Overall rating
90.16/100
votes
143
Whiskybase ID
WB175476
Category
Single Malt
Bottler
Mancarella (Ma)
Bottling serie
Private Bottling
Vintage
10.1993
Bottled
09.2020
Stated Age
26 years old
Casktype
Sherry Hogshead
Casknumber
46
Number of bottles
336
Strength
49.7 % Vol.
Size
700 ml
Label
joint bottling DeinWhisky
Added on
27 jan 2021 6:02 pm by Schmausel
UncoloredNon-chillfilteredCask StrengthSingle Cask Whisky

Average value

€ 327.65

46 × in wishlist

143 × member ratings

299 × in collection

Whisky reviews for Secret Speyside Distillery 1993 Ma

51 users have left 52 reviews for this whisky. Average rating is 90.16 points.

  1. Mister 77 scored this whisky 93 points Expert Senior

    This Whisky reminded me, why I love Sherry Casks so much but also why i should avoid all those Coca Cola Coulored Malts of today.
    • Nose
      94 94
      Great Sherry, that reminds me of "the good old times", deifntely an Old School Sherry Cask, oily with some fruity glue like i remeber from old Macallans, Glenfarclas and Glendronachs, red and warm fruit jam, and after a short while dark chocolate comes out of the Glass, all mixed up with wet, and dark wood aromas full of Spice. A few Drops of Water release dark Honey.
    • Taste
      93 93
      The impression form the Nose continues, Strong and classic Sherry Notes on the Palate too, but the Whisky is not drowned unde. Everything adds to each other. Starts with spicy and oaky note, Dates and Figs, with some Honey
    • Finish
      93 93
      long, spicy, great wooden Notes and always changing from mild to strong, some Cane sugar, red mashed Fruits and a warm Cup of BlackTea with milk. Wow

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  3. grinface scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    Lovely. What more can I say. A wonderful bottling!

    Well done. Full review in a flight of six Glenfarclas: https://keinehalbendrinks.de/2021/12/19/glenfarclas-zwischen-familie-und-geheimnissen/
    • Nose
      90 90
      Long aged soy sauce is the first thing that comes to mind. Then sweet fruits and also some metal. Then herbs, leather, tobacco. The more than 20 years are more than noticeable, at the same time he is still lively.
    • Taste
      89 89
      Smooth, heavily tanned leather fills the mouth. Sherry and the right fruits are added. Then it gets spicy. Pepper, some ginger. But also oak spice, well aged.
    • Finish
      91 91
      Furniture polish and sherry madness. Very long and comfortable. chocolates. Several. Also some herbs. leather leather leather…. hmmmmmm. Cherry.

  4. vlad78 scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    Excellent Oloroso profile: dry, rich, with hints of oak, prunes and dark raisins. With dust and dyed leather.

  5. Astrid scored this whisky 91 points Connoisseur

    Nothing tweaks, everything is perfectly coordinated. It is obvious that this cask has not received a cheap sherry derivative, but refreshingly a sherry that one would definitely like to have neat in the glass. It was bottled at the right time, the malt has strength and the wood has not yet got the upper hand. Chapeau! For the full review, go here: https://keinehalbendrinks.de/2022/09/12/90er-speyside/
    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      91 91

  6. wncvirus scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    Nose: Some sherry, some dried fruit, some honey-like stuff.
    Taste: Strong aroma with a very pleasant dose of fruit interspersed with spices. I like it. Perceptible barrel aromas. There is a lot going on in taste here. Where some element of citrus appears somewhere. That's how it pleased me!
    Rating: 89 | 100 Long sweetish finish. A very nice bottle!

  7. voodoochile scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    A great dram which needs time in the glass. I'd like to know what's the secred distillery behind this one.
    • Nose
      91 91
      Old school sherry style. Dried fruits, raisins and a little polish. Honey sweetness and with time the smell gets a bit fresher. Wow what a start!
    • Taste
      90 90
      It takes over the taste buds. A little dry but mouth filling. Very sherried with leather, polished wood and fruits, citrus notes, dark chocolate, the honey is there, too. There's a lot going on. This whisky wants to be discovered. In the back of the mouth there's oak.
    • Finish
      90 90
      Long lasting and dry. Chocolate and honey, great!

  8. g00se scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    No fruit bomb. Dry Oloroso style.
    So rather old and noble. Characterized by oak and leather notes.
    A little too shy for me personally, but how do you say these days: good value.
    • Nose
      88 88
      Old, noble and slightly spicy. But still quite closed at the beginning. Polished oak, leather polish and still undefinable sherry aromas.
      Berries slowly appear, a bit of dates (but not sweet), walnut. Develops something in the citrus direction: orange peel, lime juice,...
    • Taste
      89 89
      Oily, noble, almost deliciously drinkable. But then he shows that he still has power.
      Here, too, dark leather and oak tones dominate.
      Also has something sherry-fruity, which I can't quite grasp.
    • Finish
      90 90
      Nice strong finish.
      Wood and citrus fruits alternate.
      A few sherry aromas don't let the whole thing tip too acidic. Long-lasting.

  9. Lukas_Kiene scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    You don't need to discuss much here, for me an outstanding bottling.
    • Nose
      An intensely dark and lawful fruitiness flows out of the glass. One immediately thinks of plum compote, grandma's pickled cherries and strawberries. In addition, a really powerful old-school note à la old oak cupboard. Just like a nice old malt should be. In addition, very dark, almost resinous honey. Everything is so intertwined that it seems almost gloomy. The old school punch is enormous, a delicate hint of furniture polish completes the whole thing again. Some cocoa cream also flashes through with me.
    • Taste
      Super creamy and soft, the alcohol is well integrated. Now you can find a potpourri of different fruits, from boiled red fruits to oranges and minimally tropical accents. Some spicy honey again, topped with candied orange peel. The old-school character is still present and brings with it a tart-sweet influence. Almost like a perfect cask filled at the perfect time. Everything is wonderfully balanced. Big cinema!
    • Finish
      Wonderfully voluminous and with lots of dry cocoa. Some orange zest joins in, as does dry vanilla and wood chips. The tart notes are ideally balanced, a slightly tangy citrus note brings a certain freshness kick into play. Top!

  10. Yarema scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

    Very berry, fresh and absolutely balanced sherry! Definitely a very intelligent nose! Nothing sticks out or sinks ... I completely agree with hs305 that it is 98% Glenfarсlas. But with what I do not agree at all - it would not add water for sure !!! It is a fully finished and chic whisky. According to the description of taste and finish, I agree 100% with hs305.
    Nose - 23
    Taste - 23
    Finish - 22
    Balance - 23
    Rating - 91

  11. dapoinbua scored this whisky 92 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      92 92
    • Taste
      92 92
    • Finish
      91 91

  12. Killswitch scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      89 89

  13. Mannix65 scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    Nice robust, spicy Speysider, which trumps with great balance - a nice mix of fruit, sherry, woody dryness - for the 90 points, however, I miss the decisive kick
    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      88 88

  14. dongolzo81 scored this whisky 91 points Connoisseur

    The nose is really outstanding. Much more is not possible. It is also very flattering on the palate, pleasantly little woody-bitter for an old piglet. Would have actually been worthy of a Family Casks.
    • Nose
      92 92
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      90 90

  15. nallacam scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      91 91
    • Finish
      89 89

  16. I_am_not_HS305 scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      88 88

  17. _Glenseileach_ scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      89 89

  18. claymore84 scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    Tasted on 06-06-2021 in Rastatt.

  19. Vmarcinv scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    red fruit, sweetness of sherry, broken citrus peel, nuts with herbs, a bit of leather and tobacco. Perfectly arranged, well-integrated alcohol

  20. Whisky-Fancier scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      92 92
    • Taste
      91 91
    • Finish
      91 91

  21. aspa scored this whisky 92 points Connoisseur

    nose
    I don't know that much about piglets, but what I've drunk so far smells exactly like this - forest honey! Sweet but also spicy, with caramel, cinnamon, leather and even more dark honey. Roasted walnuts, light mint, maple syrup and some leather polish. Round, strong but with very well integrated alcohol, sniffing is fun! Nice age, many aromas that mix but also alternate. Raisins and the dried plums, which are always welcome, are added. The whole thing remains spicy, the sweetness that alternates with a bitter spice and also mixed is delicious. A touch of perfume?

    taste
    Creamy, mouth-filling, strong, but still with perfectly integrated alcohol. Then sticky, like a spoon of forest honey straight out of the jar. Furthermore, the great sherry aromas, but clearly dominated by dripping dark forest honey. Burnt sugar, but here again the tangy, tangy spices, again some mint and also light oak and with a slightly bitter note towards the finish. Roasted nuts and a shot of espresso. 90% cocoa chocolate. But still the spicy honey that lets the dominance play again and again. There is a lot to discover here, the age is right and has brought in complexity without beating the barrel. Top!

    Exit
    Here, too, I like to repeat myself, the spicy-sweet forest honey that sticks to the whole mouth for a long to very long time. A little pepper tingles on the tongue. It is now tart and spicy, with the sweetness fading into the background. Slightly bitter, the espresso is more evident here. A little more wood and some tree resin.
    In the end, there is forest honey, and that's a good thing!

    Conclusion
    Wonderful sherry barrel maturation. The flavors play - enjoyment is in its element. Perfect bottling, which reminds me extremely of the family piglets - it doesn't matter whether it is or not, the dram is great!
    N-93, T-92, F-92 for excellent 92 points
    • Nose
      93 93
    • Taste
      92 92
    • Finish
      92 92

  22. Totoro scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    The nose needs a lot of time in the glass to develop properly. But then she also scratches 91.
    • Nose
      90 90
      Plum jam, flavored herbal tea (lemon balm), lovage, gravy, Christmas stollen, hazelnut milk chocolate, bay leaves, leather, polished wood. Slightly waxy. Looks very noble and fine, nicely balanced, no aspect dominates. Despite the dark color, the sherry influence is not the focus. Almost * too * round - but only almost. ;)
    • Taste
      90 90
      Wow, great texture, really resinous-oily-sticky-syrupy - but without getting too sweet. Plum brandy, morello cherries, orange peel, freshly ground pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking cocoa, espresso, dark chocolate, raisins and leather. You couldn't ask for much more from such a mid-nineties sherry malt.
    • Finish
      89 89
      Sticks to the cheeks for a long time, still viscous and oily. However, the aromas fade faster than the mouthfeel and are reduced to tobacco, dark chocolate, nuts and coffee.

  23. Kantenmechaniker scored this whisky 91 points Connoisseur

    Nice and varied whisky. A lot of fun to drink.
    At my first tasting I still had a bit of problems, but now it can be better deciphered with more calm. Therefore, probably nothing to just slouch on the side. He needs attention and he deserves it!
    • Nose
      Freshly poured, an almond note dominates, some noisette, a delicate citrus overtone, also plum with a slight acidity, warmed up then much more chocolaty, some oak, tart in connection with the nut note, a bit of polish on the back, spicy, has already gotten a lot of oak in the nose, After the first sip, I have a green apple note in my nose, which makes it fresher
    • Taste
      Oily, sweet, chocolate, creamy, plum, dark chocolate, a lot of lemon, slightly woody, more sherry-heavy in the mouth than in the nose with a little less wood, intense and full-bodied, furniture polish, but only hinted at, exciting and complex, not a pure sherry bomb, there is more in there
    • Finish
      Nutty, getting sweeter, grape peel, chocolate, apple, almost sticky, something like a Hubba Bubba chewing gum that is coming to an end

  24. Kensay scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    according to the current situation on the whisky market - an adequate price (175 euros) for such a level. The whisky is perfectly balanced, the alcohol is perfectly integrated, sheer pleasure. Perhaps there is a little lack of complexity and layers, but its harmony is addictive and difficult to stop
    • Nose
      90 90
      delicate, cream with cream, chocolate and smoked plums with raisins, old oak in varnish and a little citrus, vanilla and pastry spices
    • Taste
      90 90
      fresh and light, citruses, ripe cherries, roasted walnuts, the alcohol is perfectly integrated, practically not felt
    • Finish
      89 89
      dried fruits, chocolate, a little tobacco leaves and orange peel, maybe a little too much wood at the finish

  25. craide scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    Very straightforward, harmonious malt that tastes very good to me. With a contrast like a sulfur note or smoke that spreads such a small swipe, an even higher note would have been possible. Be that as it may, very good one way or the other.
    • Nose
      90 90
      Nice, dense sherry aroma, without appearing overloaded, flows towards you. Fine fruity notes such as orange peel, peaches and plums come to the fore. In addition, light wood and oak notes and some roasted chestnuts. Red wine mixes with a thick, jam-like sweetness. The many red fruits look like cooked fruit. In addition, the almost typical chocolate rounds off the good impression. Very fine, very elegant.
    • Taste
      90 90
      Oily, somewhat thick appearance on the palate. The many different fruit notes appear sticky and sweet. In addition, the oak spice manages to give it a nice, tingling, slightly spicy mouthfeel. Lots of sherry and forest honey form a pleasant basis. With a little time, the whole thing feels drier, with a little more spice and wood. Coffee creates a slight bitterness. In the background there is still some vanilla tobacco, leather, nut chocolate which makes it look musty and musty at the end.
    • Finish
      89 89
      Medium-long finish, fruit, sweetness, spice dominate, some sharpness develops again, then soft and oily with a little vanilla and toffee.

  26. Bowmore Axel scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      90 90
      Sweet and sour red-fruity, medium sherry nose,
      some oranges and sweet spices.
    • Taste
      88 88
      Bitter - swee, soft, noble, mouthwashing, peppery tingling,
      dark fruits, some dark chocolate.
    • Finish
      86 86
      Bitter - sweet, resounding wooden notes.

  27. Tommyknocker scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      90 90

  28. dominikbraun scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      92 92
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      89 89

  29. SRB scored this whisky 92 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      92 92
    • Finish
      91 91

  30. ThorstenH scored this whisky 92 points Connoisseur

    Orange sherry, very round, consistently very good.
    91-100 – whisky heaven, best stuff
    • Nose
      93 93
    • Taste
      91 91
    • Finish
      92 92

  31. zapfdaniel scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      88 88

  32. subhero scored this whisky 90 points Member Junior

    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      89 89

  33. Sport scored this whisky 94 points Connoisseur

    such a beautiful single malt. i love the cask influence wood wise - it ships the sherry notes in an old fashion way. just really good oak quality for my palate. beautiful nose to spend hours sniffing in front of an open fireplace.

    i compared it tonight with glenfarclas Release S20 22yo (163371), both beautiful matured sherry oak malts. that creamyness of the glenfarclas is outstandingly good and the mancarella cannot really keep up with its 49% Vol. - but in all other categories, its outscoring the glenfarclas by 3 points for me.
    is the secret speyside a glenfarclas? it do think they are from the same family, even though in this comparison, from a different ball game.
    outstanding whisky that took my breath tonight. and for this price it's hard to find comparable family cask releases. therefor one extra point for value.
    • Nose
      94 94
    • Taste
      94 94
    • Finish
      93 93

  34. Yukon scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      92 92
    • Taste
      91 91
    • Finish
      90 90

  35. Soderberg scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      91 91
    • Finish
      90 90

  36. wako93 scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

    Jou that's great tennis;) If it wasn't sherry, I would be annoyed not to have bought a big bottle. Great bottling, great bottler. Please continue!
    • Nose
      91 91
      very fine nose. very adult sherry. Not broad or masculine at all. graceful and elegant. Caramel, vanilla, dried fruit. Subtle citrus fruit. That is already big and close to 92.
    • Taste
      91 91
      The same goes on on the palate. Super creamy, elegant, playful. Totally round, in the most positive sense. Light oak flavor. Then a surge of caramel and vanilla. Acidity from overripe oranges. Becomes creamier and creamier, stimulates the flow of saliva. Also here very high level.
    • Finish
      90 90
      slightly astringent mouthfeel. Gets a little bit tart. Grapefruit. Dark chocolate, a little carbonic acid, tingles nicely. Round thing.

  37. Vallado scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      89 89

  38. Griller76 scored this whisky 93 points Expert Junior

    I am really excited: Despite the strong 49.7%, I find the alcohol so perfectly integrated that it is not necessary to dilute this noble drop.
    The palate is pampered harmoniously - sweet, spicy, with a pleasant wood note without overlaying the whisky or even astringent.
    • Nose
      Sweet, roast pork spices, heavy quality sherry, umami - wonderful
    • Taste
      Sherry, heavy graveyard soil, short sweetness, flavor
    • Finish
      very long, pipe tobacco as Black Cavendish, subtle sweetness like stevia, smoke - perfect!

  39. Barbone scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      92 92
    • Taste
      91 91
    • Finish
      91 91

  40. Gorra scored this whisky 92 points Expert Junior

    Top filling, convincing all along the line and impresses above all in the mouth.
    • Nose
      91 91
      Cinnamon, raisins, sweet tobacco, mint and wood. Some leather.
    • Taste
      93 93
      Arrives oily in the mouth and leaves it creamy. Impressions from the nose are confirmed, whereby I can make out the leather here more clearly. In addition, there are some fruity, tart grapefruit with a subtle smoke. Great harmony of flavors.
    • Finish
      91 91
      Medium length with cinnamon and a little spice from the wood

  41. Fman scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

    All you need. Nice nose, fruity, harmonious, balanced, alcohol well integrated, fine oak flavor, more still than barrel ... if you had it, all the others become a minor matter!

  42. BehindSpace scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

    needs time in the glass imho.
    nice profile far from all 'wet casks'

    not as many dark aromas as expected.
    tends to be on yellow fruits.
    pretty nice overall.
    • Nose
      89 89
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      88 88

  43. Othorion scored this whisky 91 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      92 92
    • Finish
      90 90

  44. mema82 scored this whisky 91 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      91 91
    • Finish
      90 90

  45. mr_barleycorn scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

    Nose: Full and complex, the whisky rises into the nose and simultaneously opens the way in an infinite number of different directions. On the one hand there is a very clear, crisp profile, almost maritime, only without iodine and seaweed. In addition, full orange notes, but also ripe apples and some freshly brewed Earl Gray tea. Maybe a little chamomile too. Dried fruits are now making more and more space. There are dried plums, dates and cranberries with a few slivers of men's chocolate in between. Everything is surrounded by exactly the right amount of wood influence. Not fresh, but dry, old wood. And I have a little dust in my nose, like the smell when you pull an old book off the shelf. With even more time in the glass and the alcohol evaporating, hints of mirabelle plums appear and the orange fades into the background. Honey, gingerbread spices and a fine nuttiness complement the aroma. I am already impressed.

    Taste: The performance continues seamlessly on the tongue. The entire mouth is lined with oily, almost waxy, and here, too, the complexity of the malt shows. Full-bodied juice oranges, slight bitter notes towards pear peel, elegant sweetness. Both ripe and dried fruits are also present on the tongue. Again some plums, pickled raisins and dried apricots. As with other 1993 Secret bottlings from Mancarella, I find wax and slightly burnt toast. Subtle chocolate and nutty roasted aromas ring in the finish.

    Finish: Medium to long and still full-bodied. The orange remains in the form of its slightly bitter peel, plus a pleasant wood felling with allspice, leather and slightly sweetened espresso.

  46. LeChiffre scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    Beautiful, ripe and elegant bottling. In the mouth it is more on the tart and spicy side - the sweet and fruity notes are more in the background. Very tasty, but at a price of 175 euros, the sample is enough for me.
    • Nose
      91 91
      nice fruity-sweet sherry nose; dark fruits; Red berries; Oranges; a lot of dried fruit; Raisins; Dates; Spices; some mint chocolate; delicate wood flavor
    • Taste
      89 89
      less fruity and sweet than on the nose; A fine, tart, tingling wood spice lies directly on the tongue; dark fruits; Raisins; tart herbal notes; dark chocolate
    • Finish
      88 88
      spicy; dark chocolate; tender dried fruits; Herbs; bitter oak flavor

  47. I_am_not_HS305 scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    enough said by the other guys here - really nice old style, no off notes, superb drinkable. Top quality for the price.

  48. Rhönräuber scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

    The official tasting notes from Mancarella / deinwhisky hit it right. The bottling is a "grande dame" on par with a Glengoyne 25 years old or excellent Family Casks of the same age.

  49. didi1893 scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    The barrel tasting has been waiting for a long time, today the 1993 Speysider finally comes into the glass. Ok, again a mysterious Speysider from Dino Mancarella, this time a joint bottling with DeinWhisky ... As usual, the bar and expectations for a Mancarella bottling are very high, and this time they were fully met! The nose is dominated by sweet and fruity dried fruits, bit by bit tart and sour nuances are added. In my opinion, the taste is more dominated by the spicy wood and barrel influences, the fruity impressions on the nose are unfortunately easily lost. Also with this Secret Speyside (as is so often the case with older bottlings from my favorite distillery) I perceive a slightly subdued smoky note, but I don't know whether it's really a piglet and I can't say ... and characterful malt! For today well-deserved 90 points with an upward tendency ...

    23/23/22/22 (90P)
    • Nose
      Dark, slightly creamy amber shines in my Premium Snifter, a multitude of oily "legs" adhere to the glass wall. Dried grapes and berries rise heavily from the glass, hints of cherries and apricots are followed by zest and zest of oranges, hazelnuts end in minimal roasted aromas and slightly smoky and salty caramel. Sweet fruit aromas play with minimal nuances of tart lemons and grapefruit, cinnamon sticks and vanilla pods dissolve from a blend of creamy caramel with crumbs of milk chocolate. In the background there are finely spicy wood tones with a light touch of dried mint and fresh herbs.
    • Taste
      Fine tart wood tones with red dark fruits line the palate after the first sip, roasted hazelnuts pass through the mouth with hints of muted smoke, a pinch of black pepper gently massages the tongue before the sudden and massive flow of saliva. A bouquet of fresh meadow herbs is mixed with zest from citrus fruits, dried grapes and berries fall into ground hazelnuts, slightly dry wooden elements come into their own. Forest honey with minimally resinous hints dominates the second sip, overall the second sip looks bitter and darker. Dark chocolate, a few drops of espresso, burnt sugar and old caramel, hints of wet leather and wet tobacco leaves, roasted hazelnuts, the aftertaste announces itself after a few moments ...
    • Finish
      Dark fruit and wood aromas stick to the palate, old hazelnuts and fresh herbs, hints of menthol and eucalyptus refresh the tip of the tongue. I imagine that I can perceive a minimal and muffled smoke note in the aftermath. Unfortunately, the initially intense aftertaste only lingers briefly on the palate and ends relatively quickly with roasted hazelnuts and subtle smoky wood notes.

  50. hs305 scored this whisky 91 points Connoisseur

    [January, 2021] I had the pleasure to try a cask sample of this stuff and guess what - I ordered a bottle on the spot...

    ...because this is another old-school (most probably) 'farclas in the best tradition of this fine distillery. Obviously, they invest more money in high-quality sherry casks than most other distilleries so (some of) their casks are seasoned with long-matured sherry instead of the usual unmatured (pre-sherry) wine. This addiction to quality is the clear advantage of a family-run business over controller-operated big conglomerates or investor-driven groups (like Edrington who owns Macallan).

    The quality uplift of this investment is flabbergasting: This dram is on eye-level with old-school sherry maturations of the past, and it is dangerously quaffable. Absolutely on par with flawless Family Cask editions, no doubts.

    [February, 2021] Finally, the bottle arrived and I have the chance to verify my old (small) cask sample notes with a larger measure of this exquisite stuff. And guess what?
    I like it the same! Please see detailed notes below, scores remain unchanged.

    [January, 2022] Thanx to my sample library I re-tasted this dram tonight and still I find this is one of the best modern sherry maturations I came across during the last years. It is flavoursome, impressive and flawless - and very quaffable. Given its initial price of way below 200 Eurobucks this was a good buy, no doubt.
    • Nose
      91 91
      - please see official tasting notes (done from cask sample) -

      From bottle: The colour is quite dark at auburn and the nose offers a truly complex and harmonious old-school sherry profile in nice balance with the fine 'farclas malt aromas and rather shy wooden notes. Not a single off-note or imbalance that I can find, this is the nose of an excellent old sherry maturation, no doubt. By the way, there are very nice OBFs (furniture polish) in this nose which are rarely to find in modern maturations.
    • Taste
      92 92
      - please see official tasting notes (done from cask sample) -

      From bottle: The taste is nicely layered of both sweet malt and bitter wooden flavours in a hide-and-seek play. The only reliable component is the sherry which provides the stage all other flavours use happily to perform their parts of the play. No flaws or fouls during that, all works out very well. Some water releases more impressions both in the nose and on the palate, and it turns the dram even more quaffable. I like it both neat and somewhat reduced.
    • Finish
      90 90
      - please see official tasting notes (done from cask sample) -

      From bottle: The initial mouthfeel is warming and charming with a creamy texture covering my mouth instantly. There are some minor bitter-drying moments (tannins) but they are no major deal. Actually, they are rather welcomed given the otherwise sweet profile. The finish is of medium length and adds more chocolatey and herbal impressions with again some bitter-drying wooden moments which are not distracting, and they vanish with a slight reduction (if you do not like them).

  51. GIngi scored this whisky 92 points Expert Senior

    I was lucky enough to be able to taste a sample in advance! I like the Speysider better than the two predecessors. Beautiful ripe dark fruits paired with perfectly integrated (older) sherry notes. Since we are talking about the sister barrel of the whisky Doris. Find this bottling comparatively softer, with less flavor but more intense or more complex sherry. The finish is medium long.
    • Nose
      92 92
    • Taste
      92 92
    • Finish
      90 90

  52. rampah scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

    Rumored to be a Glenfarclas.

  53. dRambo scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    Get a barrel sample for your birthday

    unfortunately cool - valuable, mature, elegant, wonderfully balanced and exciting

    Nose: initially mineral, stone flour, ground citrus drops, lemon peel, increasingly red berries with a little time, walnut, old oak cupboard, tightly interwoven dried fruits - dates, figs, raisins, bay leaves

    Palate: Orange oil, fresh, lively sherry fruits, and partly dried, candied and from the rum pot - elegant, dense but not sticky, distinctly heather and leather with a gentle chocolate touch - imho is a very mild, almost imperceptible, well-broken down smoke - quite a long pulsating Departure (89/90 - 91 - 90)

    w * w.whisky.de / forum / discussion / 48617 / now-drinking-2021 / p1

    detailed notes when I've treated myself to something from the bottle

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