After weeks of reviews of Islay whiskies, rums and mezcals, let’s close out the month with a couple of Speyside malts. First up, a young bourbon cask Mortlach bottled by Signatory for Binny’s in Chicago. Mortlach in its official incarnation is known for sherry cask-matured whisky and that’s also the guise in which it usually shows up from indies as well. And so I’m always happy to try bourbon cask versions. Let’s get right to this one.

Mortlach 11, 2009 (55.1%; Signatory for Binny’s; hogshead 306532; from a bottle split)

Nose: Honey, toasted cereals, lemon, toasted oak, dried leaves. On the second and third sniff the toasted cereal moves towards heavily charred toast and the lemon moves towards lime. As it sits the lime gets muskier—more in Makrut lime territory now. With time there’s some sweeter fruit (blueberries). A couple of drops of water pull out some pastry crust and push the citrus back.

Palate: Comes in with the citrus leading the way with the honey behind; less toast and char here and none of the leaves. Approachable at full strength with rich texture. Continues in this vein with some candied pineapple joining the citrus which gets oilier and waxier. Sweeter fruit here too as it sits. Water emphasizes the sweeter fruit but the citrus is still prominent.

Finish: Long. The citrus keeps going, getting oily as it goes. Some oak towards the end. With time the leaves from the nose emerge on the finish as well. As on the palate with water.

Comments: Oh, this is just lovely and more evidence of how good so many distilleries’ malts can be in avatars other than those they are primarily known for (see also bourbon cask Highland Park).

Rating: 88 points.