Gleann Mor Rare Find Mystery Islay 9 Year Old

Key Facts About This Single Malt Scotch

Bottler: Gleann Mór Spirits

Range: Rare Find

Distillery: Secret Islay

Age: 9 years old

Distilled: 2017

Bottled: 2026

Region: Islay, Scotland

Spirit: Single malt scotch

Cask Type: 18 month finish in first-fill oloroso quarto cask

Cask Ref: 11140

Alcohol by Volume: Cask strength, 57.9%

Bottled: Natural colour and without chill filtration

Bottle Size: 700ml

Outturn: 186 bottles

Mystery Islay 9 Tasting Notes

Nose: Briny and medicinal with zesty lemon and maritime smoke and underlying maltiness. The inviting combination is livened further with green olive, sea salt and smoked fresh seafood.

Palate: Mouth-coating with creamy toffee and succulent berry fruits supported by crisp smoke, iodine and developing citrus. Walnuts and almonds lead into chiselled minerality before tart fruits and coastal-led peat merge perfectly.

Finish: Lingering on driftwood, smoked lemons and salt water.

About this Gleann Mor Rare Find

This Secret Islay 9 Year Old from Gleann Mór Spirits is part of the acclaimed Rare Find range, delivering a compelling mystery malt that perfectly captures the unmistakable character of Islay while leaving its distillery of origin to speculation.

Distilled in 2017 and bottled in 2026, this single malt received an 18-month finish in a first fill Oloroso quarto cask (cask #11140). Smaller than a traditional butt or hogshead, a quarto cask accelerates maturation, allowing rich sherry influence to integrate quickly with the spirit. The result is a whisky that balances coastal peat, maritime freshness, and Oloroso richness without allowing either element to dominate.

The unidentified distillery remains part of the whisky's intrigue, but the spirit displays all the hallmarks that lovers of classic Islay whisky seek: brine, smoke, citrus, minerality, and medicinal complexity, enhanced by layers of sweetness from the active sherry cask.

The nose opens with briny sea air, medicinal peat, and bright lemon zest, followed by maritime smoke, fresh malt, green olives, sea salt, and hints of smoked seafood. On the palate, the whisky becomes richer and more textured, with creamy toffee and succulent berry fruits sitting comfortably alongside crisp peat smoke, iodine, and fresh citrus. Walnuts and almonds introduce a nutty depth before a chiselled mineral character emerges, leading into tart fruit and beautifully integrated coastal peat.

The finish is long, savoury, and unmistakably maritime, lingering with driftwood smoke, charred lemons, sea salt, and fading embers that remain long after the final sip.

Bottled at cask strength (57.9% ABV), with natural colour and without chill filtration, this release delivers both intensity and precision. With an outturn of just 186 bottles, it offers an excellent opportunity to experience a richly sherried Islay whisky while enjoying the enduring mystery of its true origin.

A superbly balanced Islay malt — smoky, coastal, and richly textured, where Oloroso sweetness complements rather than masks the island's unmistakable character.