🥃 Mortlach 16 Distiller's Dram
Permanent 16-year-old version of Mortlach single malt whisky: 43.4% ABV; first-fill and refill sherry casks; in the range since 2018.
Mortlach 16 Distiller's Dram is the middle one of the three permanent Mortlach single malt Scotch whiskies from Speyside. The age on the label is 16 years and the strength is 43.4% ABV. According to Diageo, it was inspired by a 16-year-old release from 1992 in the Flora & Fauna series, which was discontinued long ago.
All three permanent expressions, which replaced the 2014 range (Rare Old, 18 and 25 years) in 2018, are bottled at 43.4% ABV and made using the “2.81 distillation” method: six stills, and the heaviest part of the first cut is distilled a third time in the smallest still. According to WhiskyNotes, the 16-year-old matures in first-fill and refill sherry casks; the descriptions do not mention bourbon casks.
Why it matters to you. Compared with Mortlach 12 Wee Witchie, it is four years older and fully sherry-matured. Mortlach 20 Cowie's Blue Seal also matures only in sherry casks, but is older still. The old Flora & Fauna bottling is a different whisky, even though the age is the same. The WHO reminds us: there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 43.4% ABV |
|---|---|
| Minimum maturation | 16 years (age of the youngest whisky in the bottle) |
| Cask type | first-fill and refill sherry casks (per WhiskyNotes) |
| Distillation method | “2.81 distillation”: six stills; part of the cuts distilled a third time in the Wee Witchie still |
| Raw material | malted barley; water |
| EU category | 2 — whisky (whisky/whiskey) |
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), Single Malt Scotch Whisky |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Mortlach 16 Distiller's Dram → packed in → 🍷 Oak barrel ← packed in ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Mortlach, 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Speyside whisky
- Similar and different
- 🍷 Sherry, 🥃 Mortlach 12 Wee Witchie, 🥃 Mortlach 12 Wee Witchie, 🥃 Mortlach 20 Cowie's Blue Seal, 🥃 Mortlach 20 Cowie's Blue Seal
Frequently asked questions
Is Distiller's Dram a re-release of the 16-year-old Flora & Fauna?
No. According to Diageo, the new bottling is only inspired by the 1992 release; it is a separate whisky launched in 2018.
What casks is Mortlach 16 matured in?
According to WhiskyNotes, in first-fill and refill sherry casks.
What is the strength of Mortlach 16?
43.4% ABV, the same as the 12- and 20-year-old versions.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky — Malted barley is the base of whisky: malt enzymes convert starch in the mash, and EU whisky is distilled below 94.8% vol.
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
Similar
🥃 Mortlach 20 Cowie's Blue Seal · 🥃 Mortlach 12 Wee Witchie · 🥃 BenRiach The Original Ten · 🥃 Glen Grant Arboralis · 🥃 Glen Grant 12 Year Old · 🥃 Aberlour A'bunadh
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Malts.com (Diageo): Mortlach (16-year-old inspired by the 1992 Flora & Fauna release; 20-year-old Cowie's Blue Seal released 2018)
- WhiskyNotes: Mortlach 16 Year Old 'Distiller's Dram' (OB 2018, 43.4 %; first-fill and refill sherry casks)
- The Whiskey Wash: Diageo Reboots Its Mortlach Scotch Whisky Line Up (11.08.2018; 12 Wee Witchie, 16 Distiller's Dram, 20 Cowie's Blue Seal; 43.4 %; 2.81 distillation)
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: definition and categories of Scotch Whisky (Scotland, oak up to 700 l, min. 3 years, min. 40 % ABV)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)