MORTLACH 1989 Over 35 Years ARTIST #15 The Dark Side Of The Moon

Created in 2011, ARTIST by La Maison du Whisky is LMDW’s flagship series dedicated to remarkable single casks selected for their expressive, terroir-driven character, paired with contemporary artworks chosen to mirror or contrast the whisky’s identity. Over the years, ARTIST has evolved into a true gallery in bottle form: an annual expression of style, ageing, culture and aesthetics.

ARTIST #15, the fifteenth edition of this emblematic range and released under the Itinéraires catalogue, is divided into two thematic chapters: Something in the Water, inspired by the magic of Islay and paying tribute to the island’s historic distilleries; and The Dark Side of the Moon, which explores the world of sherry cask maturation from Oloroso to Pedro Ximénez.

This expression, the oldest whisky in The Dark Side of the Moon chapter, brings us to Mortlach, the eldest of Dufftown’s six distilleries in the self-styled Whisky Capital of the World. Founded in 1823 on the site of what was reputedly an illicit still, Mortlach operated continuously until 1944, one of the very few distilleries allowed to produce during the Second World War. Mortlach is prized for the weight, structure and complexity of its spirit.

Established by James Findlater in 1823, Mortlach also endured long long periods of dormancy, most notably between 1837 and 1851, during which the site served alternately as a church and a brewery. Its still house was expanded in 1897, increasing the number of stills from three to six and establishing the unique distillation regime for which the distillery is now celebrated.

A magnificent voyage through time, this aged single cask unfolds as a richly layered tapestry of fruity, infused, honeyed, waxy, spicy, chocolate and malty notes, an expression imbued with patina, depth and quiet poetic nobility.