09/05/2020 One lonely dram

Someone, somewhere (in the summertime) is turning half a century, today. A toast to them!

Secret Speyside Distillery 50yo (40%, Master of Malt Secret Bottlings Series, 1st edition, b. ca 2010): this is not from Speyside distillery and it is not one of the recent "Speyside Region" -- though it might very well be from the same distillery. Anyway, Master of Malt did this series for people obsessed with numbers, rather than names, the same way Gordon & MacPhail did. It is not impossible that it helped kick start the wave of undisclosed, aged Speyside whiskies that have landed on the market, over the past years, but I suppose we will never know for sure. The pricing of this was very buyer-friendly, even taking into account it was a decade ago: less than 350 GBP for a full bottle of 50yo whisky, imagine!... Nose: an unexpected amount of candlewax and brine-y olives. That clears the picture quickly, though, leaving room for wild berries (blackberries, blackcurrants, raspberries, wild strawberries, myrtles). Aside that fruitiness, it has gun oil, wood briquettes, ink-stained blotting paper, earthy potatoes, crusty cake base and dried vine leaves. It is vaguely nutty, though with olives drying in the sun, rather than hazelnuts; it definitely has roasted peanuts and even peanut oil, on the other hand. Dark berries resurface, as does the candlewax, closing the loop. All of that is subdued, tamed. Perhaps it is the age, perhaps it is the 40% ABV, probably it is a combination of the two. The second sniff sees the wax turn almost citric, with waxy mandarin peels, tangerine and satsuma peels. Far back in the nose, it seems to have a whiff of smoke, yet one really has to pay attention. Mouth: it feels dilutes, but not that much, actually: it still has a bite. Silky in texture, polished, it feels almost brandy-like in how it balances fruit, wood and alcohol strength. Dark grapes, blackcurrants, warm wood by the fireplace (it is not in the fire yet), wood-panelled libraries. The wood grows in loudness, with treacle and some tannins, although nothing over the top. Crunchy toast, roasted malt... until the the berries take over completely, with blackberries and blackcurrants wearing their most seductive attire. Aromatic chewing tobacco, dried meadow flowers, minty blackcurrant and brambles. Finish: big and woody, here, it has burnt wood, charred toast and scorched earth. It comes across as vaguely smoky in the finish too, and considering this is a 1960 distillation at the latest, it is very possible. Possible? Well, even if no peat was used to dry the malted barley (it probably was), chances are that, in 1960, coal was still used to fire the stills, regardless of which distillery this was made at. I find this has a coal note too, in fact. Black tar, smoked treacle and blackcurrant jam, simmering in a cauldron, over a coal fire, hot cranberry relish to accompany the venison spit roast in the fireplace and charred beetroot. This is nice enough. I can see it not commanding high prices, based on taste alone. Good of Master of Malt to not milk it more than they should have. 7/10

Happy birthday!