More Secret Whiskies


November 21, 2024

More Secret Whiskies

Sometimes, you have an inkling of what it might be, but there’s nothing on the label to confirm it. Fortunately, the name of the bottlers is often there to reassure us. In the end, which is better: an unknown malt from a reputable house or a well-known malt with an average reputation?

Theia 1 11 yo 2010/2011 (52.8%, Scotch Universe, Highlands single malt, first fill PX hogshead)

A nod in the direction of Teaninich, I suspect. Colour: gold. Nose: the sherry influence has imparted earthy undertones, fallen leaves, bay leaf, and hints of old copper coins and well-used tools tucked away in the basement, plus a touch of walnut wine (or Nusswasser). With water: still spicy but increasingly layered with bitter oranges, marmalade, and cherry stems. Mouth (neat): a dry sherry profile, slightly brusque yet enjoyable, offering notes of pepper, tobacco, and leather. With water: a more pronounced fruitiness emerges, featuring pepper-dusted figs alongside leather and orange zest. Finish: long, retaining its spiciness and leafy character, with a hint of fresh green wood and a touch of bitter beer. Comments: charming in its own way, albeit a touch rustic—it doesn't aim for that plush, cosseting comfort, if you catch my drift.
SGP:461 - 83 points.

Peated Billy G 9 yo 2013/2023 (50%, Claxton’s Exploration Series, Blended Malt, bourbon barrel)

All signs point towards this being a Dalrymple, the trade name for William ‘Billy’ Grant’s Ailsa Bay. Colour: white wine. Nose: smoked Williams pears over beechwood, with sage leaves, mint, borage, a touch of charcoal, tallow, small green apples, and a whisper of mezcal. With water: takes on a hint of crushed slate. Mouth (neat): sharp, well-defined peat with a distinctly herbal edge, modelling clay, paraffin, and mustard. With water: delightful, leaning a bit medicinal with notes of mouthwash, ashes, mild mustard, walnuts, curry, and manzanilla sherry. Finish: fairly long, drier, peppery, and smoky. Comments: I must say, these indie Ailsa Bays making the rounds lately are quite impressive. They could greatly bolster the distillery’s reputation over there at Girvan—if only the name weren’t kept under wraps.
SGP:455 - 86 points.

Peated Highland 22 yo 2000/2023 (54%, Watt Whisky, sherry hogshead, 294 bottles)

A peated Highland distilled in 2000—could it be an Ardmore? Colour: amber. Nose: I’m not convinced it’s Ardmore; there’s too much of that old metal, dried mushrooms, peppered smoke, lamp oil, leather and tobacco, sheep tallow, paprika, and peppermint. It feels more like we’re near Fort William, with that delightfully chaotic mix of aromas we cherish. With water: the unmistakable scent of resinous wood burning nearby. Mouth (neat): sulphurous, peppery, meaty, and mentholated… it’s quite intense and wonderfully discordant, reminiscent of the Sun Ra Arkestra—truly, space is the place. With water: notes of waxes, green walnuts, varnish and glues, dark tobacco (like Italian Toscani cigars), and broth. Finish: long, with the same flavours shuffled into a different order, finishing on tobacco and aged walnut. Comments: utterly bonkers, and that’s precisely what we love about it. Flirting with the 90s.
SGP:474 - 89 points.

A Speyside Distillery 31 yo 1992/2023 ‘A Marriage of Casks’ (48.3%, The Single Malts of Scotland)

Colour: straw. Nose: showcases the quintessential style adored by the brand’s proprietors—think Imperial, Tauchers, Keith, and of course, Tormore. There’s a touch of old wood (painted surfaces, ripe banana, almond milk), followed by a bag of fully ripened apples, honey mead, beeswax, broom flowers, a hint of kirsch, and small wild plums. It’s utterly charming, carrying a subtle, delicate fragility that’s quite moving—yes, really. Mouth: like a handful of jellybeans that have weathered thirty years, alongside a bit of fudge, hops, buttercream, blueberry muffins, and—unexpectedly—two or three winkles (where did those come from?). It’s an intriguing mishmash but consistently gentle. The apple note swoops in to restore order at the end. Finish: lovely, featuring apple syrup, pink grapefruit, a hint of green anise, and a return of hops and honey. Comments: quite imperial in nature, but more Sissi than Franz Joseph. Make of that what you will.
SGP:551 - 89 points.

Images of Loch Ness (53.2%, Malts of Scotland, Corona Edition, bourbon barrel, cask #MoS 22014, 249 bottles, 2022)

Featuring the Point of Ayre Lighthouse on the label—hold on, that’s on the Isle of Man! Must ask Ralfy if there’s a distillery there now. Colour: white wine. Nose: delightful indeed. Mint scones, pineapple-banana cake, macarons, nougat… not a single off-note so far, but what exactly is this? With water: malt returns, with barley and cakes in tow. Mouth (neat): bursts with fruit syrups, fruit salad, fresh mint leaves, pears, mandarins, and little fruit candies, followed by a touch of allspice. I’m quite taken by it. With water: oh yes, very nice. Fruits, leaves, peels, pips, juices, and compotes all make an appearance. Finish: much the same, more or less, with hints of white wine—perhaps a touch of Pinot Blanc? Comments: a lovely, fruity NAS that just happened to cross our path.
SGP:651 - 85 points.

Highland Single Malt 1996/2017 (52.7%, Or Sileis, sherry, cask #13, 180 bottles)

Sorry, couldn’t find a better picture, in case you have one…Colour: deep gold. Nose: wax and walnuts. Could this be a Clynelish? With water: metal polish, old pennies, aged fabric, and geranium potting soil. Mouth (neat): classic notes of marmalade, walnuts, tangerines, green pepper, a hint of salt, and that dual-natured character typical of Clynelish matured in sherry during this era. With water: now I’m not so sure—it turns notably saline for a Clynelish and could well be Ben Nevis from Fort William, again. Finish: long, salty, with notes of leather and black tea. Comments: the cask influence makes the distillate less distinct. At this point, I’d lean towards Ben Nevis. Only fools don’t change their minds, do they say in DC.
SGP:462 - 86 points.

Seaweed & Aeons & Digging & Fire 10 yo ‘Cask Strength batch 09’ (55.6%, Atom, Islay single malt, bourbon & sherry, 550 bottles, 2024)

Batch 9 already! This series has piqued curiosity since its debut, and rightly so. Of course, one can simply enjoy drinking them... Colour: gold. Nose: intensely saline and thoroughly maritime. Think oysters with a splash of Tabasco and extra-brut champagne. The sherry influence is subtle. With water: evokes a beachside bonfire, fuelled by dried seaweed and driftwood. Mouth (neat): pure, fruity, saline peat. Notes of lemon, limoncello, seawater, green pepper, and a host of smoked elements. With water: mellows out a touch, becoming slightly oily, with hints of toasted sesame oil. Finish: smooth, rounded, effortlessly drinkable, with a touch of chocolate. The sherry starts to show itself here. Comments: really fond of this batch.
SGP:566 - 86 points.

Last one today…

Secret Island Distillery 15 yo 2007/2023 (53.5%, Discovery of the Abyss, #1, 115 bottles)

A whimsical nod to the deep seas—do look up Chauliodus sloani for a touch of intrigue. Colour: white wine, pale and inviting. Nose: quintessentially pure barley with a delightful waft of overripe apples, the invigorating tang of sea breezes, a whisper of cigarette tobacco, and a drizzle of heather honey that inevitably brings Highland Park to mind. With water: a curious blend of carbon, well-worn brake pads, honey, a gleaming new iPhone, and, naturally, those softened, near-forgotten apples. Mouth (neat): honey mingling with seawater, striking that perfect balance of sweet and brine—effortlessly harmonious, poised, never straying into indulgence. You catch my drift. With water: splendidly more herbaceous and intricate, a light touch of rubber, and a resinous hint that straddles propolis and hashish. Finish: long and beautifully saline, underscored by tar, pine resin, and honey—back to that heather honey, naturally. Comments: quite exceptional, this discreet northern island malt; it holds its secrets quite well.
SGP:552 - 89 points.