winner if it swims well. Juniper, ginger, cloves, chocolate, caraway… All that suggests it was very spicy European oak. The problem is that in my book, European oak just wouldn’t swim – it would rather sink to the bottom, so let us see… With water: phew, that was close, but oranges save it. It is a little too spicy for me (spice cake, gingerbread) but good water would regulate it. Nah, it’s very spicy whisky. Finish: long and very spicy indeed. You could drink this on Sichuan Hot-Pot! (in lieu of Dom Pérignon rosé). Comments: a matter of taste, really. One of the spiciest drams I’ve found this year. Conservative score then… 56.1% Alc./Vol. 85 points - Serge Valentin, whiskyfun.com