Description

Mortlach 2007 Aged 17 Years Single Malt Scotch Whisky – Symington’s Choice Cask Strength Collection By Signatory Vintage Cask #203 (700ml)

*One Per Customer

Volume: 700ml           ABV: 56.7%           Age: 17 Years Old           Country: Scotland

Cask Number(s): #203
Date of Distilling: 27.11.2007
Date of Bottling: 12.03.2025
Matured In: 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Butt Finish

The Whisky

Prepare to encounter the “Beast of Dufftown” in its most prestigious form: the Mortlach 17 Year Old 2007 (Signatory Vintage Symington’s Choice #203). This 700ml single malt belongs to the ultra premium “Symington’s Choice” series, where each cask is hand-selected by the owner of Signatory Vintage for its superlative quality. Distilled in 2007 and bottled in 2025, this expression has undergone a full 17 year maturation in a single First Fill Oloroso Sherry Butt.

Presented at a robust cask strength of 56.7% ABV, Cask #203 is a masterclass in power and poise. Mortlach is legendary for its “meaty” and “savoury” spirit, which traditionally demands high quality sherry wood to tame its raw energy. Here, nearly two decades in first fill Spanish oak has transformed that muscular spirit into a dark, mahogany hued masterpiece that is non-chill filtered and natural in colour.

Our Tasting Notes

Nose: Deeply savoury, rich, and industrial. You are greeted by a concentrated wave of beef bouillon and roasted game, quickly followed by the classic “Sherry Bomb” aromas of sticky dates and black treacle. As it breathes, the Oloroso influence reveals sophisticated notes of antique leather, furniture polish, and dried figs, with a spicy top-note of clove and star anise.

Palate: The arrival is monumental and “chewy,” coating the mouth with a viscous, oily texture. It delivers an explosion of dark chocolate truffles and espresso, which quickly evolves into a mid-palate of stewed plums and ginger cake. The signature Mortlach “meatiness” provides a savoury backbone that prevents the intense sherry sweetness from becoming cloying, resulting in a complex profile of burnt sugar and black pepper.

Finish: Eternal and deeply resonant. The finish lingers with a final flourish of heavy oak tannins and bitter cocoa, finally tapering off with a clean, warming trail of walnut oil and seasoned tobacco.

The Distillery

Mortlach, founded in 1823, was the first legal distillery in Dufftown. A unique factual detail: It is famous for its “The Way” distillation process—a bewilderingly complex system of six stills of varying shapes and sizes that results in the spirit being distilled precisely 2.81 times. This unique method produces a spirit that is exceptionally thick, rich, and savoury compared to the typically light and floral Speyside style. Because the official “Distiller’s Dram” bottlings are often tempered for a wider audience, this Symington’s Choice Cask #203 is a rare opportunity to taste Mortlach at its most unadulterated and beastly.

Overall Review

The Mortlach 17 Year Old 2007 Signatory Symington’s Choice #203 is globally reviewed as a “definitive sherry matured Mortlach,” praised for its incredible structural weight and lack of sulfur. Critics have lauded its “perfect marriage of savoury spirit and sweet wood,” marking it as a mandatory purchase for serious collectors and those who seek the ultimate “winter warmer” dram.