
December 3, 2018

Little duos, today Mosstowie

You may remember that Mosstowie’s the name of the whisky that used to be distilled in Miltonduff’s Lomond stills between 1964 and 1981. Anecdotal whiskies? Perhaps. Let’s try two of them before we all forget about Mosstowie…

Mosstowie 1979/2013 (51.5%, Van Wees, The Ultimate, bourbon barrel, cask #1355, 185 bottles)

Mosstowie 1979/2013 (51.5%, Van Wees, The Ultimate, bourbon barrel, cask #1355, 185 bottles)
Purveyors Signatory Vintage already had some excellent 1979s, I especially remember a cask #1305 that was great (WF 88). Lomond stills used to impart a very specific kind of fruitiness – think Inverleven’s Lomond still. Colour: straw. Nose: macchiato and butterscotch for a start, then whiffs of sour wood (fallen trees in a dump forest) and a lot of green tea. Rubbed fern. With water: no, it’s some pure sawdust that comes out. No water in this! Mouth (neat): really very good indeed. It’s no bold whisky, but it’s got a kind of herbal structure that works very well. Linden, chamomile tea, certainly some eucalyptus leaves that you would chew on… It’s very different from any other kinds of malts (while I have to confess I’ve forgotten how Kinclaith used to taste), but it’s excellent. Mentholy apples? With water: water work rather better on the palate. Sour apples, even sweet potatoes… Finish: medium, a tad sawdusty, but there’s also this very engaging kind of herbalness, between verbena and lemongrass. Comments: a forgotten style. Try to catch one before they become totally undiscoverable. Not that they were very seminal, having said that…
SGP:451 - 86 points.

Mosstowie 45 yo 1973/2018 (51.6%, Signatory Vintage, 30th Anniversary, refill sherry butt, cask #7622, 410 bottles)

Mosstowie 45 yo 1973/2018 (51.6%, Signatory Vintage, 30th Anniversary, refill sherry butt, cask #7622, 410 bottles)
Imagine, a 45 years old Mosstowie! Isn’t it fab when great old bottlers (well, not THAT old in this very case) celebrate their anniversaries? Remember Cadenhead last year? Colour: gold. Nose: this is completely different, much more on muscovado sugar, Cuban rum, custard, chicory and Ovaltine, toasted brioche, Williams pears… We’re kind of midway between old malt and old grain here, I would say. With water: gets sourer, but that is pleasant. Swiss cheese, tobacco, fermenting plums (got some in the garage, will distil them soon!)… Mouth (neat): exactly. Pear pie, sweet ale, butterscotch, toffee, more Ovaltine, mocha… Once again you feel a lighter backbone, but it’s no spineless grain whisky, it’s just a different kind of malt. With water: same feelings. Notes of young calvados, caramel, vanilla, malt, walnuts… Finish: rather medium, a tad oakier but remember this baby’s 45! Comments: what a lovely experience! Probably the oldest Mosstowie ever, and indeed, much more than just an anecdotal whisky – but then again, it is neither Clynelish nor Springbank.
SGP:451 - 90 points.

Glad we’ve had these two, this was perhaps the last proper Mosstowie session on little WF.

Check the index of all Mosstowie we've tasted so far