The Lost Distillery Company, Stratheden Blended Malt, 46%
First things first: Happy New Year! I had resolved to taste more & post more this 2015, but look it’s already the 3rd and not one post since Christmas. Very tardy!
So something quite different to start the blog off this year. Now we know that the gross majority of whisky sales are of blended whiskies. These whiskies are blended from whiskies of existing distilleries (of course) to fit a certain taste profile for the brand. It is the blender’s job to make sure Chivas 12 continues to taste like Chivas 12 batch after batch. Most of the output from distilleries feed the blenders.
Besides the big companies, there also exists a few small independent blenders like Compass Box and now the Lost Distillery Company. Unlike other blenders who blend whiskies to suit an envisioned profile, the Lost Distillery Company blends whiskies to approximate the character of the single malt of a lost distillery. And it’s not guesswork either, a respectable amount of research and debate takes place before piecing together the malt’s likely attributes. You can find out more on their website: http://www.lost-distillery.com/
The whisky at hand is called Stratheden and it is a blended malt. Stratheden itself was last operational in 1926, its closest modern neighbours are Daftmill, Strathearn and Tullibardine, so if it were around today, it would likely have been a lowlander marketing itself as a highlander? So, how ‘un-modern’ will this whisky be?
Nose: Medium weight and quite pleasing with lots of outdoorsy scents: Cereal, new leather and a seed-like oiliness is followed by green pine needles and broken branches. Almost a tromp in the park, but it’s time for tea. Glaceéd cherries, raisins and whipped cream, and afternoon tea. There’s something very delectable in this.
Palette: Sweeter now and quite a bit of this and that. Some malt, some fudge, some more leather, some tea, very juicy, some medicated camphor and quite some old wood – sandalwood?. It’s all well balanced and nothing overwhelms the others. The palette really does suggest a blend of malts here, but a good one with a number of sherry casks thrown in. Gets sappy and much hotter with more nutmeg and aniseed towards the finish.
Finish: Medium and sweetish, plus a hot mulled wine flourish.
I can’t guess what Stratheden might have tasted like, but for sure, this could be convincing. What I’m glad it doesn’t have: Heavy wood char and accompanying big prickly spices. Bananas and bourbon. Acetone and spiritiness. Instead what you get is a very well blended unrushed whisky with quite some un-modern traits, excellent I think for reminiscing those fonder moments of yesteryear.
Whiskyrific RSS
- Clynelish 90 yo 1972 / 2002 Scotch Malt Sales 58% vs Clynelish 23 yo 1974 / 1998 Rare Malts 59.1%
- Scapa 12 yo 40% ~2000 vs Scapa 8 yo Gordon & Macphail 57% ~ late 80s
- Bruichladdich 21 yo 1992 / 2014 Duncan Taylor #3987 49.7% vs Bruichladdich 22 yo 1991 / 2014 Gleann Mor #2270 55.9%
- Rosebank 26 yo 1967 / 1994 Signatory #4397 51.7% vs Rosebank 25 yo 1967 / 1993 Signatory #4393-4394 54.4%
- Macduff 40 yo 1968 / 2008 Duncan Taylor #8547 45.5% vs Deanston 23 yo 1967 / 1991 Signatory #1785 55.4%
- Highland Park 22 yo Cadenhead 80 proof vs Highland Park 14 yo 1978 / 1993 Cadenhead 55.2%
- Dailuaine 31 yo 1966 / 1997 Cadenhead 57.1% vs Dailuaine 22 yo 1973 / 1996 Rare Malts 60.92%
- Brora 1972 / 1996 Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice 40% vs Brora 24 yo 1977 / 2001 Rare Malts 56.1% vs Brora 19 yo 1982 / 2001 Chieftains #1189/1192 46%
- Clynelish 12 yo for Whiskyteca Edward & Edward long cap 56.9% vs Clynelish 12 yo for Whiskyteca Edward & Edward bicolour 56.9%
- Talisker 30 yo 1953 Gordon & Macphail 40% vs Talisker 1957 Gordon & Macphail 53.5%
