Mortlach has never been a particularly conventional Speyside whisky. Known for its unusually weighty, savoury spirit and famously complex distillation regime, the Dufftown distillery has earned the nickname “The Beast of Dufftown” for good reason.
The Mortlach 13 Year Old 2007 2021 Special Release takes that reputation and pushes it in a slightly different direction. Matured in a combination of virgin and refill American oak and bottled at a substantial 55.9% ABV, it was one of the more distinctive whiskies in Diageo’s 2021 Special Releases collection.
Rather than leaning heavily on the sherry-cask influence often associated with Mortlach, this limited release gives the distillery’s muscular spirit greater exposure to American oak, producing a whisky that combines fruit, vanilla and spice with Mortlach’s unmistakably savoury character.
What Is the Mortlach 13 Year Old 2021 Special Release?
Distilled in 2007 and matured for 13 years, this Mortlach was selected for Diageo’s annual Special Releases collection in 2021.
The series brings together limited-edition whiskies from across Diageo’s Scotch whisky portfolio, often using unusual cask combinations, higher bottling strengths or expressions that sit well outside the distilleries’ normal ranges.
For this release, Mortlach was matured in a combination of:
- Virgin American oak
- Refill American oak
It was then bottled at natural cask strength of 55.9% ABV.
The use of virgin oak is particularly important. Fresh oak provides considerably more flavour than a cask that has already matured whisky, bringing vanilla, spice and stronger wood influence into the spirit.
Balancing that with refill casks helps prevent the oak from completely dominating Mortlach’s naturally powerful distillate.
The Moonlit Beast
Diageo’s 2021 Special Releases collection was titled Legends Untold, with each whisky presented through a mythical story inspired by its distillery.
Mortlach became the Moonlit Beast.
The concept builds on the distillery’s long-standing “Beast of Dufftown” nickname, with the bottle and presentation box carrying elaborate artwork created for the release.
That presentation makes the whisky particularly distinctive among modern Mortlach bottlings and gives it additional appeal for collectors building sets of Diageo Special Releases.
The whisky inside the bottle, however, is where things become more interesting.
Why Mortlach Tastes Different
Mortlach has one of the most complicated distillation processes in Scotch whisky.
The distillery operates six stills and uses a highly unusual system of distillation that results in its spirit being distilled approximately 2.81 times.
It is not quite double distillation and certainly not conventional triple distillation.
Instead, different portions of spirit move through different combinations of stills before being brought back together.
The result is the dense, robust and sometimes almost meaty character that has become closely associated with Mortlach.
Historically, that powerful spirit has also made Mortlach highly prized by blenders, with relatively little released as official single malt compared with some of Scotland’s better-known distilleries.
That means releases such as this 13 Year Old Special Release offer an interesting opportunity to see Mortlach presented in a less conventional style.
Mortlach 13 Year Old 2007 Tasting Notes
At 55.9% ABV, this is a substantial whisky, but the strength carries a considerable amount of flavour with it.
Nose
Initially rounded and aromatic, with freshly oiled wood and vanilla before Mortlach’s savoury character begins to emerge.
Roasted meat and herbs sit alongside red fruit, heather and a slightly earthy quality, giving the whisky an unusual balance between sweetness and savoury depth.
Palate
Rich and full-bodied.
Vanilla and baked fruit arrive first, followed by increasingly savoury notes of roasted meat and fresh herbs. Oak spice builds underneath, while the high bottling strength gives the whisky considerable weight and intensity.
A chilli-like warmth develops towards the end of the palate.
Finish
Long, warming and spicy, with persistent oak, pepper, herbs and lingering savoury character.
A few drops of water can be worthwhile here. At 55.9% ABV, there is enough concentration to experiment with dilution, which can open the fruit and sweeter oak notes while softening some of the whisky's more intense spice.
American Oak Meets the Beast of Dufftown
One reason this release stands apart is its cask selection.
Mortlach is often associated with rich sherry-cask maturation, which naturally complements the distillery's powerful spirit with dried fruit, chocolate and spice.
The 2021 Special Release takes another route.
Virgin American oak introduces stronger notes of vanilla, fresh wood and spice, while the refill casks allow more of the underlying Mortlach distillate to remain visible.
That puts greater emphasis on the spirit itself.
The result is still recognisably Mortlach, particularly through the savoury and meaty notes, but it offers a different perspective on the distillery than many heavily sherried examples.
For drinkers already familiar with Mortlach whisky, that makes the 13 Year Old particularly interesting.
Mortlach and Dufftown
Mortlach was founded in 1823, making it one of the earliest legal distilleries established in Dufftown.
Today, Dufftown sits at the heart of Speyside whisky production, but Mortlach predates many of the distilleries that later made the town famous.
Its influence extends beyond the whisky itself.
In the late 19th century, Mortlach was closely associated with George Cowie and his son Alexander Cowie, whose work helped develop the unusual distillation system that continues to define the distillery's character.
That individuality is one of the reasons Mortlach has maintained such a strong following among experienced whisky drinkers.
It does not necessarily conform to the lighter, orchard-fruit profile many people associate with Speyside.
Instead, Mortlach tends to be richer, denser and more savoury.
Part of the Diageo 2021 Special Releases
The Mortlach 13 Year Old appeared alongside several notable whiskies in the 2021 Diageo Special Releases, including bottlings from Lagavulin, Talisker, Oban, Cardhu, Royal Lochnagar, The Singleton of Glendullan and an unusual unpeated Lagavulin?
More broadly, the annual Special Releases series has become an important part of the modern Scotch whisky calendar.
It gives enthusiasts access to limited runs from well-known distilleries while allowing Diageo's whisky makers to explore cask styles, ages and flavour profiles that may never form part of the permanent ranges.
For collectors, individual releases can also become snapshots of a particular period in a distillery's history.
With its 2007 vintage, 13-year age statement, 55.9% cask strength and distinctive Moonlit Beast presentation, this Mortlach is unmistakably tied to the 2021 collection.
Is Mortlach 13 Year Old 2021 Worth Exploring?
For someone looking for a gentle introduction to Speyside whisky, Mortlach probably would not be the obvious starting point.
That is also precisely what makes it interesting.
This release is bold, structured and deliberately characterful. The combination of Mortlach's heavy distillate, virgin American oak and high bottling strength produces considerably more intensity than many standard Speyside single malts.
It should particularly appeal to drinkers who enjoy:
- Full-bodied single malt whisky
- Cask-strength Scotch
- Savoury and meaty flavour profiles
- Strong American oak influence
- Limited-edition distillery releases
- Collecting Diageo Special Releases
It also provides an alternative side of Mortlach for anyone more familiar with the distillery's sherry-led expressions.
Final Thoughts
The Mortlach 13 Year Old 2007 2021 Special Release is an excellent example of why Diageo's Special Releases can be so interesting.
It takes a distillery already known for doing things differently and places its distinctive spirit into an equally unusual maturation.
Virgin and refill American oak bring vanilla, fruit, spice and fresh oak into the mix, but they never completely disguise the dense, herbal and savoury character that earned Mortlach its reputation as the Beast of Dufftown.
At 55.9% ABV, it is powerful enough to demand some attention, yet there is considerable complexity behind that strength.
For Mortlach enthusiasts, cask-strength whisky drinkers and collectors of the Diageo Special Releases, the Moonlit Beast remains one of the more distinctive Mortlach bottlings of recent years.