Secret Highland 1978 / Glenrothes 1985 (The Roots)

The Roots has been steadily sourcing interesting casks of whisky and rum. While some other bottlers are focusing on highly affordable every-day drinkers, Joren balances this with more upscale gems.

Just now a Secret Highland Malt 1978 hit the market. This is a joint bottling with his Macau importer The Antelope. If you speak Dutch, then the tomatoes on the labels will lead you to a certain distillery. We pair this to the Glenrothes 1985 which arrived a few months ago.

 

 

Secret Highland 1978 (43,6%, The Roots + The Antelope 2020/2023, refill sherry butt #130154, 221 btl.)

Nose: a gentle fruit salad, nicely ‘melted’ together. There are grapes, a lot of tangerine peels, hints of pink grapefruit, some fresh melons and hints of vanilla. Then whiffs of furniture polish and beehive notes. Mango syrup after a while. Crisp green apple. A mineral and herbal side as well, so definitely not as overtly tropical as their famous 1976s, but a bright and vivid fruitiness nonetheless.

Mouth: the high age leaves a leathery note and a light astringency right at the start, but this is fairly easy to forgive once the fruity flashes appear. Grapes again, as well as light passion fruits and bergamot. Getting thinner though, with some tobacco leaves and herbal tea. Chamomile and mint leaves. Also a bit of that hoppy element that you sometimes get in really old whisky. Finally it returns to pink grapefruit, which is nice.

Finish: not very long, but not too dry either. Still hints of herbal tea with bright fruits.

Good whisky from a distillery that you don’t often see from independent bottlers these days. The cask was disgorged in 2020 but recently bottled and released. The fresh, delicate fruitiness takes us back to the good old days, although it can’t hide its age entirely. Arriving in stores as we speak.

 

 

Glenrothes 37 yo 1985 (43,4%, The Roots 2023, hogshead, 33 btl.)

Nose: lovely waxy notes, with mild spearmint, ripe apples, vanilla and some mirabelles. Then maybe a hint of mashed banana and subtle coconut cream. Meadow flowers, honey and citrus peels. Light resins and verbena tea.

Mouth: apples and peaches, with elegant old oak. Gooseberry tarlets. Then the waxy notes return, as well as vanilla cake, hints of hay and bergamot. Subtle sweetness, as well as a mild peppery note, leathery hints and lemongrass. Green tea in the end.

Finish: medium length, more leafy and grassy now, with green fruits, oak polish and mint.

Pretty similar to the 1986s released by Wu Dram Clan or The Whisky Jury. Very good whisky, with the only downside being the fairly soft mouthfeel and the relative grassinesss. Given the small outturn there’s only one place where they still have this on offer. Score: 90/100