Mortlach Distillery, Dufftown: The Beast of Dufftown

Overview

Mortlach was the first legal distillery in Dufftown — the one that started the town on its way to becoming the whisky capital of Speyside. Its whisky is famously rich, meaty and heavily-textured, nicknamed “the Beast of Dufftown” for a dark, sulphury depth that sets it apart from the region’s usual elegance. It is a workhorse for the blenders, but has a cult following as a single malt.

The history

Mortlach was founded in 1823 and rebuilt into its distinctive form by the Cowie family, whose son Alexander Cowie devised the fiendishly complex distilling regime — partial triple distillation through six oddly-sized stills and a small “wee witchie” still — that gives Mortlach its heavy character. That “2.81 times distilled” system is still used today. It has long been one of Diageo’s most prized blending malts.

The water & the land

Mortlach’s process water comes from springs in the Conval Hills above Dufftown, with cooling water from the River Dullan.

Mortlach had no founding clan — it was a commercial venture. It stands in Dufftown, the planned town laid out in 1817 by James Duff, Earl of Fife, in country that was historically Grant land.

Visiting

Mortlach is not open to the public — there is no visitor centre, and only occasional private tours by arrangement. Its whisky is best sought through specialist bottlings; Dufftown itself, with six other distilleries, is the place to base a whisky trip.

Nearby & more whisky

• Its Dufftown neighbour: Glenfiddich
• The whisky town: Dufftown
• The whole picture: Scotch whisky — the full guide

Sources

• Mortlach distillery — Wikipedia.
• Diageo; Whisky.com.