This is one of four new Mortlach distillery bottlings to be released in July of 2014, and these tasting notes are based on early production runs. They will be updated when the bottlings are released if there are significant differences.

Rare Old Special Strength is the same as Mortlach Rare Old, except that it’s bottled at 49% ABV instead of 43%. The differences are noticeable, though. The nose is smooth and juicy with the traditional Mortlach beefiness, along with soft cinnamon, honey, dried apricots, and hints of coconut, vanilla, peaches, and apples. The taste is thick, oily, and intensely spicy with cinnamon, red apples, vanilla, coconut, and peach notes in addition to the usual Mortlach brothiness. The finish is long, spicy, and rich with fading cinnamon, coconut, and baked peaches and apples. Add a few drops of water to increase the complexity, and a few more to bring out floral and spearmint notes. Outstanding! (November, 2013)