I got to try two recent bottlings by the WhiskyNerds. There was a Ledaig 1995 and this Secret Speyside 1994. People have been speculating about the distillery but we should be careful about automatically guessing that one family distillery on the A95 near Ballindalloch.
Secret Speyside 26 yo 1994 (48,1%, WhiskyNerds 2020, hogshead #30, 324 btl.)
Nose: pleasant fruits in a multi-vitamin juice kind of way. Some common oranges and nectarines but also hints of bananas and papaya. Nice hints of beeswax and honeyed cereals. Custard and grated coconut. Good spirit in good American oak.
Mouth: while the nose was a tad less special than I hoped, the palate makes up for it. Still some stone fruits and orange (peels) but also a nice, warm oakiness. Polished oak. Hints of pink grapefruit and banana cake. Candied ginger and aniseed. The resinous touches bring it close to some of these 1970s Secret Speysiders.
Finish: long, more oaky now, with white pepper, cinnamon and wax.
A very fruity whisky that could well be Glenfarclas indeed, and great to see it shares some of the lovely elements of these 1970s expressions. By now you know these guys have a nose for good whisky. And you also know their bottlings are sold out before the reviews start appearing. Originally around € 165. Stay tuned for the Ledaig.