Overall rating
89.41/100
votes
113
Whiskybase ID
WB196310
Category
Single Malt
Bottler
Sansibar (Sb)
Bottling serie
The Clans Label
Vintage
1999
Bottled
2021
Stated Age
21 years old
Casktype
Sherry Cask
Number of bottles
676
Strength
54.7 % Vol.
Size
700 ml
Barcode
4260653060806
Added on
16 nov 2021 5:09 pm by aryehf
UncoloredNon-chillfilteredCask Strength

Average value

€ 196.92

88 × in wishlist

113 × member ratings

203 × in collection

Whisky reviews for Secret Orkney 1999 Sb

38 users have left 38 reviews for this whisky. Average rating is 89.41 points.

  1. Kensay scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

    Chic whole, balanced whisky, dense and full-bodied. Perfect for a winter evening. Thanks to Kegelbogen for the sample
    • Nose
      90 90
      Dessert, honey, sweet mango, ripe citruses, passion fruit and bananas, vanilla and confectionery spices, light peat and salty smoke
    • Taste
      89 89
      Lemons in honey, ripe juicy pears, thick, viscous, dessert
    • Finish
      90 90
      Viscous citruses in vanilla, marmalade and lollipops, long-lasting warming

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  3. Petitcham scored this whisky 87 points Expert Senior

    It has a strong sour taste in the middle than expected, HP's unique character is alive but not abundant, Slightly waxy and spicy, all in all, uneventful.

  4. Sport scored this whisky 92 points Connoisseur

    very nice HP
    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      92 92
    • Finish
      92 92

  5. McKapran scored this whisky 90 points Member Senior

    very nice waxy dram ending up in a spicy finish. nice balance of the sherry cask that needs time to reveal itself
    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      90 90
    • Finish
      90 90

  6. 33rdCASK scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

    The first epithets that come to mind are subtlety and elegance. The refilled sherry cask worked very discreetly, emphasizing all the advantages of this age-old HP and enriching it with a chic palette of aromas.

    Tropical fruits, green pear, Duchesse lemonade, Monpasier lollipops, apricot, malt notes, custard, overripe pomegranate. In development, a light, barely perceptible smoke appeared, reminiscent of roasted seeds, abundantly spilled with unrefined sunflower oil.
    • Nose
      92 92
    • Taste
      91 91
    • Finish
      90 90

  7. DrFreeEnergy scored this whisky 89 points Expert Junior

    I struggle with modern Highland Park because it has changed so much from what it used to taste like from distillates made between the mid 1950s through the early 1980s. I find it easier to be more objective when it is labeled Orkney and in a way I can treat it as though it’s another distillery. This shows a good representation of the modern mineral and waxy fruit style with a touch of heather and relatively light mouthfeel. Good for modern HP.

  8. dapoinbua scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

  9. M_CHEOL scored this whisky 88 points Member Senior

    It's been about a month since it was opened, and I tasted it with a bottle with more than 85% remaining. I hope it gets better as time passes and the remaining amount in the bottle decreases..
    • Nose
      92 92
      Great. It tells us how great results can be from a refill sherry cask compared to a low ripening 1st fill sherry cask that lacks variety.
    • Taste
      86 86
      While the nosing is great, the taste is a bit disappointing.
    • Finish
      86 86
      Although it is long, it is difficult to feel other elements because it is covered by strong spicy.

  10. Boletus did not rate this whisky Connoisseur

    Although a bit shy in its appearance, the aromas offered in this "secret" Highland Park are put together so finely and flawlessly that I have no choice but to be amazed.
    • Nose
      A little closed at first, but contact with oxygen changes this quite quickly, a lot of honey with a noticeable amount of beeswax, tends towards Manuka honey, the distillate is free of alcoholic tendencies and has a subtly pronounced fleshy approach, becoming more peaty, but only thin ones Visible streaks of smoke, a bit earthy and mineral, has something of a fresh pottery tone, heather adds spicy floral aromas, fruit is hardly involved at first, but over time they dare to emerge, kaki, overripe gooseberries in rudiments, soft apricots, dried ones Mango strips and pineapple pieces, lime leaves, dry oak boards in the sun
    • Taste
      Fantastic mouthfeel, liquefied Manuka honey, beeswax lines the mouth, then the peat note pushes through, but remains almost smoke-free here too, a trace of cigar ash, becoming appealingly spicy and malty, fresh heather is worked into a dried wildflower bouquet, it turns fruity, but always remains characterized by the spicy and honey-enriched basic orientation, apricots and dried pineapple, guava in syrup, a little mango, lemon cake, ripe persimmon, gooseberry jelly, the dry framework for this very tasty aroma play is formed by bitter-free oak , roasted almonds and hazelnuts in dark milk chocolate, subtle kitchen herbs in the third row
    • Finish
      A long finish follows, the beeswax waxed oral cavity lets the honey and heather slowly glide by, malty and delicately peaty, a gooseberry explodes with overripeness, guava juice, dark milk chocolate on mushy banana, a drop of walnut oil lubricates the lips, apricot, the dignified oak now appears more clearly on the scene, some liquorice, liquorice in a sugar coat, a thin trace of mace leads to a few crumbs of cinnamon bark and white peppercorns, the aftertaste is a thin layer of ash with a mineral touch on the thinly waxed oral mucosa

  11. Flavio scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

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

  12. TTAlex scored this whisky 92 points Expert Senior

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

  13. TechnOBY scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      88 88

  14. JoshNRW scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

    A very sophisticated, complex and at the same time light whisky. The 4th-fill cask was (fortunately) only able to provide the malt with supporting aromas and that's why I find this whisky so strong, although it doesn't deliver any spectacle. For the price of 185 euros, I find it almost cheap if you like this taste profile as much as I do.

    Not quite as oily and creamy as some of my favorite whiskys with a similar profile, but that lack of oiliness is also a bit typical of Highland Park to me.
    • Nose
      91 91
      Very shy and reserved at the beginning in Blenders, but clearly recognizable as a Highland Park (sweet, salty-maritime and subtle smoke in the background). Only after 20 minutes do the first shy sherry aromas appear and play their way from the background more and more into the middle part. As is often the case with good whiskys of this age, which are initially closed, the fine aromas only spread more and more over time.
    • Taste
      91 91
      Wow, the start is a perfect Highland Park profile of high quality and the key data of an approx. 20 year old and approx. 50-55% strong distillate with high quality, which is perfect for my personal taste, spreads wonderfully in the mouth.

      The sherry influence is even more subtle here than in the nose, but can still be found at the back. But once you've found it and grabbed it, it even makes it into the middle part with the next few sips.
      In between, there are always minimally perceptible smoke aromas between the sweetish-salty notes of an HP.
    • Finish
      90 90
      89.5
      The finish is medium-long, corresponding to previous impressions, and the mouthfeel is super nice - also due to the perfect key data.

  15. Patrick93 scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

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

  16. steinrich scored this whisky 90 points Expert Senior

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

  17. rpvdwel scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      86 86
    • Taste
      87 87
    • Finish
      87 87

  18. Fight65 scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      87 87

  19. Prof_Dr_John scored this whisky 92 points Connoisseur

    Wow, an amazing malt! The descriptions of hs305 is actually nothing to add. Described absolutely perfectly and understandably.
    Slainte!

  20. JacobaEd scored this whisky 83 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      85 85
    • Taste
      82 82
    • Finish
      81 81

  21. Hvdree scored this whisky 87 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      86 86

  22. n11 scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

  23. Astrid scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    Goes with and without water, always cuts a good figure and knows how to impress with details and balance. Chic refill sherry. A sample is not enough, you need a whole bottle of it to share with friends at times. For the full review, go here: https://keinehalbendrinks.de/2022/05/14/secrets-of-sansibar/
    • Nose
      90 90
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      89 89

  24. Julia E S scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

    Secret Orkney 1999 Zanzibar

    Nose

    Very very refill sherry, the sherry influence is hardly there,
    Forest honey, cereals, orange juice, amarettini, bitter almonds, slightly alcoholic, astringent and a little too bitter.
    It really takes a long time for your nose to settle down and become more comfortable.

    taste
    More pleasant in taste than in the nose, apricots, soft cakes, far less bitter almonds, clear sweetness, the alcohol is well integrated.

    In the finish then grassy, hay, wholemeal biscuits, vanilla and amarettini.

    It takes a long time to develop its potential. But there are more exciting whiskys at this price. I wouldn't buy again.

  25. d1scostu scored this whisky 91 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      93 93
    • Taste
      89 89
    • Finish
      91 91

  26. Totoro scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    You really can't go wrong with the inherent complexity of the HP distillate. Just let it sit in a mellowed-out cask for 20 years, and tadah: you have a 90-point malt for sure.

    Reminds me a lot of a similar, re-re-refill-oriented HP bottling, WB136933. This is equally good, even a bit better, but regrettably, it costs almost twice as much.

    Tasted in direct comparison with WB107411.
    • Nose
      89 89
      No way I'd recognize this as an ex-sherry bottling in a blind tasting. An extremely restrained refill cask that lets the spirit talk. The focus is on the typical HP herbal aromas (gorse, camphor, heather...), honeyed sweetness, creamy pastry-like notes, and soft smoke.
    • Taste
      90 90
      Powerful yet harmonious. Nicely structured development, beginning on oak and fruits (apricot and papaya, perhaps), then continuing on honey and brown sugar, before the tart herbs and oak spice build up into a tidal wave that comes crashing down alongside a cloud of trademark ashy HP peat smoke. After a few sips there's perhaps a slight sense of caramel and nuttiness hinting at refill ex-sherry wood. Excellent.
    • Finish
      90 90
      Honey, sea salt, rosemary, guava, pink grapefruit, and heathery / ashy peat smoke.
      Long, with tart herbs and ash as the last impressions to leave.

  27. Hagerboe scored this whisky 91 points Member Senior

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

  28. Tommy_71 scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

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

  29. WSP scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

    great whisky, elegant, rich in finesse and full of nuances. Otherwise thanks to the detailed notes from hs305.
    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      92 92
    • Finish
      91 91

  30. voodoochile scored this whisky 89 points Expert Senior

    I really liked this one. It's got everything you expect from a secret orkney distillery which can only be one of the two distilleries located there
    • Nose
      89 89
      This one does need time. But you'll be rewarded. Dried fruits,honey, a hint of wax and mediterranian notes, vanilla
    • Taste
      90 90
      I honestly do wonder where the waxy notes come from but hey i like them. Sherry notes coming through with red dried fruits and honey.
    • Finish
      89 89
      Long and nice, the oak comes through in the end and again waxy notes which i didn't have in other Highland Parks. But very nicely balanced.

  31. WhiskyWitold scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

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

  32. butt scored this whisky 91 points Expert Senior

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

  33. Killswitch scored this whisky 91 points Connoisseur

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

  34. LeChiffre scored this whisky 89 points Connoisseur

    Beautiful, strong and at the same time harmoniously balanced Highland Park with the classic aroma components of this distillery. The sherry cask is very reserved here.
    • Nose
      sweet-spicy; bright fruits; citrus notes; Honey; heather; some vanilla; a nice delicate smoke to accompany everything
    • Taste
      viscous nice mouthfeel; bright fruits; Honey; herbal notes; Oak
    • Finish
      sparkling peppery-spicy; delicate fruit, heather; herbal notes; Oak; delicate smoke lingers

  35. Funtik scored this whisky 88 points Connoisseur

  36. yarikovsky scored this whisky 88 points Expert Senior

    • Nose
      87 87
    • Taste
      88 88
    • Finish
      88 88

  37. olegborgol scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    23-23-22-22

  38. WiltChamberlain scored this whisky 92 points Connoisseur

    • Nose
      91 91
    • Taste
      93 93
    • Finish
      92 92

  39. hs305 scored this whisky 92 points Connoisseur

    [December, 2021] The distillery can be guessed even without opening a bottle because Highland Park only produced on Orkney from 1994 to 2004 (Scapa was mothballed except for some very rare occasional distillation runs done by the nearby HP staff to keep the equipment intact - but I doubt any of these Scapa casks were ever sold to IB's)...

    ...and after I opened this bottle it became obvious: This is another fine old Highland Park from one of the best periods of this excellent distillery. All lovers of heavy sherried drinks should shy away from this bottling because the sherry is rather subtle and not very impressive to you, most probably. The malt is leading this harmonic orchestration of aromas and flavours (as it should be in a whisky) but all other impressions of the wine and wood shine brightly too. I adore such drams!

    PS: This could well be one of these rare "excellent 4th fill maturations" given the flabbergasting harmony of the holy whisky trinity (malt, wine, wood) and the resulting complexity of flavours. In that respect it comes close to my beloved 4th fill Glenfarclas Family Casks - but it owns a different profile (Highland Park), of course. And it proves (again) that 18-21 years of maturation is the best age for malt whiskies (stated by dear old Silvio Samaroli first, R.I.P.), most probably.
    • Nose
      92 92
      The colour is old gold and the nose is a little shy first (so I was tempted to go for a Scapa experimentational run instead of Highland Park). But this changed quickly after some minutes of oxidation and the trademark impressive HP profile unfolded with all the honeys, oils, waxes, heather flowers and whiffs of peat which can be found in there, usually. It grows stronger the longer it breathes so take your time with this nose - and use a big spherical blender's glass, if available. The sherry stays rather shy but it adds delicious subtle aromas to the mix - you have to search for them (which is fun, I swear!). I had this nose at 89 points at the beginning of the tasting session and then it went all the way up to the above score...
    • Taste
      93 93
      The taste is nicely layered with again rather shy sherry flavours which let the powerful and delicious HP malt shine very brightly. Not that the sherry is overpowered by the malt, it is just that the malt is in the driver's seat but the sherry sits right beside it. The wood is perfect with a firm structure in the background without trying to enter the spotlight (as I like it). That is what I call a balanced dram! Some water unlocks even more aromas in the nose (the fruits grow stronger) but the layers start to intermingle now. A bigger reduction releases resinous and chalky aromas both in the nose and on the palate which is a quite interesting addition to the profile. I like this dram neat and reduced at different levers - it swims like Michael Phelps (or Mark Spitz, for all who are a little older already).
    • Finish
      92 92
      The initial mouthfeel is as impressive as a HP should be with a warming, creamy texture coating all of my mouth within seconds - oh, how I love that! The finish is accordingly very long and adds more impressions of autumn flowers (heather), herbs and an interesting note of excellent olive oil (wow, that is rather unusual). Not the slightest off-note or imbalance again and not a single bitter or drying moment, these casks were bottled at a perfect time.

      Just to be on the safe side I want to state this again: This is a dram for all lovers of delicate, balanced and complex malts and it requires both some patience and effort to discover all of its secrets. If you are in whisky for the quick and easy thrill (which is absolutely okay) you may find this dram rather average only, I guess.

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