Lossit Classic Selection - The Lost Distillery

Lossit Classic Selection, NAS, 43 %

Here is another new creation from The Lost Distillery Company. This company researches old and lost distilleries, often closed a hundred years ago. They figure out what sort of whisky they made, then try to create a whisky that they feel represents what that distillery would have made had they existed today. I think this is a brilliant idea. Some might feel this is all a marketing ploy, but they back this up with what we have found to be consistently good products.

This time they have released a new whisky in the entry level range, called the Classic Selection. The Lossit Distillery was once active on Islay, so this is a chance to experience what could have been, should have been, might have been.

About Lossit Distillery (source http://www.islayinfo.com/):

Lossit Distillery Lossit Distillery was located at Lossit Kennels, not far from Ballygrant on the minor road to Lossit Farm, close to Loch Ballygrant. It was a medium-sized farm-scale operation and in 1826-7 it produced 12,200 gallons (54,480 litres) of proof spirit. It was operated by Malcolm McNeill from 1826 to 1834, by George Stewart until 1852 and a John Stuart thereafter for a further 10 years. This makes it one of the longest surviving 19th century farm-scale distilleries on Islay. There is a possibility that Bulloch, Lade & Co used the Lossit warehouses (perhaps to store Caol Ila whisky) until 1867. Today the house and kennels remain, although where whisky distilling actually took place remains a mystery and there is nothing left of the warehouses.

Here are the distillery and whisky details from the neat label on the bottle:

Nose (22/25): It is peaty - woodsy and soft! It is relatively light and again, like the Towiemore, it is quite fresh. That's about all the similarity between the two though. Nice bourbon-like sweetness, the peat mixing well with icing sugar and very soft fruity notes. It is a bit shy on the nose. After a few minutes I pick up dark chocolate and roasted coffee beans. It is not a very complex nose - but there's something appealing here. Maybe it's just the fact that I do like a good Islay whisky.

Taste (21/25): Cool and spicy. Dark chocolate - with chunky bits of chili and hard roasted coffee beans. Pepper, ginger and a nice fizziness. Nice and full mouth-feel.

Finish (20/25): More fruity now, and the peat comes through more on the finish than on the initial delivery. Soft chocolate and coffee notes serve as a bed for the lighter fruit notes. The peat and smoke swirls on top as a very flimsy but comforting blanket.

Balance (21/25): A fun would-have-been Islay dram. I would love to do a blind tasting with this and the entry level whiskies from current Islay distilleries. That could be a fun evening!

Score (84/100)

Sláinte! - Thomas