Secret Islay 31 yo 1990 / 2022 Master of Malt release no. 112 52.6%

Secret Islay 31 yo 1990 / 2022 Master of Malt release no. 112 52.6%
It’s what is becoming a classic style of well matured Islay where the sea and the peat have been polished into a gently gleaming nugget of clean clear tones. Distant bonfires of peat, dried grass and leaves, ash afloat on the wind, hot grills on which sizzling bacon had been removed and enjoyed, bits of char, black smoke and menthol cigarettes. The sea sits lapping placidly, a horizon of gentle waves, some debris and seaweed on the shore, cold rock pools, salt tang, eucalyptus and lemon balm. In fact a herbaceousness emerges with time – green apples, cut thyme, piquant greenly medicinal and stemmy. The gentle nose belies the peat and smoke on the tongue when it comes and at this point Laphroaig is believable. 90 pts