Do you know that feeling when you really want to like something but you simply can’t for some reason? I have it with some music that I am supposed to like. With some foods too, like olives, clams, oysters and so on.

Anyway, when the new Lost Spirits Distillery popped up a couple of years ago, in Monterey, where I had just been on holiday I had this too. They are distilling in wooden stills too, which is just so quaint that I immediatly felt sympathy for these people. Just like when a new Dutch distillery pops up. I like the fact that they’re doing it, even without tasting their product.

And then the product hits. I had this with Brouwerij De Molen and their Dutchsky, Us Heit with their Frysk Hynder, and now with Lost Spirits.

The Leviathan. The horrible monster.

Sniff:
It’s very spirity. It’s young and completely unrefined. There’s sulphur in the boiled vegetables variety. Also a lot of peat without being overly smoky. Old moss, smoked cheese too.

Sip:
On the palate it’s a bit more crisp with apples, some acetone and again, the vegetables. Some peat again, but not as much as you’d expect from something called Leviathan.

Swallow:
Smokes cheese, the water you pour off vegetables after boiling them, peat. It lingers too.

While it’s most definetly not the worst whiskey of the year, it’s pretty close. The worst one would be that French horror from a short while ago. Anyway, I very much don’t like this. People stopped distilling in wooden vats, and I guess for a reason. Also, it might get better with a lot more age, but then you’d be tasting cask. Although, I’m not sure the wine casks helped it in this case. Maybe fresh white oak is better?

Lost Spirits Leviathan II, 53%, Semillion cask matured. Available at Master of Malt at £ 72.62