Mortlach 45 Years Old 1936 (Gordon & MacPhail)

Gordon & MacPhail, the Elgin house founded in 1895 and a long-standing Mortlach bottler, drew this 45 Year Old, a 1936 vintage. The first legal distillery in Dufftown, Mortlach builds its meaty weight through low-copper worm tubs and the 2.81 distillation, and has anchored Johnnie Walker for a century.

Forty-five years in ex-Bourbon carried the dense Mortlach spirit to a profound, savoury maturity, long oxidation bringing leather, beeswax, old wood and worn fruit.

At 40% it shows cooked fruit, a leafy note and leather. Mortlach at full weight.