Recent Release: MORTLACH 1988 25 Year Old Cadenhead Sherry Cask

A recent MORTLACH bottling with full-on peatiness typical of the distillery. MORTLACH 1988-2014 25 Year Old Cadenhead Sherry Cask (56.8%) – One of 576 Bottles, Sherry Cask The aroma features caramelized nuts, apricot jam, chocolate-covered oranges, cooked vegetables, peatiness with slightly sulphuric notes, leather, rich, and upon drinking, the same sulphuric peatiness with caramelized nuts, a strong sweet flavor of milk chocolate or jam, and a pleasant tannic balance, leaving a rich finish. [Good] This MORTLACH 1988, aged for 25 years in a sherry cask and bottled by Cadenhead last year. The initial aroma is sweet and heavy, with rich nuances of jam and chocolate, alongside cooked vegetables, meat, and distinct sulphuric elements. However, overall it was rich. Upon tasting, as expected from the aroma, it had sulphuric peatiness, but the balance between intense sweetness and good tannins made it a rich malt. When I first started drinking whisky, MORTLACH was exactly like this, but recently such overtly sulphuric expressions seem to have become less common. I don't particularly like it, but occasionally drinking it brings a sense of nostalgia. Perhaps due to its strong sweetness and flavor, I sometimes find myself wanting to drink more after just a sip.