Mortlach introduces its oldest expression with the 50-Year-Old single malt, and shapes the essence of its past and present into bold forms for the future with the L’Evolution collection

We guarantee you that it doesn’t take more than a few sips of the Mortlach 50-Year-Old single malt to understand that it is more than a whisky. This Speyside marvel is a rare slice of history, and a testament to the art of patience and the mastery of craft.

As Mortlach’s oldest expression, the 50-Year-Old lives up to its billing in both exclusivity and experience. The distillery’s last release from its Singing Stills series, the whisky is crafted from the original direct-fire stills, and there are only 67 bottles available worldwide.

Encased within each bottle lies an unparalleled example of Mortlach’s best kept secret – the unique 2.81 distillation process, known as ‘The Way’. Distilled in 1971 and matured in a single American oak hogshead cask, the vintage malt has been tamed by time, yet reveals a complex profile that still hums with vibrant, surprisingly fruity notes.

At natural strength, the legacy malt finishes long, rounded and lightly drying, with a gentle nutty-spicy warmth embracing the fruit. Each sip tells a tale of dedication and craftsmanship, revealing layers of depth as it lingers—a true collector’s treasure.

A spirited beginning

Founded in 1823, Mortlach was the first distillery built in Dufftown. Its unique 2.81 distillation method was pioneered by Dr Alexander Cowie in the late 1800s, an outsider to the whisky world. Cowie’s innovative and bold approach to his craft resulted in a legacy of deep, meaty umami flavours that gave rise to Mortlach’s nickname of the Beast of Dufftown, and its enduring appeal across the decades.

Though Mortlach’s legacy is rich and storied, it is also one that constantly evolves. This year, the distillery engaged the legendary designer, Philippe Starck, as its first-ever creative director.

Like Cowie, Starck is an extraordinary visionary. Though living two centuries and cultures apart, both men have been united across time and space – converging at a distillery that defied the expectations of Speyside malts.

“Through this collaboration, I wanted to speak to the next generation, using a universal language about quality, intelligence and modernity. I wanted to create a completely new experience, but with a dream beyond. It is a deep love-at-first sight, the feeling of drinking history,” says Starck.

Designs on a new era

Mortlach L’Evolution is the much-anticipated first collection of the #MortlachxStarck partnership, featuring three distinctive spirits: Begin, Become, and Beyond. Starck and Mortlach’s master blender Dr. Craig Wilson worked closely together to capture each stage of a whisky’s journey, from inside to out.

“With Mortlach, everything started from the liquid. The spirits we created turned out to be so innovative, that I didn’t want to hide them, to cover them. The bottle itself was not my obsession, the blends were,” Starck expounds. Each of the bottles were covered with a protective 3D-printed cage inspired by the gyri and circumvolution of the brain. Different materials and colours are applied, interpreting the ‘subconscious’ of the whisky.

Begin (200ml) and Beyond (700ml) come as a beautiful aluminium and pink copper pair, envisioned as the start point of the whisky and its future transformation. Says Starck, “Begin is a beautiful sunny spring walk in an orchard, and Beyond is an instant crush, an immediate certainty that you are drinking a piece of history.”

The colourless and transparent Begin is where it all starts, a rare glimpse of Mortlach’s new-make barley spirit which is born from its signature 2.81 distillation method. Lightly sweet and spicy, it contains hints of meatiness in its red cherry notes. Beyond displays a rich amber glow, gaining its colour and complexity from five decades of casks. It is mellow, dry and savoury, with the familiar meaty note augmented by sweet honey and ginger spice.

Become (700ml), clad in an organic soft finish for its beige cage, features unconventional cask influences from virgin oak, red wine and refill casks. According to Starck, Become is “intelligent and elegant, monolithic and happy.” It delivers the taste of Mortlach for the optimistic new generation, galloping through swells of fruit loaf sweetness, spice, and a peppery punch.

It is a befitting inception of a bold new playbook for both parties, the past giving shape to the future of a visionary whisky icon.

Mortlach 50-Year-Old (RRP US$30,000), Mortlach L’Evolution Begin and Beyond (RRP S$14,800) and Become (RRP S$653) are available upon enquiry here. 

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