Mortlach New Make Spirit

A distillery tour provided a look at Mortlach's unique still setup. The process involves three distinct spirit stills, each with a different design, used unconventionally to produce three separate new-make spirits that are then combined. This method results in a highly distinctive whisky. Sampling the new-make spirit is always a goal, and at Mortlach, three samples from each spirit still were available. These are designated New Make A, B, and C. New Make A was malty and savory, with a full-bodied, ale-like grain profile and a hint of sulfur. It comes from a traditional double distillation using Wash Still #3 and Spirit Still #3. New Make B was very different, presenting as light, delicate, and clean with floral and fruity notes. It's made using Wash Stills #1 and #2 with Spirit Still #2. This double distillation process excludes heavier, oily feints from the wash stills. New Make C was distinctively spicy and robust, featuring ginger and citrus. It uses Wash Stills #1 and #2 with the renowned "Wee Witchie" (Spirit Still #1). The process involves distilling the feinty portion of low wines twice without cuts, followed by a third distillation for a heart cut. This results in a new make composed entirely of quadruple-distilled feints and foreshots. Exploring the individual components of Mortlach whisky in isolation was fascinating. Rating these new-makes is difficult, but subjectively, they were all very pleasing. "Very Good": 86/100 (4 stars)