Mortlach – 43 Year Old 1978/2021 Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection Cask 996 (70cl, 47.4%)

This is a Mortlach single malt from Speyside, matured for 43 years in a single refill American hogshead, cask 996. It was distilled on 8 February 1978 and bottled on 3 December 2021 by Gordon & MacPhail for its Private Collection, in which members of the Urquhart family select especially long-matured casks. The cask gave 99 bottles of 70cl, filled at its natural cask strength of 47.4%, non-chill-filtered and without added colouring. The nose combines sweet Seville oranges, pineapple and a touch of pickled quince, with candied violets, lime, hazelnuts and black pepper. On the palate come ripe red apples, dark honey and gentle ginger. The finish is full and lightly spicy, with lingering citrus and aniseed.