 Dufftown
boasts several distilleries and includes Mortlach, its oldest
which was officially licensed the year of the Excise Tax in
1823. The exact year Mortlach was founded is not known, however,
we do know James Findlater along with his friends Donald McIntosch
and Alexander Gordon are responsible for its creation. Glenfiddich
was the second distillery established in Dufftown by William
Grant in 1887. He had been a Mortlach employee for about 20
years when he turned in his notice in 1886. Feeling as though
he knew
enough about the industry, he set out to build his own distillery.
Mortlach was under
the ownership of J & J Grant of Glen Grant for awhile. They
removed the distilling equipment and the distillery lay silent.
During this time, it was utilized as a church and then as a
brewery. Eventually in 1852 it was re-equipped as a distillery
by John Gordon and started producing "The Real John Gordon".
In 1853 John took on George Cowie as his partner. When Gordon
passed away in 1867, Cowie was left as the sole owner. Cowie
was also a surveyor
for the railway companies and later became the provost (mayor)
of Dufftown. His son, Alexander Mitchell Cowie was responsible
for a railway which connected Mortlach to the Dufftown station.
After Cowie's son died during WWI in 1917, the distillery,
which was the largest in the area at that time, was sold in
1923 to John Walker & Sons. It has since become a part of
the Diageo portfolio. Mortlach is an important contributor to
Johnnie Walker Red Label.
 Mortlach
is unique in its way of having a very strange distilling process.
The three wash stills and three spirit stills are all of different
and unusual sizes and they're not paired off. This complicated
process however, produces a top quality spirit which is full
bodied and considered to be one of the best in Speyside.
|
MORTLACH
16 YEAR OLD
FLORA & FAUNA SINGLE MALT SCOTCH |
Nose:
Flowery. A suggestion of peppermint. Black chocolate? Mint crisp?
Palate: Memorable for its challenging complexity
and subtlety.
Flavours beautifully combined. A touch of sherry. Dances on the
tounge.
Finish: Smooth, dry smokiness. Very long.
Overall: A great malt that is enigmatic.
Tasted
by Michael Jackson |
MortlachWhisky
Distillery
The Mortlach Whisky
Distillery |
The Mortlach Distillery has played many roles during its lifetime.
It started as a distillery, then was utilized by a local members
of a church for services while their church was being built,
operated as a brewery and then back to a distillery. This
active distillery produces 2,800, 000 litres a year. It has
three wash stills and three spirit stills which are considered
unusual since they are of different sizes and not paired off.
It's a complex process of combining the distillates for two
spirit safes. This set up has to be maintained so the characteristics
of Mortlach goes unchanged.
In 1898 electric lighting was installed as well as a hydraulic
lift system in the warehouses which was used to lift casks
and other material to upper floors.
A new distillery was built in 1964, but it kept the original
turn-of-the-centry style. It was constructed mainly within
the original building exterior and two pagodas were added.
The malting floors were used until 1968, but the worm tubs
are still being used.
In the late 1990s, computers were added for the process and
in 1996, new Lauter mashtuns were installed. Mortlach's water
source is from the Conval Hills.
The Mortlach Distillery does not have a visitors centre. |
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