The Mortlach trio excluding the latest expression ‘Alexander’s Way’.

Diageo Global Travel has launched ‘Alexander’s Way’, a 14-year-old Mortlach Single Malt, exclusive to travel retail; the fourth instalment in a collection including, 12-year-old ‘Wee Witchie’, 16-year-old ‘Distiller’s Dram’ and 20-year-old ‘Cowie’s Blue Seal’.

Unveiled at an event in Taiwan, the collection promises to ‘bring the dark side of Speyside to life delighting flavour-seeking travellers with the best kept secret in Scotch’.

“In a region known for its smoother, gentler style of whisky, Mortlach’s exceptional flavour bridges the gap between mellow and smoky,” insists Diageo and Mortlach.

Mortlach prides itself on a ‘unique and complex’ distillation process which the brand refers to as ‘The Way’, a process which has remained unchanged since 1896 when it was first used by Dr Alexander Cowie – hence the name of the latest variant.

“The single malt’s 2.81 distillation process, is a closely guarded secret, handed down through generations of Mortlach distillers,” says Diageo. “It is this process that shapes Mortlach’s dark, complex and rich character, earning it the nickname, ‘The Beast of Dufftown’.

MALTS TO GROW QUICKER THAN BLENDS

Anna MacDonald, Marketing and Innovation Director, Diageo Global Travel, said: “We’re delighted to introduce Mortlach’s new single malt whisky collection into our Scotch portfolio.

“Passenger numbers continue to grow worldwide. In Taiwan alone an estimated 38m new passengers are travelling each year.

“In addition malts are forecast to grow at a faster rate than blends globally, with Asia highlighted as the region likely to see the fastest growth in the next two years, making this the perfect location to launch.

“The whole collection has been created to appeal to explorers, explorers in flavour and, explorers in experiences. This is why we are particularly excited to have a Travel Retail exclusive as part of the collection.

SPICY VARIANT

“‘Alexander’s Way’ is the spiciest Mortlach expression to date – created to provide travellers with a something they can’t buy anywhere else.”

Each member of the new Mortlach collection reflects the Speyside distillery’s bold flavour in their own exceptional way. Dr Craig Wilson, Mortlach Master Blender, said: “These whiskies really stand out in Speyside.

“For me it’s the way the unique 2.81 process gives you such an intensely complex liquid and character from the minute it comes off the still; it’s like having three distilleries at the one still house. Our job is to hone the character in the right way to create four well balanced whiskies of unparalleled richness and complexity.”

Mortlach 12-year-old, 14-year-old, 16-year-old and 20-year-old will first launch in Taiwan Travel Retail in November, followed by other markets. All available in 70cl or 75cl, depending on location, RSSP’s are 12-year-old, £31GBP/NT 1250; 14 year old, £50GBP/NT 1600; 16-year-old, £70GBP/NT 2300; 20-year-old £150GBP/NT 5600.