The Lost Distilleries Blend (Batch 4) – 50.9%

If you were following the recent World Whisky Awards, then you might have noticed this wee blend pop up as doing rather well… if you didn’t notice, then you should have because the judges obviously loved it!

It won:

• Winner – World’s Best Blended Whisky – 2014
• Winner – Best Scotch Blend – 2014
• Gold – Scotch Blend No Age Statement – 2014

I’ll review it in a sec, but before we do, just a quick run down of what’s in it, and it’s got a hell of a lot of goodies in it that’s for sure!

The Lost Distilleries Blend is exclusively made up of whiskies from distilleries that have sadly closed over the years. The surviving stock from these once great distilleries has become legendary.

Containing whiskies from Rosebank, Littlemill, Imperial, Mosstowie, Glen Keith and Port Ellen, Batch 4 is a perfectly constructed blend. This is a release of just 97 bottles.

Right, let’s crack on and review:

Colour: A bright gold.

Nose: A fairly complex mix of stewed winter fruits, Birds custard (i.e. vanilla and cream), nuttiness, some fudge / caramel with a deep background tone of smoke all integrated into well balanced oak that compliments rather than dominates.

Palate: Luxurious, velvety and thick mouthfeel which shows a good pinch of spice to keep your palate awake and interested. Many of the notes found on the nose present on the palate. It’s gently sweet and slightly buttery with sweet oak notes, all contained by a warming presence of peat smoke and coal char. There’s an old style floral note, the good sort… Summery moors full of heather.

Finish: Slowly warming as it spreads, sticking around for a long time. Sweet with the ever smoky background making it’s presence felt for a good while.

Water: Almost seems a crime to! If you do however then only the smallest, you don’t want to drown this old beauty. A slight grapefruit note creeps forward, and the butteriness is increased whilst the spice and smoke are knocked back.

Thoughts: Just what you’d hope for from a blend of such distinction (and price)! It’s fairly powerful yet smooth, a cracking dram that you could sit slowly sipping all evening. The whole thing just feels like it’s made with quality old whisky made in a more honest and simple time. Probably because it was! There’s no age statement but we’ll forgive it that.

Available: Master Of Malt – £349.95

Thanks to Master of Malt for the sample.