RAPID CITY, S.D. — The hosts of Whiskey@Work have turned a single bottle of Scotch into a story of history, humor and a little revenge.
In their latest episode, Mark Houston and Rob Henry crack open a bottle of Mortlach 16, known in whisky circles as “The Beast of Dufftown.” The episode began, fittingly, as payback for a friend who once drained Houston’s rare bottle of Redbreast, a whiskey available only at the distillery in Ireland.
“Mike is gonna be really mad he doesn’t get any of this,” Houston joked at the start of the show. “That’s probably what this whole episode is about.”
What follows is a deep dive into one of Scotland’s most fascinating distilleries. Founded in 1823 in the ancient parish of Mortlach, a name believed to mean “bowl-shaped valley,” the Dufftown landmark predates many of its Speyside neighbors. Mortlach’s claim to fame is its unconventional 2.81 distillation, a process created by 19th-century engineer George Cowie, who rebuilt the distillery with six uniquely shaped stills and a precise, almost mathematical approach to flavor.
Among those stills is the smallest, nicknamed “The Wee Witchie,” which gives Mortlach its deep, meaty character.
“It’s dark, rich and weirdly muscular for a Speyside,” Houston said on the show. “There’s a weight to it.”
Mortlach also played a hidden role in one of whisky’s biggest brands. For decades, its spirit formed the backbone of Johnnie Walker’s Black and Blue labels before Diageo relaunched Mortlach as a stand-alone single malt in 2014.
Adding another twist of irony, whisky legend William Grant, founder of Glenfiddich, once worked at Mortlach for 20 years before building his own distillery just down the road.
“These places are practically neighbors,” Houston said. “Mortlach trained one of the greatest whisky makers in history.”
Despite its rich story, Mortlach remains one of the least accessible distilleries in Scotland. There is no visitor center and little public marketing. “They must’ve wondered why we were out front taking pictures,” Henry joked.
The Whiskey@Work episode ends with a toast to friendship, science and a touch of spite, and a promise that Mike will not be getting a sip.
“Mortlach 16 holds up to its name,” Henry said. “It’s the Beast of Dufftown, and we’re not sharing.”