“TowieMore Or less”
Whisky Review # 1003
Country: Scotland 🏴
Region: Speyside (Dufftown)
Brand: Towiemore - Lost Distilleries - Classic Selection
Produced, Matured and Bottled in Scotland by: The Lost Distillery Company
Type: Blended Scotch Malt Whisky
Age: NAS
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 43%
Maturation: 2nd Fill Oloroso Sherry casks
Maturation: 2nd Fill Oloroso Sherry casks
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 40-55 (December 2023)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 At US$ 40 it's okay I guess
Buying Advice: 👎 Nose is okay but Palate and Finish are below par
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 At US$ 40 it's okay I guess
Buying Advice: 👎 Nose is okay but Palate and Finish are below par
Colour: Dark Amber with shades of Brown and Orange (Natural Colour)
Nose:
Relatively Young, a little Thin and Musty and slightly Hot. The Oloroso influence is clear. The Nose is a Sweet and Sour mix of Caramel, Dark Red Fruit and Earthy notes.
Main Aromas:
Toasted Barley, slightly Burnt Caramel, Toffee, Dried Fruit like Sultanas & Prunes, Dark Red Fruit, Straw, Sour Red Wine, Oak, Leather, Tobacco, Ginger and Yellow Mustard.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Honey, Vanilla, Green Apple, Ripe Banana, Nectarine, X-Mas Cake, Mixed Nuts & Citrus, Dusty Track, Wet Forest Floor, Dusty Book Shelves, Wet Stones, Licorice, Herbs and Mint.
Toasted Barley, slightly Burnt Caramel, Toffee, Dried Fruit like Sultanas & Prunes, Dark Red Fruit, Straw, Sour Red Wine, Oak, Leather, Tobacco, Ginger and Yellow Mustard.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Honey, Vanilla, Green Apple, Ripe Banana, Nectarine, X-Mas Cake, Mixed Nuts & Citrus, Dusty Track, Wet Forest Floor, Dusty Book Shelves, Wet Stones, Licorice, Herbs and Mint.
Young, Bitter-Sweet, Medium-Dry, slightly Hot and on the Thin side. There's still a New Make Spirit feel to it. It basically follows the Nose but the Palate is a little more Rough.
Main Flavours:
Toasted Barley, Caramel, Dried Fruit like Raisins and Plums, Dark Red Fruit like Raspberries, Bitter Orange, Straw, Leather, Tobacco, Oak, Licorice, Cinnamon and Pepper.
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Honey, Vanilla, Mixed Nuts, Green Apple, Ripe Banana, Nectarine, Dusty Track, Cocoa Powder, Stale Black Coffee, Dusty Book Shelves, Iron, Sawdust, Nutmeg & Ginger. A hint of Salty Sausage!
Short/Middle-Long. Medium-Dry, Hot & Bitter-Sweet. An off-note that reminds me of a cleaning agent with Lemon Aroma! Clearly the weakest part of this Towiemore. I also find Toasted Barley, Caramel, Artificial Sweetener, Musty Oak, Dark Red Fruit, Nuts and Nut Shells, Sour Acidic Wine, Bitter Orange, Licorice, White Chocolate, Wet Forest Floor, Ginger, Pepper and stale Black Coffee.
Drinking Advice:
With added Water the Nose gets more Fruity with Fresh Peach. Also more Malt and Orange. Palate and Finish become Bland and Thin. I prefer it Neat but the Nose actually improves with a few drops.
With added Water the Nose gets more Fruity with Fresh Peach. Also more Malt and Orange. Palate and Finish become Bland and Thin. I prefer it Neat but the Nose actually improves with a few drops.
Rating: 6 (******)
Nose: 7 - Taste: 6 - Finish: 5.5
*** 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 at best
Conclusion:
Towiemore was founded in 1897 in the village of Bothriphnie close to Dufftown by Peter Dawson. They used Water from the Towie Burn and burned peat and coke furnished by Tomintoul. With that they produced popular Light and Sweet Highland Whisky. Unfortunately, within a short time after opening, the whisky industry crashed and did not recover until well after the closure of Towiemore in 1931. The Malting Floor and some other equipment was used by Distiller's Co.Ltd. until 1964.
Towiemore was founded in 1897 in the village of Bothriphnie close to Dufftown by Peter Dawson. They used Water from the Towie Burn and burned peat and coke furnished by Tomintoul. With that they produced popular Light and Sweet Highland Whisky. Unfortunately, within a short time after opening, the whisky industry crashed and did not recover until well after the closure of Towiemore in 1931. The Malting Floor and some other equipment was used by Distiller's Co.Ltd. until 1964.
This is the last Lost Distillery miniature from the gift box that is shown above. It is not one of the best I'm afraid. The Nose is okay and improves with a little Water. Palate and Finish are Thin and show some off-notes that I can do without. I don't know if this Malt resembles the original Towiemore but I do know that I can't recommend this Towiemore on a stand-alone basis. It's okay as part of the gift set but not good enough to consider buying a full bottle.
Cheers!
Jan van den Ende December 21, 2023
