2x “Secret Speyside” Single Cask Bottling by DeinWhisky.de & Sansibar Whisky (Review Flight)

Merry Christmas, everyone! For this special occasion, I have chosen a whisky duo that is not Christmas-themed per se, but perfectly suited for the occasion nonetheless. I am speaking of two Secret Speyside single cask releases by Sansibar Whisky, which are exclusively available via DeinWhisky.de. One is a 28-year-old “White Label” expression with a deep, rich, and full-of-flavor sherry cask maturation. At 44.9 per cent cask strength, it caresses the nostrils, mouth, and throat in a most gentle way. The other is a 26-year-old “Wildlife Series” bottling drawn from a sherry butt. In it, the beauty of the years gets a good shake from a youthful spark that somehow survived in the spirit despite the long rest of more than a quarter of a century. To me, each of these top-class collaboratios between Sansibar Whisky and DeinWhisky.de would make a perfect companion for the 24th of December. If you have them in your collection, will you enjoy them today? And if not, what other whiskies have you selected as your personal Christmas drams? Feel free to tell me in the comments. And most importantly – let me repeat this one more time – enjoy the day to the fullest and have the wonderful festive season!

by Tobi

Secret Speyside Vintage 1993 “White Label by Sansibar”
(Single Malt Scotch Whisky • Sherry cask • 44.9% • 248 bottles)

Spices and sweets – in this whisky they meet! The nose of DeinWhisky.de’s exclusive Secret Speyside 28 Years Old brims with gingerbread, treacle, redcurrant, and plum jelly as well as ground coffee beans and candied almonds. The mix of scents is classy, copious, stimulating, and inviting. So, without much wait, let’s follow up on that invitation and take the first sip. It is grant! Brandied dark cherries and black berries mingle with soft licorice and time-honored oak. From further back, strawberry crème and lemon zest accompany the other notes, too. Once swallowed, this beautifully sherried Speyside malt culminates in a honey-sweet finale full of beeswax, raisin, fruit cake, and brown sugar. The farewell notes don’t stay forever, but their memory is rich and good; very good to be precise!

Secret Speyside Vintage 1994 “Wildlife Series by Sansibar”
(Single Malt Scotch Whisky • Sherry butt • 50.2% • 245 bottles)

Speyside grandeur! That’s the first thing I think about when I smell this sherry-matured Vintage 1994 from an undisclosed production site in Scotland. Though mellowed by the years, the bouquet has still kept a good amount of its liveliness. It brims with dark chocolate, lime juice, candied ginger, tobacco leaves, and mint crème. On the palate, the whisky presents itself in a similar way: well-aged, but not fully tamed! It offers different kinds of nuts and zests alongside crisp fruits (unripe pears and peaches) and forest-y notes (herbs and resin). Plus a prominent sweetness that embraces all the other notes like a shroud. The aftertaste lasts. It leaves behind very satisfying echoes of plums, grapes, spices, wine gums, and old sherry. Sounds nice? You bet!

Secret Speyside Vintage 1993 (Single Malt / Speyside / 28yo / Sherry cask / 44.9% / 220 Euro)
Secret Speyside Vintage 1994 (Single Malt / Speyside / 26yo / Sherry butt / 50.2% / 165 Euro)