Another new distillery for me! Mannochmore is another fairly anonymous Diageo distillery, located in Elgin in the Speyside region. It's pretty young - founded in 1971 - and was shuttered between 1985 and 1989 and only resumed full production in 1992. According to Wikipedia, starting in 1995 it shared its employees with Glenlossie, and thus only produced for half the year; this was corrected in 2008, when it gained its own staff and now produces all year, every year.
Mannochmore is, perhaps, notorious or infamous for a bottling it had in the 1990s called Loch Dhu ("Black Lake") where they darkened the whisky within an inch of its poor life and released it. I encourage you to Google search for Loch Dhu reviews - it is perhaps the most reviled single malt ever released, which is really saying a lot.
This bottle is from independent bottler Signatory, distilled in 2007 and bottled in 2019 for an age of 12 years, spending that time in ... "a hogshead." Well, thanks, Signatory. Why even bother saying anything if you're going to be that vague? I assume it's ex-bourbon. Bottled at 46% ABV, and no filtering or coloring. Let's explore:
Nose: A light, fragrant, delicate nose. Apples, pears, baking spices, pie crust, a touch of honey, young leather (like the interior of a brand new leather jacket), a little almond, and hints of smoke. Quite attractive.
Mouthfeel: Oily, medium body.
Palate: Follows the nose closely: orchard fruit (apple, pear, nectarine), baking spices, pastry crust, honey and young leather, marzipan, hints of smoke. Almost identical to what you smell.
Finish: A bit short, but quite pleasant: malted barley, apple cider, oak, ginger, and poached pear.
Verdict: A lovely little Speyside surprise. This is fresh, delicate, and full of your typical Speyside orchard/spice goodness. Reminds me not a little of Linkwood. Worth your time.
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