We explore a couple of secret Islay whiskies, both bottled by German bottler Brüler Whiskyhaus, in its ‘A Dream of Scotland’ range. Both feature what looks like a marking finish: one in a German red wine quarter cask, the other in a Cream sherry quarter cask. Let’s see how the German bottler handled these finishes and if there is something left of the secret Islay distilleries.
Distilled At Secret Islay 14-year-old Brüler Whiskyhaus (2024) Review
We start with the older one and the lowest ABV of the two, the ‘Distilled at Secret Islay 14-Year-Old’, bottled by Brühler Whiskyhaus as part of their ‘A Dream of Scotland’ series. This is an undisclosed Islay distillery bottling believed by some retailers to be Lagavulin. It’s a 14-year-old single malt, matured with a finish in a German red wine quarter cask, bottled in 2024 at 50.9% ABV (which is not cask strength, but ‘ideal drinking strength’ as stated on the label), without chill filtration nor added colour. It was initially released at €114.90 a bottle but is sold out.
Colour:
Cider.
Nose:
Neat: The provenance comes first, with a nose clearly from Islay: peat, bacon, and thick campfire smoke lead, with some engine oil, dark fruits (black cherries, blackcurrants and blackberries) and red fruits (strawberries and raspberries), some milk chocolate and a little tartness. Fortunately, despite the red fruits, this is not especially winey nor tannic.
With water: After reduction, the nose seems to shut down quite noticeably, leaving just some sweet smoke and hints of red fruits.
Palate:
Neat: Peat and bonfire smoke carry buts (hazelnuts and almonds) and red and dark fruits (dark cherries, plums, blackberries, raspberries) and a touch of lemon. Liquorice roots and lots of chalk give a dry and almost raspy mouthfeel, but not tannic. Dark chocolate, brown sugar, and a little oak spices. There is no alcohol heat, but a strong intensity of flavours.
With water: The palate becomes sweeter and less smoky (but it still is a bit). Some caramel appear, orange marmalade, but also a bit more spices after a little delay.
Finish:
Long, with dry fruit, peat, and candied lemon peel closing things out. Chocolate-covered cherry lingers alongside vanilla and smoke for a notably long finish.
Comments:
The ABV was indeed reduced to a nice drinking strength. Hard to say ‘ideal’ as well without having tasted it at a stronger ABV, but it is a nice ABV. The German red wine quarter cask finish is well integrated, not tannic at all, and I wonder if this was some kind of sweet red wine, but I have to admit I know absolutely nothing about German wine in general. In any case, a really very good whisky, one I’ll gladly revisit.
Rating: 7/10
Distilled at South Islay 13-year-old Brühler Whiskyhaus (2026) Review
Distilled at South Islay 13-Year-Old, ‘A Dream of Scotland – Red Devil Edition’, bottled by Brühler Whiskyhaus, is widely identified across multiple German sample-trading sites as Lagavulin, distilled on Islay. It’s a 13-year-old single malt finished in a Cream Sherry Quarter Cask, bottled at a cask strength of 56.1% ABV, without chill filtration nor added colour. This release also seems sold out.
Colour:
Brown sherry.
Nose:
Neat: The nose is extremely intense at first, and needs a few minutes before being approached again. Then, sweet peat smoke is very pronounced, complemented by cherries, raisins and barbecued strawberries. Spicy oak, smoked bacon and Italian ham, and maritime notes round things out, with liquorice and a lot of spices of all sorts (baking spices, allspices, Moroccan spice blend, and curcuma).
With water: Reduction brings some harshness, with plankish wood and a light orange juice note.
Palate:
Neat: Oh, this is good. Fruity sweetness, smoke, and spices interplay continuously, with ever-present spicy oak accompanied by caramel and dark dried fruits (cherries, raspberries, blackberries). The palate is full-bodied and quite robust, with eucalyptus and liquorice bringing some earthy and grassy freshness, and a strong sherry influence somewhere in between PX and Oloroso.
With water: The addition of a few drops of water does not change the palate much, maybe a little more liquorice and pepper.
Finish:
The finish is medium long with brown sugar sweetness, smoke, strawberries sprinkled with icing sugar, liquorice, and oak all lingering together.
Comments:
This second secret Islay, rumoured to be Lagavulin, is another successful quarter cask finish from Brühler Whiskyhaus. The cream sherry brings nice fruity notes, without masking the Islay peat and smoke and character. Maybe not many medicinal or maritime notes left because of the finish, but the Islay peat is still there and kicking, and the finish does integrate well. Very good as well, even better than the 14-year-old reviewed above.