Whisky: Mortlach 14 Year Old Alexander’s Way
Producer: Diageo
Distillery: Mortlach Distillery
Region: Dufftown, Speyside
Whisky Type: Single Malt (100% malted barley)
Age: 14 years
ABV: 43.4%
Aged in Cask: re-fill American oak, re-fill European oak
Price Range: $$

Mortlach distillery is located in Dufftown, Speyside. It was founded in 1823 by James Findlater and is one of the oldest working distilleries in Scotland.

The distillery changed ownership for over a century until John Walker & Sons purchased the distillery in 1923 before becoming part of the Distillers Company Limited (the predecessor of Diageo).

Mortlach 14 Year Old Alexander’s Way is a Speyside single malt aged in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, refilled and bottled at 43.4% ABV. It honors one of its owners Alexander Cowie, credited for positioning Mortlach in the 1850s as a blending malt and creating its own distilling process (distill at 2.81 times) as indicated on the label.

The flavor profile of Mortlach is that of a robust, meaty, and savory style single malt attributed to its tiny still the “Wee Witchie” (check my review here). Official bottlings include the 12, 16, and 20 Year Old, with the 14 Year Old only available at airports (Travel Retail Exclusive).

How can Mortlach be distilled 2.81 times?
The way Mortlach distillery uses its wash and spirit stills is different from other distilleries. A total of six stills, three wash stills, and three spirit stills create three streams of low and high wines to arrive at almost three distillations. Here is how it works:

• Spirit Stream 1: Wash Still/Spirit Still pair create your conventional distillation of new make spirit for distillation 1.
• Spirit Stream 2: Two wash stills create the first distillations for spirit streams 2 and 3. Then 80% of the wash from these stills goes into the spirit still 2 in the second stream, while the rest (20%) goes to the third spirit stream.
• Spirit Stream 3: 20% of the wash goes to the tiny spirit still known as the “Wee Witchie” to be distilled three times, resulting in the third stream of new make.

Combine all three spirit streams using an old-school worm tub condenser, and the result is a rich and bold style that sets the distillery apart from other distilleries in Speyside to earn the nickname “The Beast of Dufftown”.

Tasting Notes for Mortlach 14 Year Old Alexander’s Way

Nose: Aromas o dried fruits, caramel, lemon, and barley. The aromas of sherry are more pronounced than those of bourbon.

Palate: A sherry arrival with cinnamon, leather, tobacco, caramel, and oak spices. Light-bodied for a Mortlach, but enjoyable.

Finish: Medium and spicy. Flavors of ginger, pepper, and oak.

Conclusion: Having tried the 12 Year Old, I did not expect Alexander’s Way to be the rich and bold malt, so I was not disappointed. Quite the opposite, I found great attributes in this malt that will take the flavors to the next level in older bottlings.

How does Alexander’s Way compare to Mortach 12 Year Old? Alexanders’ Way leans toward spicy flavors, while the 12 Year Old expression centers around fruit and floral flavors. Both expressions are good entry level malts. Slainte!

Score: 3.5/5⭐

Don’t forget to check my pics on Instagram.

Legend
$50 or less $
$51-$100 $$
$101-$150 $$$
$151 or more $$$$