The Whisky Jury is 5 years previous. They’ve been teasing us for some time after which it turned on the market was one other Secret Speyside 1990. A sister cask of those they launched a while in the past. On the similar time there was one other undisclosed single malt, a Secret Islay 1989.
Secret Speyside 33 yo 1990 (51,2%, The Whisky Jury 2024, refill sherry cask, 159 btl.)
Nostril: relaxed sherry, not too heavy. There are crimson apples, hints of cherry syrup and previous leather-based. Then some mocha and cinnamon, together with dried herbs. Some praline. Acacia honey, in addition to a light-weight greasy contact. There’s an underlying layer of previous wooden – all the things very effectively balanced.
Mouth: spicy, autumnal sherry with candy and bitter notes. Hints of eucalyptus and ginger, together with sultanas, crimson plums and stewed peaches. Additionally orange peels and hints of cognac. Gentle waxy / resinous touches with leathery notes. Then cinnamon once more, with natural tea and a pinch of pepper.
End: lengthy, on candy spice, natural honey, raisins and leather-based.
In step with the earlier sister casks from the identical distillery. All in all a really mature, refined and stylish single malt. Complicated, extremely drinkable and an ideal profile for wintertime. In brief, a becoming fifth anniversary bottling. Retailers might be discovered on the TWJ web site.
Secret Islay 34 yo 1989 (51,8%, The Whisky Jury 2024, refill bourbon cask, 248 btl.)
Nostril: loads of dried herbs, rapeseed oil, linoleum and creosote. Then seashells, bandages and a beautiful muddy / farmy form of peat smoke. Barely sharper iodine and lemon peel within the background. Smoked almond and engine oil too.
Mouth: half fruity, half coastal. Seawater, smoked lemons and pink grapefruit. Vegetal peat, with tobacco and a touch of roasted espresso beans. Oysters with pepper, together with inexperienced olives, inexperienced herbs and leathery notes. Then some umami notes combined with grilled pineapple – a stupendous combine.
End: pretty lengthy, with liquorice, mentholated fruits and medicinal notes.
Admittedly not an enormous shock, this one. It reaches the identical heights because the Islay Malt 1989 bottled for the third anniversary. We’ve already praised the complexity and refined Islay profile: glorious stuff. Rating: 92/100
