Lost Spirits Leviathan I Single Malt

Another person remarked that this has a "used tire" character. I disagree; it's more like "new tires" that stand out. It's accurate. If you brought a bucket of smoking peat to your local tire shop and swung it around like a religious artifact, the smells you would experience would be similar to putting your nose in this whiskey. That being said, it's a very distinctive, complex, and tasty pour. It has a thick mouthfeel. Sweet and smoky with a pleasant burn. Charred pears, leather, vanilla, play-doh, and venison jerky are the dominant flavors, but you could discern many other subtle notes with enough time. It's that intricate. I first tried this at Balthazar in New York (they only serve excellent drinks there) and immediately sought out a bottle. While I acknowledge this could be a divisive whiskey due to its distinctiveness, you are seriously missing out if you don't try a pour at some point. And yes, the bottle and label design are among MY favorites too.

Aroma: intense earthy and oak smoke notes. A faint stone fruit / chocolate with a light honeyed malt. Taste: intense burning green pine and honey with a hint of orange and peach. Adding water integrates all the elements and diminishes them. A chocolate toffee almond note emerges with light vanilla on the palate. The aroma gains a burnt grass characteristic.

Seriously, why? It tastes like something that was aged in a discarded tire after being soaked in nail polish remover. While I acknowledge it's from an innovative distillery, this is a complete miss. The bottle design is appealing, though!