Secret Islay Distillery 7 Year Old 2013 The Whisky Mercenary
Draco Islayensis
2 087
Review by @markjedi1
- Brand: Secret Islay Distillery
- ABV: 53.8%
The newest releases from The Whisky Mercenary are bottled in the so-called Draconological Series. This one has another of those funny dragon cartoons on the label and is dubbed Draco Islayensis. Who comes up with this, anyway? But the distillery where this bronze stuff was created remains a closely guarded secret.
I’ve only just poured it and already the room fills up with lovely notes of cooked ham, smoked bacon joined by notes of diesel oil, soot and ashes. Very herbal as well. Think thyme, camphor and marjoram. Yes, this is Islay, no doubt about that. And an active sherry cask to boot. The nose is excellent.
Oh, good body. Very peaty malt with delicious sherry influences. Caramel, burnt wood, bakery spices. Sweet versus salty on strawberries and grapefruit in a stew on the one hand and smoked ham with mushrooms on the barbecue with a splash of A1 steak sauce on the other. Perfect strength.
The finish is very long, spicy and a battle between sweet and salty. But it dies an umami death with lots of soot. Outstanding!
Another great selection from Jürgen. And if I were to venture a guess… Laphroaig. Around 90 EUR. No brainer.