Swell De Spirits Secret Islay 1990 32 Year Old
Key Facts About This Single Malt Scotch
Bottler: Swell De Spirits
Founder: Michael Barbaria
Range: Field Trip Series #2
Distillery: Secret
Age: 32 years old
Distilled: 1990
Bottled: 2022
Region: Islay, Scotland
Spirit: Single malt scotch
Cask Type: Refill bourbon barrel
Cask Ref: 4367
Alcohol by Volume: Cask strength at 50.7%
Bottled: Natural colour and without chill filtration
Outturn: 335 bottles
Bottle Size: 500ml
Secret Islay 32 Year Old Tasting Notes
Without water
Colour: Apple juice
Nose: Ashy bonfire in thick fog, polished leather boots and Scotch broth cooking on the Aga. Iodine and fresh plasters over scabbed knees. Scuffed leather handguard hooked over a leather quiver of feathered arrows on the back of the heavy oak door. Plus silver polish, Parma violets and mint tea.
Palate: Smooth and warming. Meaty Scotch broth with sage and potatoes in a copper pan over a smoky coal fire. Milk chocolate ginger thins, ginger biscuits, buttery shortbread, strawberry milkshake.
Finish: Sweet peat, sweet potato fritters, antiseptic lotion and plasters. Kippers, sea spray and crystallised ginger with a hint of distant bonfires.
With water
Nose: Water brings out the dirty smoke. There's theatrical face powder and oily make-up. Antiseptic cream, bandages soaked in iodine. Mackerel cooking over a bonfire on a windswept beach littered with bird feathers and there's a thick fog hovering over it all.
Palate: A generous serving of kedgeree seasoned with ginger, cloves, cayenne pepper and white pepper. Followed by a chocolate fondue next to a smoky fire in a flint cottage with thick oak doors covered outside with sea spray.
Finish: Paprika, chilli chocolates, herby Scotch broth in an oak bowl. Tarnished silver cutlery, plus feathers, leather and gentle wafts of smoke at the end.
Quality products, independent brands
All the brands I work with are independent. Many of them are small brands, run by one or two people with a whole load of passion. As a result, these unique products are top quality.
Personal support
Need help? Write to me at ed@topwhiskies.com. It's always me at the end of the email, and I'm always glad to help.
Five-star service
With happy whisky-loving customers all around the world, we're rated five stars for our service.
Secure checkout
We accept all major cards, along with PayPal and Apple Pay. Check out securely online, with the safety of SSL encryption. You can pay in a wide range of currencies, whatever is most convenient for you.
Carbon neutral shipping
We use carbon credits from nature-based removal solutions, such as reforestation and soil carbon sequestration, to ship carbon-neutral. We support Grassroots Carbon and Pachama.
Choose options
Meet The Founder
Michael Barbaria