In the 2022 series of They Inspired we find the second Secret Orkney bottling done by Michiel Wigman. Also, it is yet another Secret Orkney after several releases that have been done over the last couple of months by familiar bottlers like Whisky Nerds and Wu Dram Clan. This is the youngest of the three so far, but only by a year.

This year, ‘They Inspired’ consists of whisky icons, once more painted by Hans Dilesse. The Secret Orkney shows the face of Sukhinder Singh, who was the face of The Whisky Exchange since it started a few decades ago.

Sniff:
With the slight smoky note, there’s an interesting whiff of diesel. But, diesel in the harbor, because there’s a hint of tar and salinity too. Green apples, barley and straw. Old lemons and some marram grass.

Sip:
The palate is a bit more sweet than the nose was. There’s a syrupy note, with a different kind of apple too. Still rather barley driven, and after a few seconds a pretty strong note of white pepper starts showing up. A very small whiff of smoke, but with dry straw and old grass. Pears too.

Swallow:
The finish brings back that diesel fume, in combination with a bit more maritime notes than the palate had. Tar, ropes, salinity.

I’m not sure if a personal preference can be called a bias, but I do tend to like these Secret Orkney, also known as Highland Park, whiskies. Then again, because expectations are so high, the slightest flaw might stand out like a sore thumb.

In this case, it doesn’t though, since it is a really good whisky. The palate was a touch more sweet than the ‘Nerds and Wu Dram versions, but the whiff of diesel throughout pulls a lot of weight. All in all, a very good whisky. The added fact that this is still available at € 135 is a bonus. Highly recommended!

89/100

Available here