🥃 Mortlach 20 Cowie's Blue Seal
The oldest permanent version of Mortlach single malt whisky: 20 years, 43.4% ABV; sherry casks only; the name of an early bottling from 1909.
Mortlach 20 Cowie's Blue Seal is the oldest permanent version of Mortlach single malt Scotch whisky from Speyside. The age on the label is 20 years and the strength is 43.4% ABV. The name revives one of the distillery's early bottlings: according to Whisky For Everyone, Cowie's Blue Seal appeared in 1909 and was sold until the 1970s.
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 Whisky For Everyone, the 20-year-old matures only in sherry casks. According to Diageo's website, the expression was released in 2018.
Why it matters to you. The name recalls the Cowie family, who developed the distillery and introduced the “2.81 distillation” method. Like Mortlach 16 Distiller's Dram, it is fully sherry-matured, but four years older; Mortlach 12 Wee Witchie is the entry expression with both bourbon and sherry casks. The WHO reminds us: there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 43.4% ABV |
|---|---|
| Minimum maturation | 20 years (age of the youngest whisky in the bottle) |
| Cask type | sherry casks only (per Whisky For Everyone) |
| 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 20 Cowie's Blue Seal → 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 16 Distiller's Dram, 🥃 Mortlach 16 Distiller's Dram
Frequently asked questions
Is Cowie's Blue Seal a new name invented in 2018?
No. According to Whisky For Everyone, it was one of the early Mortlach bottlings, sold from 1909 until the 1970s.
What casks is Mortlach 20 matured in?
According to Whisky For Everyone, only in sherry casks.
How does Mortlach 20 differ from Mortlach 16?
It is four years older; both mature in sherry casks and are bottled at 43.4% ABV.
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 16 Distiller's Dram · 🥃 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
- Whisky For Everyone: Review, Mortlach 20 Years Old 'Cowie's Blue Seal' (43.4 %; ex-sherry casks only; name of an original 1909 bottling released until the 1970s)
- Malts.com (Diageo): Mortlach (16-year-old inspired by the 1992 Flora & Fauna release; 20-year-old Cowie's Blue Seal released 2018)
- 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)