Mortlach Rare Old

Mortlach Rare Old is a fancy looking scotch that comes in a very nice display box. It's listed at 43.4%. Mortlach Rare Old looks really good, and we've heard that's part of it's problem. Its interesting too that this doesn't have any list of year and "Rare Old" is actually the lower tiered one of their branding. It might be rare and old but everything else is maybe older and rarer... or at least more expensive. We've seen other comments about it only being 500ml rather than your standard 750ml, but the one we got in Canada, in its fancy box is 750ml. At $99.99 it sits as being expensive, but there are plenty of others that are more expensive.

The nose starts off with overripe apples mixed with sultana. But further in there's orange zest, ginger, and a little chocolate feel. Hints of sweetness and caramel.

The fruitiness continues on the palette, but combining into a dried fruit taste which intermixes with the sweetness of chocolate. We thought there might even be a very subtle taste of pineapple, but if there is, its sitting back there hidden behind everything else, with a bit of oak and orange zest blending it all out.

The finish bursts with  sweet cinnamon that intermixes with ginger notes. There's almonds and dried fruit with the sweetness coming through to make it almost candied fruit. Definitely very sweet and if you search further there may be some middle eastern spices and a heavy sweetness reminiscent slightly of baklava. In the end, the oak again makes an appearance, and begins to dominate the more you drink it.

Overall a very interesting scotch with lots of layers, but perhaps not worth the price, in that there are other less expensive ones that offer everything this one has and more. Maybe if you want to impress someone with this as a gift, you'll look extravagant and the taste won't disappoint.

Although enjoyable, we don't think this will be one we'll be buying again.