A little bag of five shh whiskies


November 27, 2023

A little bag of five shh whiskies

Secret ones, vattings, blends, brands, funny ones, great ones… Who knows what's inside these bottles? What's more, we'll pick them up at random…

A Good Old-Fashioned Christmas Whisky 15 yo (52.5%, The Whisky Exchange, single malt, sherry casks, 2023 Edition, 1,800 bottles)

For me, an old-fashioned malt is a Glenfarclas, a Glenlivet, or a Macallan, don't you agree? But purely gratuitous speculations… Colour: gold. Nose: It has chocolate, roasted malt, a bit of soot, hints of stout, a dash of sweet mustard (the sherry) and nuts (the sherry again), currants, plum pudding... In short, it's Christmas. With water: as is often the case, more wet wool, porridge, pancake batter... Mouth (neat): classic indeed, with mulled wine, assorted spices, nutmeg, beer, sultanas, caraway, green walnuts, almonds, orange marmalade... The whole is relatively mild and generous, with a nice sherry, ultimately quite tight as well. With water: little change, perhaps a bit more bitter orange. Finish: of medium length, tighter, more focused on green walnut and mulled wine spices. Pleasant bitterness in the aftertaste. The circle is complete. Comments: we're far from woke culture and deconstruction; here we are back to the Christmases of yore. All that's missing is the nativity scene and the Magi. And Mr. Bean at Harrods. We want a double magnum under the Christmas tree!
SGP:461 - 86 points.

Well, one always ends up finding some logic in it…

Secret Speyside 15 yo (51.8%, Tiffany's New York Bar, Hong Kong, 120 bottles)

Secret Speyside 15 yo (51.8%, Tiffany's New York Bar, Hong Kong, 120 bottles, +/-2023)

We've already tasted some rather fine whiskies offered by this Hong Kong bar that always reminds us of Audrey Hepburn. Colour: white wine. Nose: it's very fresh, taut, with a strong emphasis on fresh barley and wet chalk, it almost feels as if this youngster hails from the Northern Highlands. Beautiful notes of lemon and green apple. Nothing to discard. With water: some mentholated and aniseed notes rise to the heavens. I mean, to our nostrils. Very nice notes of bread dough and brioche. Mouth (neat): excellent, lemony, refreshing, with splendid bitters, some fatness, a hint of polish, grapefruit and mandarins, and still that chalk and limestone. A dry Loire white wine, perhaps a dry Vouvray. With water: it continues on the same notes. A very natural malt, I love it. Finish: of medium length, this time with a very slight saltiness, one could almost mention mezcals once again. Very fine bitters in the aftertaste. Comments: it's just very, very good, pure, without artifice, in a most glorious nakedness (if you catch my drift). Bravo Hong Kong.
SGP:561 - 89 points.

Since we are in Hong Kong…

A Secret Speyside Distillery 13 yo 2010/2023 (51%, HK Whisky, Chinese Yellow Wine finish, cask #1)

Our friends say this is experimental and that is was 'aged in Hong Kong', in that case it is not Scotch malt (anymore). First time I'm hearing of 'Chinese Yellow Wine' I believe. That said, it has nothing to do with the Jura's yellow wine; according to Wikipedia, it's more like Huangjiu, a kind of rice and millet wine. It seems that it can also be fortified with baijiu. Colour: dark gold. Nose: oh, how amusing! Honestly, it doesn't really smell like whisky, it's more reminiscent of chestnut liqueur or walnut wine, but with a very pronounced fermentative aspect, not too dissimilar from a very strong Trappist beer (like 12% alcohol by volume). I really must get around to studying Chinese spirits; I remember, over thirty-five years ago, buying a litre bottle for 1 US dollar on the spot. Of course, it was illegal, but there should be a statute of limitations by now. I hope! With water: not much change, maybe a bit of mead. Mouth (neat): ah yes, it really is funny, and even quite to my taste, but anyone who could identify a Speyside malt would deserve as a reward the complete discography of Mariah Carey, autographed by the artist. There's a hint of aged gouda, balsamic vinegar, chen-pi, chestnuts and walnuts again, sour beer, even a bit of buttermilk... With water: this is where it starts to resemble whisky more. Also notes of dried beef and a little bit of gunpowder. Finish: long, spicier, still with a fermentative quality. Perhaps a touch of dried fish, otherwise nuts and a bit of mustard. Pencil lead in the aftertaste. Comments: truly a first for me. It's very amusing and not bad at all in my humble opinion, even if it remains quite unlikely. Take my score with a pinch of salt, it doesn't mean much.
SGP:462 - 80 points.

Secret Speyside 29 yo 1992/2022 (44.8%, Vintage Bottlers, Secret Series, ex-bourbon, 266 bottles)

It's all secret here, shh… Colour: straw. Nose: a buttery aspect like an old Burgundy Chardonnay, followed by some very ripe banana and apple tart, tarte tatin, hints of orange, quince, gooseberry and, indeed, melted butter. There are some really lovely citrus notes in there, all remaining gentle, increasingly reminiscent of an orange cake. Mouth: there's a pronounced bourbon character, with plenty of coconut water to start, then hints of vanilla yoghurt, elderflower fritter, and very ripe apples and pears… The cask has probably started to dominate a bit as the whisky loses some power, but this exotic wine aspect remains very pleasant. And as often is the case, the citrus notes underpin everything. Finish: a bit short, with similar notes. Soft woodiness and coconut in the aftertaste. Comments: perhaps it is its fragility that makes it charming. It somewhat reminds me of old Tomintoul from the late '60s. Charming, indeed.
SGP:441 - 86 points.

Back to Asia…

An Iconic Speyside 2010/2020 (54%, Duncan Taylor, for Singapore, Octave, cask # 2925436, 80 bottles)

The finishing in that small cask called an octave lasted 6 months here. I had thought there were more notes than that in an octave! Colour: white wine. Nose: it's predominantly about wet plaster and porridge at first, before the usual lemon and green apple join the fray. Also some green melon, and greengages. There's not much more to say, the small octave cask has been rather reticent in this instance. With water: not much change, some pizza dough, raw wool, a bit of papier-mâché… Mouth (neat): yes, a very classic malt, lemony and chalky, with a bit more fresh wood than usual. Green banana and a few hints of mango ripened on the ship, probably from the cask. It's good. With water: notes of blackcurrant, which is nice. Finish: of medium length, not too woody, with lovely garden fruits, notably apples and plums. The lemon returns in the aftertaste. Comments: nice little malt without pretension, does the job well. The small barrel remained elegant.
SGP:551 - 83 points.