“Dirty Water”
Whisky Review # 992
Country: Scotland 🏴
Region: North-Eastern Highlands - Hallkirk (Caithness)
Brand: Gerston - Lost Distilleries - Classic Selection
Produced, Matured and Bottled in Scotland by: The Lost Distillery Company
Type: Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: NAS
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 43%
Maturation: Refill Ex-Bourbon Casks
Maturation: Refill Ex-Bourbon Casks
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 45-55 (June 2023)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😑 Borderline Okay
Buying Advice: 👎 Too Thin and Watery to really enjoy. Try the Gift Box first!
Price/Quality Ratio: 😑 Borderline Okay
Buying Advice: 👎 Too Thin and Watery to really enjoy. Try the Gift Box first!
Colour: Golden Sunlight (Natural Colour)
Nose:
Young with Sweet, Sour, Smoky, Mineral & Salty Notes. I can almost touch the Refill casks. It's not too bad but I can't get excited I'm afraid.
Main Aromas:
Sweet Barley Sugar, Vanilla, Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Straw, Burnt Toast, Green Apple, Citrus Peel, Dirty Earth, Factory Smoke, Pepper and Ginger.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Honey, Salted Caramel, Toffee, Mixed Nuts and Dried Fruit, Wet Sand, Unripe Pear, Mandarin, Melon, Nectarine, Imitation Leather, Charred Oak, Olive Oil, Mustard and Sea Breeze. A hint of Phosphor.
Sweet Barley Sugar, Vanilla, Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Straw, Burnt Toast, Green Apple, Citrus Peel, Dirty Earth, Factory Smoke, Pepper and Ginger.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Honey, Salted Caramel, Toffee, Mixed Nuts and Dried Fruit, Wet Sand, Unripe Pear, Mandarin, Melon, Nectarine, Imitation Leather, Charred Oak, Olive Oil, Mustard and Sea Breeze. A hint of Phosphor.
Young, Light and Thin. A mix of Bitter, Sweet, Sour, Salty and Mineral notes. It's a bit Dirty as well. A Watered-Down version of Ledaig from the isle of Mull.
Main Flavours:
Toasted and Malted Barley, Salted Caramel, Straw, Green Apple, Citrus Peel, Olive Oil, Licorice, Charred Oak, Dirty Earth, Factory Smoke, Dark Chocolate, Wet Rocks, Pepper and Ginger.
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Honey, Vanilla, Dried Herbs, Unripe Pears & Bananas, Mandarin, Melon, Nuts & Nut Shells, Iron, Cinnamon and Mint.
Honey, Vanilla, Dried Herbs, Unripe Pears & Bananas, Mandarin, Melon, Nuts & Nut Shells, Iron, Cinnamon and Mint.
Medium-Long. Bitter-Sweet, Thin & almost Watery. A little Hot towards the Dry end. I find Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Straw, Charred Oak, Factory Smoke, Dirty Earth, Citrus Peel, Mandarin, Green Apple, Nuts & Nut Shells, Dark Chocolate, Cinnamon, Pepper, Menthol, Licorice & Ginger. A hint of Old Iron and Peanut Butter.
Drinking Advice:
Added Water kills this Gerston.
Added Water kills this Gerston.
Rating: 6.5 (******1/2)
Nose: 7 - Taste: 6.5 - Finish: 6
*** Important Note with respect to Rating.
If the Final score is above 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.
Drinking Experience Neat: Okay
Conclusion:
There were in fact two distilleries operating under this name. Gerston I was a family owned Farm Distillery that was founded by the Swanson Family in 1796 and closed in 1875 after a Water dispute with one of the neighbors. Swanson subsequently sold the distillery. Gerston II was founded in 1886 and was 10 times as big as Gerston I. The new owners hoped to build on the success of Gerston I but could not repeat the taste and the quality of the original distillery. Gerston II closed after nearly two decades in the year 1914. Only Gerston I used Peat to dry the malted Barley so this recreation is based on that Distillery.
There were in fact two distilleries operating under this name. Gerston I was a family owned Farm Distillery that was founded by the Swanson Family in 1796 and closed in 1875 after a Water dispute with one of the neighbors. Swanson subsequently sold the distillery. Gerston II was founded in 1886 and was 10 times as big as Gerston I. The new owners hoped to build on the success of Gerston I but could not repeat the taste and the quality of the original distillery. Gerston II closed after nearly two decades in the year 1914. Only Gerston I used Peat to dry the malted Barley so this recreation is based on that Distillery.
Of course there is no way of telling if this version smells and tastes like the products of Gerson I or II. On a stand-alone basis I'm not overly impressed with this fifth Lost Distillery item out of a gift box of 6 miniatures. The last one, Towiemore, will get its Review later this year. This Gerston is very Young and Thin almost to the point of being Watery despite the 43%. It's okay as a miniature but I would not advise to buy a full bottle of this. I have no idea what Distilleries are part of this Blended Malt but I'm pretty sure it contains Old Pulteney & perhaps a bit of Ledaig. If you guys have additional info, please let me know!
Cheers!
Jan van den Ende June 15, 2023
