Batch 206

It starts meaty, a vegan-unfriendly mixture of mutton stock, gravy, and steak-and-kidney pudding (rather than pie, because of a suet-like quality) and, in time, biltong. Then comes roast chestnut and, finally, dried orange peel. Water brings the oak forward, adding a slightly twiggy quality, and while you lose that density, there is now the aroma of an old antique shop.

Unsurprisingly, there’s a thick, rich and generous start, with pricks of citrus and spice rub before the meatiness returns (it’s now mole sauce). Water takes things in a more savoury direction, but now you get some sweet, wet grassiness, then the bitter orange.

Gentian and dry grass. Slightly greasy.

Bold, if not massively complex. Completely bonkers, but very Ben Nevis.

Creates a huge Reverberation in the chest.

Dave Broom

Onion skin in colour. Slightly shy, with light touches of fresh fruit, then a little apricot stone and, in time, figs, black cherry and an earthy quality. Water brings out more strawberry, but the rooty dustiness remains.

Precise, dry and slightly heathery to start with, before picking up fruit tea and blackcurrant (leaf and fruit). It seems slightly stunned at being taken out of one cask and put into another, and only shakes itself together on the back-palate, where you get carrot cake and some raisin. Dilution brings red cherry and marzipan, while the wood starts to tighten its grip.

Ripe fruits.

Pleasant, but a sense that things aren’t quite integrated.

Goes this way, then that. A proper Roller Coaster.

Dave Broom

A chunkily sweet offering, with lots of dried blue fruit, energy bar and touches of cooked plum and raspberry, alongside date, apple skin and pecan. Altogether bolder than the Bual finish. Remains thick and fruity even when water is added, with similar stone fruit kernels and rooty elements to the Bual, as the distillery begins to muscle its way in.

Rounded and quite heavy. Some prune elements, stewed plum, touches of heather and thick grape concentrate. There’s a balancing, lightly drying quality on the mid-palate. Water amplifies the vinous elements, with added dark fruits.

Dark and slightly earthy fruit.

Good integration and balance between the finishing cask and distillery character.

Sometimes it pays off to Mess Around.

Dave Broom

Chewy to start with: all boiled sweets, hints of agave syrup, warm barley straw and lemon, before it relaxes into ridiculously waxy fruits. Pillow-soft, with overripe peach, the lightly acidic element of passionfruit then, in time, a mixture of anise and banoffee pie. The addition of water reveals its mature elements, along with added sandalwood, dried apricot, marzipan/Bakewell tart and those tropical fruits.

Soft and unctuous. It smooths its way in, trailing lightly fragrant oolong tea, mango lassi and then tobacco. It sweetens rather than dries as it progresses. In time, you get bruised peaches and super-ripe mango. Superb balance and, even at 60%, is magnificently drinkable. Water helps to reveal supple tannins, Greek yoghurt with pine honey, kiwi fruit and yet more of the peachiness.

Long and elegant, with lemon and cooked fruits.

A phenomenal dram. Adelphi does it again.

One sip and I’ve Got Levitation.

Dave Broom

Sweetly spiced, with candied ginger and cinnamon swirled into vanilla custard with cooked green apples. There’s a nutty element from roasted hazelnuts in the centre, while a soft, floral breeze of orange blossom and manuka honey gives a refreshing lift.

Dry spices from the ex-oloroso Sherry casks warm the tongue, with more of that cinnamon and ginger playing with anise. Rich and chewy, it coats the mouth with orange-flavoured toffee, smooth milk chocolate and freshly-grated nutmeg.

A touch dry, with a tingle from those warm baking spices.

A well-choreographed dance between light wood spices and Sherry sweetness. One to pick up if you find yourself travelling through Dubai, or at the Macallan distillery.

A hazy, summer afternoon spent Lazing amongst the wildflowers.

Becky Paskin

One of those slightly flowery Mortlachs, mixing that fragrance with tinned bamboo shoots, grass, mint cordial, rosemary and lemon. There’s a touch of jasmine, but also a slightly perfume-like quality that starts a little like Dior Eau Sauvage, but heads towards cleaning products. With water there’s more of a stony quality, with unripe pear/juice. Intriguing.

Intense, and while there’s a suggestion of sweetness, the lack of any great wood influence means there’s pretty fierce alcohol, resulting in it being slightly hard to get into. Add some water and you can get cool mint and lemon on the tip, sugared almond in the middle, and then the floral notes, though you lose the bracing heat; the dilution also eliminates any complexity.

Hot, tight and fizzy. Lacks maturity.

Under certain conditions Mortlach can switch from meaty/sulphury to floral. This is an example of this phenomenon, making it fascinating from a geeky point of view, though it really should have been left in the cask for a few more years.

A distortion of a Familiar Reality.

Dave Broom