MORTLACH THE SINGING STILLS: MORTLACH 47-YEAR-OLD

WHISKY’S BEST KEPT SECRET

Mortlach release a 47-Year-Old single malt: the oldest ever bottling direct from the Mortlach distillery 

In April, Mortlach will unveil the oldest and most precious secret from their distillery, Mortlach 47-Year-Old. Mortlach 47 is the first in The Singing Stills series, a bold new collection of incredibly rare single cask expressions drawn from the final three casks of 1971.

Distilled and matured by the experts and unmoved from its original warehouse since 1971, Mortlach 47 is the oldest ever bottling direct from the Mortlach distillery. The first cask yielded a total of only 94 bottles, which will be released through a global online registration to satisfy the anticipated demand from collectors. Launching on 9^th April, Justerini & Brooks, rare and collectable wine and spirits merchants and Royal Warrant holders since 1761, will exclusively oversee the registration, where whisky connoisseurs can submit their interest to purchase a bottle, recommended retail selling price £10,000 in the United Kingdom.

On the eve of the opening of the global registration, the Mortlach whisky experts will first share with a select few, this treasured secret from their distillery. On 9^th April in two cities across the globe, London and Singapore, 47 people will be amongst the first to taste the subtle and intriguing complexity of Mortlach 47, in an exclusive tasting experience. A small number of places will be held back, reserved for those that want to experience the secret the most. To be a part of the 47, enthusiasts of Mortlach can register their interest online at exceptionalwhisky.com.

Mortlach has to date been considered a closely guarded secret of the whisky world. Revered as ‘The Beast of Dufftown’ for its rich character, Mortlach has a very unique distillation process. Since 1896 Mortlach has been precisely 2.81 times distilled, it is a mysterious method simply called ‘The Way’, made even more curious by the whimsical hum reverberating from the copper stills. The Singing Stills series celebrates the mysterious notes coming from the stills and the unusual robust character of Mortlach, which sets the liquid apart from the sweet and mellow style of other Speyside whiskies.

The sound of the stills is as distinctive to the distillery as the taste of the whisky. To bring this to life, celebrated contemporary composer, Alexis Ffrench has created a piece of original music, inspired by the hum of the stills. The soulful melody will be played for the first time on 9^th April at the launch experience in London and Singapore, and sound the opening of the global registration.

A further one bottle of Mortlach 47 will be exclusively available, ahead of the global registration opening, in an auction for charity by Bonham’s HK on 25^th March. All the money raised from the private event will go to the chosen charity partner, Daughters of Tomorrow.

Ewan Gunn, Global Mortlach Ambassador comments, “This Mortlach 47 Year Old, is an exquisite Single Malt Scotch Whisky. In a region generally known for its smoother, gentler style of whisky, Mortlach’s exceptional bold and complex flavours, bridge the gap between mellow and smoky. Authentic in character, Mortlach 47 has a velvety body with notes of honey, hot toasted wood and dark chocolate with a buttery smoothness, a prelude to a delicate, lightly perfumed finish.” 

This extremely limited 47-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky will be exquisitely presented in a bespoke glass bottle with stand out angular shoulders and enclosed in a royal blue case. It is a seamless addition to the finest of whisky collections around the globe.

NOTES:

• The UK (domestic), RSP of £10,000 per 70cl bottle.
• ABV 46.8%
• Mortlach 47 Year Old will be available exclusively via a global online registration on Justerini & Brooks website (com/Mortlach1971Release) from 9^th April 2019 for a period of two weeks
• Justerini & Brooks online registration opening: 00:00 GMT on 9^th April until 18:00 GMT on 23^rd April
• Consumers can register their interest to be one of 47 to attend the global launch of Mortlach 47 on 9^th April, in London or Singapore, via com. Open from 19^th– 31^st March, those allocated a limited space will be notified on 1^st April.
• The bottle auctioned by Bonham’s HK, on 25^th March, will be bottle number 8
• There will be further releases of Mortlach from The Singing Stills series. Details TBC.
• Tasting Notes:
• Colour: Polished copper
• Nose: Aromatic and exotic with orchard and tropical fruits followed by honey and waxy notes. Subtle spice notes emerge with sage, rosemary, incense and myrrh followed by a faint touch of smoke
• Body: Medium to rich
• Palate: Soft, ripe fruits with an intriguing combination of sweet and sour notes – umeshu plums and peaches are both present. These are balanced by firm tannins and a rich earthiness with just a little smoke
• Finish: Earthy and spicy with a touch of wood ash

ABOUT MORTLACH

Mortlach distillery was founded in 1823 by James Findlater and his two partners Donald McIntosh and Alexander Gordon. In 1852 the distillery was reopened by John Gordon after a few silent years, then in 1854 Gordon took on George Cowie as a partner, creating John Gordon & Co. Cowie became the sole owner when John Gordon died in 1867.

Dr. Alexander Cowie oversaw the very first spirit distillation, through a completely unique and fiendishly complex process, which he used his scientific acumen to craft. He was not a distiller by trade and had not long returned from a posting in the exotic climes of Hong Kong, where he spent five years practicing medicine. After the untimely death of his brother, he returned to run Dufftown’s oldest distillery with his father George, who learned the craft of distilling after a career carving the great Scottish railways into the rugged landscape as an engineer, before becoming the owner of the Mortlach distillery. George bestowed it all to Alexander when he died, and Alexander doubled the stills his father left him.