North Star x Whisky Punks Secret Speyside 11 yo - 51.4%
Distillery: Secret
Region: Speyside, Scotland
Age: 11 years
Distilled: Nov 2011 Bottled: April 2023
Cask Type: Sherry cask
Alcohol by Volume: 51.4%
Outturn: 97 bottles
Bottled: Natural colour and without chill filtration
Some words of wisdom from James Angus, Whisky Punks
1st things first. In case you hadn't guessed it is whisky. Shocking I know. It is from Speyside. It is 11 Years Old and it is a healthy 51.4% with all the usual trimmings that you'd expect.
2nd big surprise. It's from North Star. It was going to happen at some point sooner or later and I'm still having happy thoughts that we have done this. I'll make no denials I'm a huge fan of Mr Croucher and the North Star team's work for an unbelievably simple reason. I've not had bad gear from him. Ever.
Now for this liquid to even get this into a bottle has been a headache that I can't even go into. When I say we'd be off the Christmas card list and looking at serious legal action we really do mean it. (And when we say legal action we mean something on par an episode of Tenko. So not a fun afternoon.) We'd probably be called up to have a nice cosy conversation with the local magistrates and there's a pretty good chance that I'd also be warmly invited to visit Scotland at my earliest inconvenience and spend some quality time with the magistrate as well. So unless we’re going to add crowd funding of legal fees to the deal none of us know what liquid is in the bottle.
However if any of us were to know this information and then share it out this bottle would sell out in a day or two and yes I'm basing this on the last time I saw it happen.
Still back to the analysis. It's a thumper of whisky. Go and buy it. It's been through stringent quality control with 6 different people saying it's decent.
Tasting notes
Appearance: Amber gold with a hint of copper, forms a thin line which beads before slowly falling as thick, oily legs.
Nose: Sweet sherry, with California raisins, sharp green apple and a touch of nutty oak.
Palate: Sherry-soaked dried fruits, Medjool dates, stewed apples with a hint of cinnamon. Addition of a few drops of water brings out a note of creamy milk chocolate and reduces a little of the spice.
Finish: Dark chocolate coated raisins, nutty oak, cinnamon and a touch of peppery heat. Water brings out a little more of the dark chocolate and adds a touch of astringency.
Overall: This is the result of a collaboration between the Whisky Punks Facebook group and North Star Spirits. First things first, I tend to prefer old school whisky labels but as an ageing punk I have to say this rates right up there with the best of them.
This is a truly impressive sherried Speyside whisky. Although the origins and cask are surrounded in secrecy, there’s a sense of familiarity and a definite Oloroso feel to it. Nice balance and plenty of depth, this is a dangerously easy to drink whisky. Although a little water adds a little more creaminess and depth, for me this is a whisky which really shines at its abv of 51.4%. Natural colour and no chill filtration, in my opinion this is a whisky which punches well above its £64.95 price point.
As James points out, there was a lot of hard work to bring this to fruition. All I can say is that it was well worth the effort.
Available from Top Whiskies, via the link below.
