The Lost Distilleries Blend Batch 11

Being able to sample ghost distilleries or bottles of the past is always an interesting and fun experience, but usually comes with an exorbitant price of admission in order to be able to say that you’ve tried a ghost or bottle from the past. It appears that The Blended Whisky Company has been making successful blendings of ghosted distilleries and I managed to get a sample of batch #11 which features malt whisky from Caperdonich, Rosebank, Imperial, Mosstowie, Glen Mhor, Glenisla, Glenlochy, Craigduff, Port Ellen and Brora, along with grain whisky from Port Dundas that was bottled at 52.3%. The nose starts with a rich banana cream pudding followed by a light sherry influence with dark chocolate and figs then a light sulfur and minerality before fruits of dehydrated mango, lychee, and gooseberries that fades to toasted nuts, barrel spices, and freshly fallen leaves with light ethanol burn. The taste is a rich mouthfeel starting fruit forward with Fuji apples, gooseberries and candied lemon peel then dark chocolate covered raisins followed by grassy floral notes then comes a mild pepper spice mid-palate that fades to toasted walnuts, cloves, pipe tobacco, and medium oak with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with manuka honey, Fuji apples, candied lemon peel, dark chocolate, figgy pudding, light minerality, ginger and mild oak spice. This is a rich whisky that brings a nice balance of sherry, citrus, florals, nuts and oak spices that is slightly spicier on the mid-palate than I prefer, but still a delicious blend of ghost distilleries that was really fun to try. These appear to be going for $300+ for a bottle which just doesn’t seem worth that to me, but if you want to try a blend of some ghosted distilleries, this is a pretty tasty one.

Lucky to have tried one of these. Good and rare stuff. Nose: at first, the oak comes through with some fruity elements and a slight meaty/sulfur ish character. Complex and layered, one can smell a good age here. Some sweet elements, hints of raisins that makes me think sherry. Palate: oily and coating, all pluses in my book. Good mix of sweetness with a quite spicy profile where the oak comes through. Some citrus hints as well. Long finish. The 52.3% helps and one can feel it. Not too aggressive though. Dry and spicy with a slight touch of salt with an overall well balanced sweetness.

Very fruity on the nose. Bold across the pallet. Pleasant entry, big fruit in the middle, and woody on the finish. Almost a bit too woody (think nuts) for my and I don’t like nuts. Pleasant warmth on the finish that is deceiving let mild for the proof.p

Day 1 2018 Scotch Whiskey Advent Calendar.