Mortlach 27 Years Old Signatory 30th Anniversary Cask 4239 51.7% 1991

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Serge Valentin (90)

NederlandsColour: amber.

Nose: pure dark fruit compotes, dates, prune juice, dunnage funk, damp wine cellars and dense, cognac-sodden lumps of Christmas cake. Concentrated beef stock, bouillon, marzipan, walnut extract and mint cordial mixed with fresh espresso. A pretty serious sherry cask, can only imagine what it must have been like on its first fill. Continues with red liquorice, raspberry cordial and coal scuttles. With water: anthracite, brown toast, wet leaves, petrichor and many cured meats.

Mouth: big arrival, all on hessian, bitter chocolate, chocolate lime sweets, bitter orange peel, strong herbal ointments, black tea and star anise. Some pretty seriously dark and meaty notes emerging which start to nod in the direction of sulphur. To my palate it’s more the natural kind but some may find it a tad too much. There’s still plenty raisiny sweetness, black pepper, damp pipe tobacco and ranico. With water: tames this meaty side and elevates the peppery and coal smoke notes, lots of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and dried mixed herbs. A little maraschino and bitter herbal extracts.

Finish: long and resurgently meaty, strong black coffee, mint syrup, black cherries, salty black liquorice, hessian and walnut oil.

Comments: I sense this may well be a divisive dram. Some may find these meaty and earth aspects a little excessive. Sherry fiends on the hand will likely ‘lose their shit’. Perhaps loses a few points on technicalities but still a pretty stupendous and uncompromising dram!