More Shhecret Islay from the jungle


January 26, 2023

More Shhecret Islay from the jungle… and some red wine now and again.

Shh… We'll have both undisclosed singles and blended ones again. Naturally, some are 'rare', let's remember that Islay only produces around 25 million litres of pure alcohol. Per year.

Islay Journey (46%, Hunter Laing, blended malt, +/-2022)

I would suppose all whiskies that are harboured within a blended malt bearing the name Islay ought to stem from Islay, but I'm not sure, there was 'Isle of Skye', for example, that wasn't totally from Skye. Really not too sure… Colour: white wine. Nose: a little medicinal alcohol at first, then sea breeze, oyster shells, roots and Islay mud. Whiffs of wet dogs too (we'll be sorry eternally, dogs), plus porridge and damp oatcakes. Apple peel. Mouth: tastes extremely young at first, with a sweet and oily coating, possibly from some very active American casks. Then green pepper, lemon syrup, a little salt, some white tequila, capers, seawater… Finish: medium, a tad acetic perhaps, not in a bad way at all. One oyster with some tabasco and new oak in the aftertaste. Comments: feels a little young yet consensual but can that be a bad thing?.
SGP:465 - 81 points.

Angel's Nectar 7 yo (46%, OB, Islay Rioja Cask Edition, +/-2022)

Islay and Rioja, why not. After all, some are adding milk to their pu-ehr tea or, indeed, pineapple to their pizzas (S., not again!) Remember Rioja's a thick and rich red Spanish wine. Granted, white Rioja does exist too, but I doubt whisky coopers would use it. While we're at it, Rioja is famous for its main varietal, tempranillo, but they also use grenache/garnacha, mazuelo and graciano. Next time you meet a distinguished distiller who's using wine casks, ask him/her about the varietals. Colour: blush wine. Nose: right, pastries (strawberry roll) and smoked raspberries, fruit yoghurt, oysters and grenadine, hints of scented soap (rose), fresh almonds and walnuts… Well this is not unpleasant. Mouth: I believe it is extremely hard to achieve any kind of balance with such as set-up. I know this style has got its , well, aficionados, and that's just fantastic, but I'm having trouble with peppered strawberry yoghurt sprinkled with smoked water and diesel oil. But it's me, I know it's me. Finish: rather long, more on leather, blood oranges and Szechuan pepper. Salty aftertaste. Comments: still way, way better than all Longrow Reds in my book. Devilish sweet and salty combination.
SGP:666 - 79 points.

Speaking of wine…

Mac-Talla 'Red Wine Barriques' (53.8%, Morrison, Islay single malt, 7,200 bottles)

Barriques means Bordeaux, should we expect some red pepper and bitterish cassis buds? Strong liquorice? Or prunes? Colour: apricot. Nose: what is this… reminds me of something… wait… ah, yes, Linzertorte! It is a smoked Linzertorte, with a little mint and various leaves and stems in the background. A savoury side too. I would suppose this was European oak if it was proper Château casks. With water: cherry stem tea, walnuts, leaves, wool, washing powder, chalk… Looks like the whisky's managed to have the upper hand. Mouth (neat): very close to the Rioja, just a tad sweeter and more peppery at the same time. With water: same, plus bay leaves and orange skins, goji, damsons… Also this musty/muddy side that's very typical of red wine casks, in my opinion. Finish: medium, saltier. Vegetables, eggplant, cranberry sauce, Rumpflaumen… Touch of soapiness plus artichokes in the aftertaste. Comments: indeed, it's an Islay with some Bordeaux, but I think it rather feels a little Germanic. I believe more and more people enjoy this style, which is just perfect, it's a whole new category in the making and I'm sure there will soon be some 'bodegas' in Bordeaux too, where they would only make bespoke casks for the whisky industry, as they do in Montilla, Jerez etc.
SGP:566 - 80 points.

Flaming Feast (46%, Wemyss Malts, blended malt, +/-2022)

I've already tried what I think was an earlier batch a few years ago; It was very good in my opinion (WF 85). I haven't tried any new single malt by Wemyss since years – apart from their own Kingsbarns), but I remember extremely well their Caol Ila or Bowmore… Colour: pale white wine. Nose: some waxier combination, with more oils (and fresh macaroons) and less peat, rather some kind of wood smoke. Burning palettes and old furniture, plus heather honey and a mild coastalness. This should not be purely Islay, but it is lovely. Mouth: excellent given what is probably a very young age, citrusy, a tad raw (cereal dregs, grist) but honey, beeswax and chalk are soon to bring some roundness. There's a little brine as well. Finish: pretty long, with some green pepper, more peatiness and a little resin. Lemon peel in the aftertaste. Comments: medium peat, medium salinity, medium wax. Excellent young blended malt.
SGP:564 - 85 points.

Good, let's change gear and try a bunch of independent 1989-1991 secret Islays that should all be undisclosed Laphroaig. It seems that a vast parcel of casks from those vintages have been put on the market in very recent years, most having been, I have to say, rather better than the latest old officials we could try.

Secret Islay 1990/2022 (50.7%, Jean Boyer, Gifted Stills of Scotland, barrel, 263 bottles)

I'm wondering if Jean Boyer haven't been the first French indie bottlers, in any case they have been pioneers. Colour: white wine. Nose: some wonderful assorted sour fruits (lemons, passion fruits, starfruit) plus this no-less wonderful medicinal smoke, plus whelks and oysters with shallots and lemon juice. Some mud and clay too, seawater, as expected. With water: mercurochrome and bandages, plus that Italian liqueur made with lemon peel, what's the name again? Mouth (neat): wonderful, very fresh, all on lemon, brine, smoked almonds, lapsang souchong, marzipan, drop of kirschwasser, quince, iodine, throat lozenges, grapefruits… With water: saltier, with some smoked herring too, smoked eel… This will go extremely well with sushi. Finish: rather long, very clean and very soft, saltier yet. Comments: in truth it isn't very complex, but we do not really need a profound complexity with these fresh, crystalline old Islays. The barrel was some barrel! Discreet and racy, even if it hasn't got much tropicalness, we're reminded of the official 40/1960 here and there, somehow. Very classy drop that could have been 20, 30 or 40 just as well.
SGP:456 - 90 points.

A Secret Islay Distillery 31 yo 1990/2022 (51.5%, The Whisky Agency, hogshead, 252 bottles)

In theory… Colour: light gold. Nose: same juice with more cask influence, which translated into a deeper profile, a little more vanilla and, first and foremost, those mangos and papayas that were missing from the Jean Boyer. Awesome. With water: we call this 'kilny'. Akin to visiting a working kiln, such as, err, Laphroaig's (just a happy coincidence). Mouth (neat): almost a tad brutal at first, with some 'dirty chillies' here and there, then it would be more and more geared towards the aforementioned mangos and papayas. The rest is classic smoke, grapefruit, chalk, eucalyptus, iodine, oysters… With water: it loves water. I know many friends would believe that since it's not that strong, water would be superfluous. Serious mistake! Finish: rather long, salty, a tad leafy and leathery, and perhaps a tad less elegant and classy than the Jean Boyer, but still very high level. The mangos have left at this point. Comments: another excellent fresh old Laphroaig. No finishing hoopla or triple oaks in sight!
SGP:566 - 90 points.

Islay 31 yo 1990/2022 (50.6%, Islay Sponge, refill barrel, 253 bottles)

Hold on, isn't that Ardbeg's Jackie Thompson (the actual Queen of Whiskydom) fighting a Sponge on the label? Would this be a clue, or is the Sponge trying to confuse us once more? Colour: light gold. Nose: please don't tell anyone, but the Sponge can be a b*****d, as this does have some Ardbeg traits indeed, especially this very peculiar tarriness and these soupçons of turpentine. But these stunning whiffs of cough syrup for kings and fir bud liqueur for queens give it away in the end. With water: broken branches, pine needles, almond milk, putty, whelks, seawater, samphire… Mouth (neat): a richer version of the same make, this time full of honeys and herbal liqueurs. Towards chartreuse. With water: wonderful, saltier, with a riesling side and some green tea. It got much drier once reduced. Finish: long, tighter, drier. Thyme tea without any sugar. Comments: this from Signatory Vintage's warehouses. Very rich when neat, much drier and herbal when brought down to +/-45% vol. Hey, two whiskies for the price of one!
SGP:566 - 91 points.

I believe the 1991s aren't half bad either…

Islay 30 yo 1991/2022 (49%, Thompson Bros., hogshead, 260 bottles)

A wonderful label once more. They should sell lithographs for £1,000, plus free matching bottle of whisky. Colour: white wine. Nose: back to the sourer, more briney style of Laphroaig, with extremely deep notes of fresh leaven bread, wild-agave mezcal and smoked porridge. I totally love this. Water and stories (I mean senseless gibberish) are unnecessary. Mouth (neat): this one's extremely singular, you would believe it's been aged in pinewood, or perhaps mizunara. It is as if this cask's life has not been a bed of roses, yet the end result is fantastic, with some barbecued marshmallows, chartreuse VEP, celeriac, brussels sprout, wakame, varnish, menthol tobacco, Cuban aguardiente, even some burnt plastic of some sort… Pretty proto-punk, this old Laphroaig! Finish: long, sour, fruity and mildly smoky. Smoked maracuja and oyster water. Comments: perhaps not the Mona-Lisa of Islay malt whisky but great, great fun.
SGP:665 - 90 points.

Goodbye, we'll be back with more secret Islay…