Mortlach 1997 Chieftain's 20 Year Old 4 x 70cl / Battle of Kawanakajima

Mortlach 1997 Chieftain's 20 Year Old 4 x 70cl / Battle of Kawanakajima

Ian Macleod & Co was founded in 1933, and was acquired by Peter J Russell thirty years later, running alongside William Maxwell & Co as subsidiaries for many years, producing a range of blends and independent single malt bottlings. This is their flagship Chieftain’s label.  Peter J Russell rebranded as Ian Macleod Distillers in 2003, at the same time as achieving their long-held ambition of becoming distillery owners, acquiring Glengoyne, and later, Tamdhu and Rosebank.

This is a four-bottle series of rare 1997 vintage single cask Mortlach, bottled by Ian MacLeod at 20 years old for the Taiwanese market. The casks were selected by Hong Fu.

Mortlach was founded in 1823 and was the first of Dufftown's "Seven Stills" to be licensed. It rose to pre-eminence under George Cowie & Son, who's unique distillation regime produced a famously "meaty" whisky, which was highly prized by blenders. It was for this reason that it was acquired by John Walker & Sons, and so important to them was it that little stock was left available for bottling as a single malt. The Flora & Fauna release was the first official distillery bottling, but it was not until 2014 that Mortlach was bottled under its own fully fledged single malt brand.  Thankfully, there have been many spectacular releases from independent labels like this over the years.

• First fill single Oloroso sherry butt #5248 contained spirit distilled in April 1997 and was bottled in November 2017, yielding 604 bottles.

• First fill single Oloroso sherry butt #5247 contained spirit distilled in April 1997 and was bottled in November 2017, yielding 624 bottles.

• First fill single Oloroso sherry butt #5250 contained spirit distilled in April 1997 and was bottled in November 2017, yielding 644 bottles.

• First fill single Oloroso sherry butt #5249 contained spirit distilled in April 1997 and was bottled in November 2017, yielding 616 bottles.