You could go all out and buy these bottles for everyone on your list this Christmas season. Mortlach and Talisker, two upscale brands, have both released limited edition expressions of their whiskies, and they come at a substantial premium.
According to a press release sent out through email by Mortlach on December 13th, their new Midnight Malt is their strongest bottle ever. According to the label, this Scotch whisky has an aroma reminiscent of savory herbs, while the mouth explodes with notes of spice, fig jam, and apple pie.
The 30 years it spent in Bordeaux wine, Calvados, and Guatemalan rum barrels resulted in a spirit with an ABV of 49.1 percent. The strongest Mortlach expression, this whisky is best enjoyed neat or with only a splash of water to tone down the intensity.
When daylight fades into darkness, shadows appear and light shifts. The spirit of the time is well represented by Mortlach Midnight Malt, as stated in the accompanying press release. A three-cask finish of daring origin reveals unexpected levels of richness and intensity.
There will be a total of 350 bottles available, and their MSRP is $4,999.99.
There is also the Talisker 44-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Forests of the Deep, which is a similarly robust choice for the holidays. With a suggested retail price of $4,499.99, a total of 1,997 bottles (102 in the US) will be made accessible to consumers across the globe.
This Scotch has an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 49.1 percent and smells of seaweed, salt, and toasty oak, with hints of sweet toffee and lemon zest. If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on a bottle, you’ll be rewarded with a savory umami flavor and a smokey, peppery warmth, as described in the brand’s tasting notes.
The expression’s nautical connotations recall Talisker’s support for the marine conservation group Parley for the Oceans.
“Kelp forests are a potent blue carbon force inside the ecosystem that makes Earth habitable and the planet’s underwater builders. “They do a better job of supporting biodiversity and sequestering and storing carbon dioxide than the rainforests,” says Parley founder and CEO Cyril Gutsch. This limited edition Talisker whisky was created to honor the beauty and fragility of the ocean’s huge forests and the collective effort to preserve them.
Due to a severe lack of availability, Scotch enthusiasts may need to resort to begging Santa for a bottle of this rare spirit.