Lost Distillery Company: Gerston (Archivist Collection)

I found another great offering from the Lost Distillery Company: the Archivist Collection bottle of their recreation of the distillery of Gerston. Gerston, when it was open, would have been the northernmost Highland distillery - located in Halkirk, it would have been farther even than Old Pulteney or Clynelish. 


Like many of Lost Distillery's distillery resurrections, Gerston perished long, long ago - 1875 according to their website.  Actually, much like Clynelish, Gerston was two distilleries in one. The Lost Distillery website has a very lengthy explanation of the pair, but it's safe to say that this bottling replicates the original, Gerston One - a peated Highland made with high-salinity water and with peat that had a heavy maritime influence due to receding glaciers. Apparently, it was at one time very popular in Brazil and India (!). 

This is a blend of single malts (other bloggers report some are 20+ years in age!), from the Archivist Collection - the middle tier of Lost Distillery's offerings. Having tasted their representation of Lossit (from the lower Classic Selections tier), I am very much looking forward to this treat. 

Non-chill-filtered, uncolored, bottled at a nice 46%. 

Nose: This is a lovely, shaded nose. Two distinct strata - maritime and sweet malt. Specifically, brine, sea salt, seaweed, peat, and a lovely smoke that verges on smoked pork... paired with a rich toffee and dark chocolate and caramel, that sits underneath. 

Mouthfeel: Thin and yet a little chewy. 

Palate: There is a slight shift away from the nose here. Fruit arrives: red fruit, especially cherries and apples. Herbs like fennel and anise. Thickening smoke. Iodine. Delicious salted meat. Midpalate it begins to thin into a strong oak flavor that pairs with seaweed. 

Finish: The most disappointing part of the dram - the finish is rather abrupt, and the oakiness just stops, leaving behind a strong smoking ash element on the tongue. Like Bowmore, the ashes linger for quite some time - I wonder if maybe there is some old Bowmore in this. 

Verdict: Fantastic maritime-oriented single malt blend. As with Lossit, this holds its own against many non-blends - it's quite rich and intriguing, and the strong Talisker-like sea qualities are delectable as paired with the sweet toffee-and-chocolate sweetness.  Lots of things to experience with this one. Another winner from Lost Distillery Company. I'll be actively seeking more of their offerings!