What black magic can bring a scotch back from the dead?
If we’re to believe the methods of The Lost Distillery Company, such spirit summoning doesn’t require magic at all. All it needs is meticulous research and some expert advice.
Co-founders Brian Woods and Scott Watson established The Lost Distillery Company to recapture the flavor profiles of whiskies that went the way of the dodo due to distillery closures in the 20th century. That quest for authenticity has seen the duo collaborate with University of Glasgow professor and whisky historian Michael Moss.
According to a press release, Woods and Watson rely on archives, historical records and an analysis of 10 key components to get their recreations right. This list includes water sources, types of wood used for barrels, mash bills and more. Once they’ve completed their research, they use a blend of single malt whiskies to forge a faithful remake of the original spirit.
We’ll begin our Lost Distillery journey by reviewing the first of their three new recreations, the Towiemore Classic Selection. Towiemore was a Speyside distillery that opened in 1898 and closed permanently in 1931.
The resuscitated Towiemore has a rich, nutty nose with whiffs of vanilla and spiced pear. It is cool, rounded and creamy on the tongue. Its foremost flavors recall dark, stewed fruits: plums and pears with a subtle dash of spice. The creaminess that follows conjures vanilla ice cream, and it ends with a long-lasting final note reminiscent of sour cherry.
If Towiemore 2.0 was a food, it’d be precisely this: a fruit tart made of sweet, spiced stone fruits, topped by a scoop of vanilla ice cream that’s been lightly seasoned with sea salt–and the entire thing crowned by a lush Luxardo cherry.
I have no way of knowing if this is really what Towiemore tasted like in the Year of Our Lord 1931. But, quite frankly, I don’t care. This is damn good whisky right now, regardless of the origin story. And at $43, its price tag is quite reasonable to boot.
Stats:
— 43% ABV
— $43
CE Rating: ★★★★
