“Best of Dufftown.” That is how the Mortlach distillery describes its spirit, seeking to convey not only its quality but also its origin: the Scottish town of Dufftown, the world’s whisky capital, in the Speyside region so familiar to whisky lovers.
The distillery looks like a military camp, with low buildings apart from the production hall, which has a tall chimney as gray as the local weather. In contrast to its drab exterior, the distillery has recently undergone a significant change. For years, it used six old stills, each different in shape and capacity. Each whisky therefore had its own identifying character according to the type and size of the still in which it was distilled, resulting in spirits with different production and maturation profiles.
The distillery’s owners recently added six modern stills to the existing ones to improve and further diversify its whiskies. It is the only distillery in the area to distill every whisky three times, rather than the customary twice, to give the final product additional refinement, flavors and aromas. The whisky matures for 25 years in American bourbon casks, which impart some of bourbon’s aromas and flavors to the spirit.
A full-bodied whisky with a brilliant amber hue, presented in a designed bottle. Spicy aromas with a pungent floral edge mingle with plenty of dried fruit, orange and lime peel, eucalyptus and incense. Smooth and strong, it calls for a little dilution with every sip.
Country of origin: Scotland
Aging: 25 years
Alcohol: 43.4% ABV
Price in the original article: £507 (500 ml)
The verdict: A full-bodied, smooth and powerful spirit.
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