Whisky: “Shh…ecret Islay” 21 Year (1999), The Whisky Jury

Country/Region: Scotland/Islay

ABV: 59.8%

Cask: Refill Barrel

Age: 21 (Distilled Oct. 1999, Bottled July 2021)

Nose: Charred fruits and herbs with hints of hospital. A layer of pungently maritime peat reek hung in front of sweet chlorine, cleaning chemicals, and antiseptic ointments, which opened the sinuses to burnt sage and rosemary. Beyond were notes of candied oranges, key lime, and crushed igneous rock.

Palate: Medium to light body with a creamy-oily mouthfeel and charred herbal, tropical fruit, and maritime notes. An initial wave of creamy salted butter and tropical fruit jam crested on notes of charred wood, cardamon, and peppery limu kohu. Tropical pastries and toast came to mind with hints of ginger, lilikoi, orange, and guava. Salty toasted herbs lingered at the end with charred orange rind.   

Finish: Lingering notes of citrus and faintly bitter herb.

Score: 8

Mental Image: Tropical Forager’s Homemade Preserves

Notes: A secret Islay whose identity starts with the letter “L”— the Whisky Jury provided an excellent clue to narrow down the field of potential Islay distilleries for this mystery malt. Considering how much this profile reminded me of the subtle tropical notes on a very mature Laphroaig, I have my guess locked in.

The nose and palate told two different stories: the aroma was fruity and medicinal with a pungent peak reek for something that spent two decades in the cask. The palate dropped the medicinal quality— or banished it to a much deeper level of slightly charred herbal notes— instead, a lovely creamy spirit drew the attention with top notes of tropical fruit and mellow spice. Hints of peat reek and smoke— or at least charred citrus rind— appeared near the end and lingered through on the finish.

Overall, a delightfully fruity and pungent “mystery Islay” malt. A glance at Whiskybase reveals I might be on a bit of an island with this one. During my tasting sessions, I found much more fruit on the palate and little of the ashy quality that some reviewers focused on. A great introduction to the Whisky Jury!

Image Credit: Whiskay.com