Mortlach

Introduction:

Mortlach Distillery, located in Dufftown, is renowned for its whisky production. Initially, the distillery relied on licensed releases by Gordon & MacPhail and the Flora & Fauna bottle, which featured a 16 – year – old age statement. In 2002, Mortlach introduced its first official bottling, the 19 – year – old ‘Manager’s Dram’. Subsequently, the distillery released a 32 – year – old expression in 2004 and a 12 – year – old expression in 2009. Presently, Mortlach offers a range of official bottlings, including the ‘Rare Old’, ‘Cask Strength’, 18 – year – old, and 25 – year – old variations. Independent bottlings of Mortlach whisky are also available. Moreover, Mortlach plays a significant role in Diageo’s blends, notably Johnnie Walker, particularly in the creation of the ‘Black Label’ blend.

Production:

Mortlach has a production capacity of 2.9 million liters per year. The distillery draws water from the Dykehead Catsvraig in the Conval Hills of Speyside. One notable feature of Mortlach is its usage of traditional larch wood worm tubs, which are rare in modern distilleries. In 1971, the distillery transitioned from direct heating to steam heating its stills.

Pot Stills:

Mortlach Distillery boasts a unique stillroom with six pot stills, each exhibiting different shapes and sizes, deviating from the traditional Speyside style. The facility houses three wash stills and three spirit stills. The wash stills have capacities of 7,500 liters (two stills) and 17,500 liters (one still). The spirit stills have capacities of 8,000 liters, 8,500 liters, and 9,000 liters. Notably, Mortlach employs triple distillation, uncommon for Highland Single Malt production. The new make spirit of Mortlach Whisky is a blend of double and triple distilled spirits, resulting in a spirit that is distilled 2.81 times. The distillation process involves the interaction of the big Wash Still and the big Spirit Still, as well as the utilization of the Wee Witchie, a unique Spirit Still. This technique was developed by Alexander Cowie, who was the head of Mortlach until 1923.

Malt and Mashing Process:

Until 1968, Mortlach utilized its malting floors for the production of malt. Subsequently, the distillery began sourcing malt from an industrial supplier in Speyside. The malt used is unpeated, and the barley comes from north Speyside. Mortlach mills its malt using a traditional porteus malt mill, employing a coarser milling process compared to other distilleries.

Mashing involves combining up to 12 tons of malt grist with water in the Mash Tun. The temperature during mashing is set at 64°C. The process is continuous, with hot water continuously sprinkled over the malt grist to extract starch from the grains. The temperature of the added water gradually increases from 72 to 88 degrees. At the end of the mashing process, approximately 54,000 liters of sugary ‘wort’ are obtained for fermentation.

Fermentation and Maturation:

Mortlach utilizes six wooden washbacks, each with a volume of 54,000 liters, made of Oregon Pine. Before fermentation, the ‘wort’ is cooled down to 16°C or 18°C, depending on the outside temperature. Fermentation takes approximately 50 – 60 hours to achieve a strong and spicy wash, which serves as the base for distillation. Mortlach’s maturation process traditionally involves the use of Sherry casks, but the distillery has also started incorporating ex-Bourbon white oak casks.

The Warehouse and History:

Mortlach possesses five traditional “dunnage – style” warehouses with earthen floors. The distillery gained recognition for its utilization of Sherry casks in maturation. Throughout its history, Mortlach experienced various ownership changes and transitions. It was established in 1823 by James Findlater, becoming Dufftown’s first legal distillery. In subsequent years, ownership shifted among several individuals and partnerships. In 1923, Mortlach was sold to John Walker and Sons, and in 1925, it came under the control of Distillery Company Limited (DCL). Eventually, Diageo took over the distillery through the merger of United Distillers. In 1964, the distillery underwent a significant renovation, replacing all pot stills. Since then, Mortlach has continued to operate under Diageo’s ownership, thriving as a distillery and releasing new official expressions.

Visitor’s Centre:

Although Mortlach Distillery does not have a dedicated visitor’s centre, private tours of the facility can be arranged.

Visitor information:

Mortlach Distillery
Dufftown
Moray
AB55 4AQ
Tel: +44 (0)1340-820318