The Whisky Agency has this new Secret Islay 1998 bottled from a dark sherry butt. We’ve seen a few Bowmore and Laphroaig releases from that year on sherry casks.
Secret Islay Distillery 21 yo 1998 (50,6%, The Whisky Agency 2019, sherry butt)
Secret Islay Distillery 21 yo 1998 (50,6%, The Whisky Agency 2019, sherry butt)Nose: lots of tobacco notes (pipe) as well as hints of jamón, worn leather jackets and filled cigar boxes. Hints of scorching tyres and flints. Blackcurrants underneath, a little cocoa and herbal liqueurs. Hints of walnuts.
Mouth: smokier now, with a deep dark chocolate note, prunes and bags of tobacco. Hints of tar and liquorice. Some pepper and caraway. Reminds me of a Bowmore 1995 that was released when I just started this blog. Hints of black olives and Italian coffee. Just a touch of marmalade and blackberry jam.
Finish: very long, still on this coffee powder (bittersweet), dark cocoa and leafy notes.
A great sherry bomb, but not for the faint-hearted. A dry and tobacco-driven sherry profile, I like this style and it’s not often that you encounter it. Around € 220.
Score: 88/100