New Release: Mortlach 1997-2015 18 Year Old "The Cigar Malt" Chieftain's #5240 57.7%

A very good sherried cask. I wanted it... Mortlach MORTLACH 1997-2015 18yo "THE CIGAR MALT" Chieftain's #5240 57.7% one of 612 bottles, Oloroso Sherried Butt The aroma is rich sherried with plum jam, raisins, dark chocolate, barbeque, black sugar, a hint of barley from the depth, leather and decaying leaves, slightly meaty and strong rich. When drinking, it starts with a smooth mouthfeel spreading into fragrant plum and berry jams, herbal liqueur, barley notes from the depth, leather and faint decaying leaves, intense sweetness of black sugar and jam, strong tannins and astringency, rich and long finish. [Good/Very Good] Recently released as a single cask by Chieftain's under the Cigar Malt label. Initially thinking it might be Dalmore due to the cigar malt name, but it's actually Mortlach. This is a very rich and intense sherried cask malt, yet it offers diverse fruity notes from jams, high-end chocolate, herbs and leather, along with earthy and meaty nuances. The barley notes are prominent, balancing the sweetness with a tannic, sherried bitterness typical of high-quality barrels. Overall, I think this is exceptionally well-crafted among recent sherried malts. While there are more approachable and pleasant sherried casks on the market recently, this one is rare for combining earthiness, leather notes and herbal liqueur-like nuances. It's complex yet not at all off-putting, which is impressive. As a sherried malt, it's the top pick following the previously introduced Glenrothes 2004 from Kingsbary, showing great potential for aging. I had no preconceptions when trying it and was quite surprised, intending to buy some but found it already sold out. I would have bought two bottles, opened one immediately and let the other rest for a long time. #Mortlach (MORTLACH)