As I've given up on Arbeg, Diageo, Macallan etc over the last few years, I've continued to find excellent value in G&M. I love how they tend to keep the abv high even on their well aged releases, they must have some amazing casks and micro-climate over there in Elgin! I have a bottle of the Dailuaine 2008 open, it's a really dark, espresso, chocolate monster. The Mortlach 1989 was a stunner, but (assuming we got the same sample kit😉) wait until you try the Pulteney 1982. Absolute showstopper. My only complaint is the huge price jump from the Connoisseur's Choice "lower" range to the "higher" range with the wooden box....it's out of my budget. Oh well. Looking forward to more G&M reviews!
I'm with you on the micro-climate and cask! Early 80's whisky still up above 55%!? Great casks and a very cool, stable warehousing climate I would assume. Glad you got the Dailuaine 2008, it seemed an absolute no brainer for the price. Tremendously enjoyable whisky even if it wasn't terribly complicated. Can't wait to try the 1982 Pulteney, it sounds right up my alley. And I'm with you on price. I own about 15-20 G&M C.C. bottlings, none of them are the wooden box type as I just can't stretch that far. Here's hoping there's more people like you who want the G&M reviews! Cheers Sascha 🥃
I feel that 2024 is going to be a great year for you & for the channel...Great to have this Mortlach on your glass ! Cheers ! And I know the "old library' feel perfectly...You won't believe me but Mortlach distillery has yet to enter in my collection, despite I have 96 other Scottish distilleries in it. I don't know why really...I missed a few opportunities of buying some 20 yo + indie CS a while ago, now prices are too high for that probably, and I'm still not convinced value wise that the OBs I've tried are at the level of these indies most often...We'll see...Blair Athol & Mortlach are among the purchase priorities list for distilleries I don't have yet, but I have to say that this is getting really tough now because of the increasing quality of World Whiskies these last years & for instance my top priority distillery to buy something from in 2024 is not a Scottish one but a Dutch one (hence my video about Millstone). Cheers !
Thanks Greg, I'm looing forward to what 2024 has in store. It's astounding that Mortlach has yet to enter your whisky library, though many samples I'm sure. It does make it seem futile to try and catch up knowing what was once available and feeling like you've missed out on it. Mortlach prices do seem generally too high these days. I was sipping on the OB Mortlach 16 in the background during the review and can confirm it is much gentler than the IB presentations. Less Beast of Dufftown and more friendly yet forgettable acquaintance of Dufftown, and yet it has its place. On your purchasing priorities Millstone is getting a ton of recognition lately. Been hearing good things about their sherried drams, including a reportedly "insanely good" 25 year old Sherry. Very interested to try more Millstone. Hope you've got over your cold and 2024 is off to an optomistic start. Cheers Greg 🥃
Thanks Matt@@whiskyonthewestcoast yep not even sure I have one or more than one Mortlach sample...I stopped keeping written track of my samples on a special list a while ago, and it's probably a mistake (while of course I have my tasting notes sheets for each normally, so gotta check out a lot of boxes almost each time (also due to lack of space to organize it better) or my files to remember what I have. Millstone wise, I'm waiting for some 2023 samples to arrive this month to see if they match the insane quality of the old ones I have, especially for the sherry & rye proposals, and if it is so I assure you it'll be a must-buy & game changer for many people saying they love sherried whiskies but for many who haven't tried those old school real sherry casks from yesteryear...Yep health wise, I'm currently on a marathon of exams as it might be more serious than a bronchitis, so we'll see in a few weeks why my doctor was worried (...). Cheers !
Love sour raisen, big tobacco, meaty whisky. Also, I love Mortlach. So much. This sounded fun, and at $1300, yep, not going to pick up a bottle, but fun to try. Cheers!
They are tasting notes that will always pique my attention! Sounds like this was right up your alley right up until the price, which means we are squarely in the same boat haha. Hope a Mortlach like this finds its way on your desk someday soon Jon. Cheers Neighbour 🥃
Funny you launched this video; was just thinking about how few G&M bottles I run into here in Seattle , and in other places I go. So recently ordered some G&M stuff to be sent to me. Really excited about what they will be like. High hopes!
Oh really curious to see what you managed to pick up! I've yet be be truly let down by the C.C. line. Looking forward to seeing some posts about it up on Instagram when you crack 'em! Cheers eh! 🥃
Haha, Likewise Kirby, I bunkered the same number of bottles. I have a 1988 26 year old Highland Park open right now so those bottles can wait for down the road. Glad you scooped those ones up! Cheers man 🥃
Great notes! It’s fantastic to get a first hand take on a unicorn bottle like that. I need more G&M in my collection. I have been thinking about one of their mid-teens sherry cask Caol Ila’s… Cheers, Matt!
Thanks Sheldon! Yeah, it's tempting to just sit back and appreciate whiskies like this one, but I felt it would be worth sharing, so I'm glad you enjoyed it! I think I understand why you're considering those bottles of Caol Ila though. Most consistent distillery in Scotland? Check. Sweet + Peat Sherried Islay profile? Check. Bottler with an outstanding track record? Check. My only hesitation is that Caol Ila bottlings, across the board, have started climbing in price as of late. Hoping that doesn't become a trend. Cheers buddy 🥃
I've currently got 26 open Gordon & MacPhail bottles (not counting Benromachs or Cairns), 1 closed (a gift for someone I haven't yet been able to deliver) and 2 emptied. I suppose the two that mean the most to me are the 1997 Cask Strength Clynelish that I often refer to as "Grandpa's piano stool" (because it reminds me of the beeswax polish he used to use) and a 39-year-old 1972 heavily-sherried Caperdonich. I have been lucky enough to taste the Glen Grant 1956 62-year-old Mr George Centenary Edition, but couldn't afford £5,000.00 for a bottle...
Andrew, I think you are the king of opened bottles! That's an impressive stack of G&M bottlings! You've got me beat. My G&M stocks are 5 open bottles and 12 unopened with the oldest being a 1995 Highland Park 27 year old. I love the story on the 1997 Clynelish. It's so cool that whiskies like that one can evoke a memory of you grandfather in such a way. A 1972 39 year old Caperdonich is next level though. I have heard that Glen Grant is something special with age and I'm sure they would have picked a great cask for that Mr. George Centenary release, what a whisky. Glad you got to try such an incredible piece of liquid history. Cheers Andrew 🥃
Lucky man! I've had a few G&M, some I liked more than others. The problem is that you are seldom able to try before you buy and they can be very expensive, making it extremely risky. Enjoy your tasting, looking forward to seeing what you pick up.
Definitely feel lucky. That is the difficulty isn't it. By the time you get to try the bottles are usually already gone. But I have had very few duds in the G&M C.C. line so I buy with confidence if the price is right. One upper hand we happen to have in Canada is that because we are often some of the last to receive bottlings it means that by the time it goes on sale we usually have a dearth of reviews to rely on. Cheers Pete 🥃
I'm just finishing up my 14y G&M Mortlach. Very similar leather notes but I imagine yours must be much deeper XD Looking forward to this series and seeing a recap of the whisky festival =)
You got that G&M Mortlach 14 at a great price man, and it sounds like exactly what you want from Mortlach. Hoping to remember enough of the festival to be able to recap it haha. We'll see how well I survive. Cheers Hex 🥃
Sounds fantastic is it something I’ll be getting absolutely not. I have a 150 cap on alcohol so this isn’t going on my counter ever. Great review though. Glad you enjoyed it. Enjoy!!
Glad the review was enjoyable, even if this isn't a bottle that either of us will be paying for anytime soon. It's good to stick to a cap and a budget. I kept pushing mine higher but this bottle is still more than double my absolute max. Still, hell of a whisky. I'd pay a good amount in a whisky bar for a pour. Cheers Scott 🥃
Sorry that I'm so far behind on this. I'll always respond....but buying a house has been the priority haha. The exact Caol Ila I was referencing was the Gordon & Macphail 1997 Caol Ila 23 year old bottled at 59.9% from a 1st fill Sherry Butt, cask number 12494. It was great stuff. Don't imagine there would be many bottles of this one left as it was bottled in 2021 and was largely available during 2022/2023. Hope this helps clear it up though! Cheers Gordon! 🥃
Ontario and many markets already see a significant drop in scotch purchasing , tight economy and 2/week recommendation u know - so, the trend may ACTUALLY reverse for buying casks for OTHER indies, such as Signatory, Rudd bro., Adelphi, D. Lang, M McDavid, . . . and see MORE bottlings from them, instead. My G&M stock is all pre-2008, and I love them all. Alas, G&M will be harder to find moving forth . . . they way of the new world, I guess.
I certainly see the industry getting shaken up a bit by changing spending habits as you're suggesting. I do wonder if the IB's will cost average the expensive casks with the deals they are getting or what their strategy will be to make the transition through the more expensive stock. Glad you're still sitting on a good number of G&M's, and I'm glad we both can look forward to what is to come from other IB's. Cheers man 🥃
I wish I was drinking the whiskies you have, they must be incredible to make the CC's very average. If we were discussing the G&M Discovery Series I'd certainly be in agreement. For my experience I've had some truly excellent G&M CC whiskies that came well under the 300£ mark. But hey, that's why we all get involved in the conversation, to add our 2 cents. Thanks for the comment. Cheers eh! 🥃
Solid score. Cheers
Thanks Rob! When I gave such a big score I did have to wonder where it would rank in your new scoring system. Cheers buddy 🥃
As I've given up on Arbeg, Diageo, Macallan etc over the last few years, I've continued to find excellent value in G&M.
I love how they tend to keep the abv high even on their well aged releases, they must have some amazing casks and micro-climate over there in Elgin!
I have a bottle of the Dailuaine 2008 open, it's a really dark, espresso, chocolate monster.
The Mortlach 1989 was a stunner, but (assuming we got the same sample kit😉) wait until you try the Pulteney 1982. Absolute showstopper.
My only complaint is the huge price jump from the Connoisseur's Choice "lower" range to the "higher" range with the wooden box....it's out of my budget. Oh well.
Looking forward to more G&M reviews!
I'm with you on the micro-climate and cask! Early 80's whisky still up above 55%!? Great casks and a very cool, stable warehousing climate I would assume. Glad you got the Dailuaine 2008, it seemed an absolute no brainer for the price. Tremendously enjoyable whisky even if it wasn't terribly complicated. Can't wait to try the 1982 Pulteney, it sounds right up my alley. And I'm with you on price. I own about 15-20 G&M C.C. bottlings, none of them are the wooden box type as I just can't stretch that far. Here's hoping there's more people like you who want the G&M reviews! Cheers Sascha 🥃
I feel that 2024 is going to be a great year for you & for the channel...Great to have this Mortlach on your glass ! Cheers ! And I know the "old library' feel perfectly...You won't believe me but Mortlach distillery has yet to enter in my collection, despite I have 96 other Scottish distilleries in it. I don't know why really...I missed a few opportunities of buying some 20 yo + indie CS a while ago, now prices are too high for that probably, and I'm still not convinced value wise that the OBs I've tried are at the level of these indies most often...We'll see...Blair Athol & Mortlach are among the purchase priorities list for distilleries I don't have yet, but I have to say that this is getting really tough now because of the increasing quality of World Whiskies these last years & for instance my top priority distillery to buy something from in 2024 is not a Scottish one but a Dutch one (hence my video about Millstone). Cheers !
Thanks Greg, I'm looing forward to what 2024 has in store. It's astounding that Mortlach has yet to enter your whisky library, though many samples I'm sure. It does make it seem futile to try and catch up knowing what was once available and feeling like you've missed out on it. Mortlach prices do seem generally too high these days. I was sipping on the OB Mortlach 16 in the background during the review and can confirm it is much gentler than the IB presentations. Less Beast of Dufftown and more friendly yet forgettable acquaintance of Dufftown, and yet it has its place. On your purchasing priorities Millstone is getting a ton of recognition lately. Been hearing good things about their sherried drams, including a reportedly "insanely good" 25 year old Sherry. Very interested to try more Millstone. Hope you've got over your cold and 2024 is off to an optomistic start. Cheers Greg 🥃
Thanks Matt@@whiskyonthewestcoast yep not even sure I have one or more than one Mortlach sample...I stopped keeping written track of my samples on a special list a while ago, and it's probably a mistake (while of course I have my tasting notes sheets for each normally, so gotta check out a lot of boxes almost each time (also due to lack of space to organize it better) or my files to remember what I have. Millstone wise, I'm waiting for some 2023 samples to arrive this month to see if they match the insane quality of the old ones I have, especially for the sherry & rye proposals, and if it is so I assure you it'll be a must-buy & game changer for many people saying they love sherried whiskies but for many who haven't tried those old school real sherry casks from yesteryear...Yep health wise, I'm currently on a marathon of exams as it might be more serious than a bronchitis, so we'll see in a few weeks why my doctor was worried (...). Cheers !
Contemplating buying this for my boyfriend’s 31st birthday. He loves whiskey. I got him a Glenfarclas 30 last year which he loved
Love sour raisen, big tobacco, meaty whisky. Also, I love Mortlach. So much. This sounded fun, and at $1300, yep, not going to pick up a bottle, but fun to try. Cheers!
They are tasting notes that will always pique my attention! Sounds like this was right up your alley right up until the price, which means we are squarely in the same boat haha. Hope a Mortlach like this finds its way on your desk someday soon Jon. Cheers Neighbour 🥃
@@whiskyonthewestcoast Thanks. Enjoy the Victoria whisky festival!
Funny you launched this video; was just thinking about how few G&M bottles I run into here in Seattle , and in other places I go. So recently ordered some G&M stuff to be sent to me. Really excited about what they will be like. High hopes!
Oh really curious to see what you managed to pick up! I've yet be be truly let down by the C.C. line. Looking forward to seeing some posts about it up on Instagram when you crack 'em! Cheers eh! 🥃
I have two of those Gordon and macphail 1995 highland park. I can’t wait to open one but it will probably be a while.
Haha, Likewise Kirby, I bunkered the same number of bottles. I have a 1988 26 year old Highland Park open right now so those bottles can wait for down the road. Glad you scooped those ones up! Cheers man 🥃
Great notes! It’s fantastic to get a first hand take on a unicorn bottle like that. I need more G&M in my collection. I have been thinking about one of their mid-teens sherry cask Caol Ila’s… Cheers, Matt!
Thanks Sheldon! Yeah, it's tempting to just sit back and appreciate whiskies like this one, but I felt it would be worth sharing, so I'm glad you enjoyed it! I think I understand why you're considering those bottles of Caol Ila though. Most consistent distillery in Scotland? Check. Sweet + Peat Sherried Islay profile? Check. Bottler with an outstanding track record? Check. My only hesitation is that Caol Ila bottlings, across the board, have started climbing in price as of late. Hoping that doesn't become a trend. Cheers buddy 🥃
Big fan, best independent bottler for sure👍🏻
Yeah man, no one does it better in my books as well. Cheers 🥃
I've currently got 26 open Gordon & MacPhail bottles (not counting Benromachs or Cairns), 1 closed (a gift for someone I haven't yet been able to deliver) and 2 emptied.
I suppose the two that mean the most to me are the 1997 Cask Strength Clynelish that I often refer to as "Grandpa's piano stool" (because it reminds me of the beeswax polish he used to use) and a 39-year-old 1972 heavily-sherried Caperdonich. I have been lucky enough to taste the Glen Grant 1956 62-year-old Mr George Centenary Edition, but couldn't afford £5,000.00 for a bottle...
Andrew, I think you are the king of opened bottles! That's an impressive stack of G&M bottlings! You've got me beat. My G&M stocks are 5 open bottles and 12 unopened with the oldest being a 1995 Highland Park 27 year old.
I love the story on the 1997 Clynelish. It's so cool that whiskies like that one can evoke a memory of you grandfather in such a way. A 1972 39 year old Caperdonich is next level though. I have heard that Glen Grant is something special with age and I'm sure they would have picked a great cask for that Mr. George Centenary release, what a whisky. Glad you got to try such an incredible piece of liquid history. Cheers Andrew 🥃
Lucky man! I've had a few G&M, some I liked more than others. The problem is that you are seldom able to try before you buy and they can be very expensive, making it extremely risky. Enjoy your tasting, looking forward to seeing what you pick up.
Definitely feel lucky. That is the difficulty isn't it. By the time you get to try the bottles are usually already gone. But I have had very few duds in the G&M C.C. line so I buy with confidence if the price is right. One upper hand we happen to have in Canada is that because we are often some of the last to receive bottlings it means that by the time it goes on sale we usually have a dearth of reviews to rely on. Cheers Pete 🥃
I'm just finishing up my 14y G&M Mortlach. Very similar leather notes but I imagine yours must be much deeper XD
Looking forward to this series and seeing a recap of the whisky festival =)
You got that G&M Mortlach 14 at a great price man, and it sounds like exactly what you want from Mortlach. Hoping to remember enough of the festival to be able to recap it haha. We'll see how well I survive. Cheers Hex 🥃
Sounds fantastic is it something I’ll be getting absolutely not. I have a 150 cap on alcohol so this isn’t going on my counter ever. Great review though. Glad you enjoyed it. Enjoy!!
Glad the review was enjoyable, even if this isn't a bottle that either of us will be paying for anytime soon. It's good to stick to a cap and a budget. I kept pushing mine higher but this bottle is still more than double my absolute max. Still, hell of a whisky. I'd pay a good amount in a whisky bar for a pour. Cheers Scott 🥃
Matt which call ila 1997 did you mean at the 447 mark? Whisky base has three 1997’s
Sorry that I'm so far behind on this. I'll always respond....but buying a house has been the priority haha. The exact Caol Ila I was referencing was the Gordon & Macphail 1997 Caol Ila 23 year old bottled at 59.9% from a 1st fill Sherry Butt, cask number 12494. It was great stuff. Don't imagine there would be many bottles of this one left as it was bottled in 2021 and was largely available during 2022/2023. Hope this helps clear it up though! Cheers Gordon! 🥃
Nice one Matt, an older Mortlach is good, an older Mortlach from G&M is gooooooood :)
According to my research, *checks score*, you are correct! Haha, Cheers buddy 🥃
Ontario and many markets already see a significant drop in scotch purchasing , tight economy and 2/week recommendation u know - so, the trend may ACTUALLY reverse for buying casks for OTHER indies, such as Signatory, Rudd bro., Adelphi, D. Lang, M McDavid, . . . and see MORE bottlings from them, instead. My G&M stock is all pre-2008, and I love them all. Alas, G&M will be harder to find moving forth . . . they way of the new world, I guess.
I certainly see the industry getting shaken up a bit by changing spending habits as you're suggesting. I do wonder if the IB's will cost average the expensive casks with the deals they are getting or what their strategy will be to make the transition through the more expensive stock. Glad you're still sitting on a good number of G&M's, and I'm glad we both can look forward to what is to come from other IB's. Cheers man 🥃
Lucky you 👍
Certainly feel lucky to have this come across my desk. Still, a solar system away from affording a bottle like this. Cheers John 🥃
The regular connoisseur choice, below 300£ is very average whisky
I wish I was drinking the whiskies you have, they must be incredible to make the CC's very average. If we were discussing the G&M Discovery Series I'd certainly be in agreement. For my experience I've had some truly excellent G&M CC whiskies that came well under the 300£ mark. But hey, that's why we all get involved in the conversation, to add our 2 cents. Thanks for the comment. Cheers eh! 🥃