In November 2025 the Wu Dram Clan released a series of interesting whiskies. We already had their Benromach 2003 but then some other samples started gathering dust over the holidays. Here they are, two 25+ year old Orkney and Islay single malts.
Secret Orkney 25 yo 1999 (50,9%, Wu Dram Clan 2025, bourbon cask #120, 144 btl.)
Nose: a very pretty mix of canvas, old leather, wool, heather and hay. Nice sweetness underneath of vanilla, bruised apple and white stone fruits and sweetened herbal tea. Hints of extuinguished pipe. Then lime and just a hint of honey before it goes back to greasy and earthy, muddy notes.
Mouth: slightly more firm. Hints of brine, more waxiness and grease, along with smoked barley and a little white pepper. Subdued fruits now. Acacia honey on one side, herbal bitterness on the other side. Then also beautiful minty peat, lemon peels, ginger and pears underneath.
Finish: long, on warming spice, green and heathery, still with a fine bitter edge and salty hints.
Superb nose, older in style than the age suggests. More austere on the palate but overall a very big release.
Bowmore 27 yo 1997 (51,3%, Wu Dram Clan 2025, hogshead #53518, 44 btl.)
Nose: above average peatiness and medicinal notes at first. Mercurochrome, a little diesel, linseed oil and brine. Pine smoke. Gradually this moves towards (rather exotic) fruits like pineapples, with hints of chalk in the background.
Mouth: rather dry and austere, full of ashes, saline notes, seaweed and citrus peels. Lots of mineral notes. Then pomelo and unripe tangerine, white pepper and a vegetal, leafy note. Not the burst of tropical fruit I was hoping for, but a top notch example of the coastal style.
Finish: long, on citrus, ginger, juniper, piney peat and sea shells.
Another great pick. A mature yet punchy Bowmore from the era before the (return of the) tropical notes. More in the maritime style. With such a low outturn, no wonder it is gone for good. Score: 90/100