Mortlach 11 Years Old 2002 76.108 Raspberry Ruffles (57.9%, SMWS, 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel, 235 Bottles, 2013)

• 57.9% ABV, outturn 235 bottles,
• £48 for 70cl
• Score: 72/100

What they say:

Cask No. 76.108

A very interesting nose; vibrant, fresh, fizzy, fragrant and fruity – all at once. Green apples, peaches with vanilla custard, orange and lime flavoured refreshers, sherbet lemon, fresh cut grass and in the background an aroma of menthol cigarettes. On the palate hot, fresh, minty and sweet, all sensations rather than flavours but you will not get bored. Eventually rhubarb flavoured boiled sweets, freshly pealed apple skins and a dark chocolate Bounty Bar. With water sweet and fruity; cherries, bananas, mangos and pineapples and Raspberry Ruffles (chocolate covered coconut and raspberry fondant creams). The taste is soft and fruity, nicely balanced with sweet cereal notes and a hint of macadamia and hazelnuts – very interesting indeed.

Drinking tip: On a walk with or without following a little white ball

Date Distilled: 25 April 2002            
Colour: Classic yellow topaz
Age: 11 years
Flavour : Young & spritely
Cask Type: First fill ex-bourbon barrel
Whisky Region: Speyside Spey

What we say:

Dram #3 of the WOLS SMWS tasting, from the Mortlach distillery (SMWS distillery #76)

Colour:

Very pale gold

Nose:

Solvent [Isopropanol], green apples and dry hay/grass

Taste:

Vanilla custard with white chocolate and nutty [hazelnut] flavours

Finish:

Dry, prickly spices then strong vaporous taste of menthol cigarettes that relaxes into freshmint toothpaste

Overall:

Different, once we picked out the menthol cigarettes, this became a little pervading of the whole dram