Secret Speyside Distillery 16 year old Adventures In The Meadow Whiskyheroes Single Speyside Malt Whisky 54,7%

The label looks like something torn out of a 1960s action comic. The whisky behind it is rather more restrained: sixteen years in one bourbon cask from a Speyside distillery that cannot be named.

The expert's description

Adventures In The Meadow is a Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky from a single bourbon hogshead, bottled at cask strength 54.7%.

The cask carried number 48 and gave 308 bottles after sixteen years. The whisky is non-chill filtered and of natural colour, so what is in the glass comes from the cask and nothing else.

The bottling comes from Whiskyheroes, a range by the Glasgow-based company Brave New Spirits. The series consists of single casks and small batches matured in classic bourbon and sherry casks, and the labels are drawn from vintage action comics. Read the full story behind the series in our blog post.

Tasting notes

Nose

Gooseberry and baked apples with a fresh menthol note. Rosemary and a touch of baking powder behind it.

Palate

Dry and citrus-fresh with white fruit, vanilla and a grassy edge. The cask strength gives bite without drowning the light spirit.

Finish

Medium length and dry with green apples, herbs and a hint of peppery oak.

Specifications

Name: Secret Speyside Distillery 16 Year Adventures In The Meadow Whiskyheroes Single Speyside Malt Whisky 54.7%
Distillery: Undisclosed Speyside distillery
Bottler: Whiskyheroes / Brave New Spirits
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 16 years
ABV: 54.7%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon hogshead, cask no. 48
Number of bottles: 308
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Colour: Natural

Flavour profile

Fresh fruit · Herbal · Vanilla · Dry · Cask Strength

Investment potential

Medium. 308 bottles from one cask, and the series is new enough that the first releases can still be found. Single casks from undisclosed distilleries move more slowly than named ones, but the outturn is small enough to count.

Did you know?

Brave New Spirits was granted planning permission in 2023 for its own distillery, Witchburn in Campbeltown. It is not an everyday move for an independent bottler to go the other way and start distilling.

See our full range of Whiskyheroes

Frequently asked questions about Adventures In The Meadow 16 Year

Which distillery is it from?

That is not disclosed. The bottler bought the cask on terms where the distillery name cannot appear on the label. All that is confirmed is that it sits in Speyside.

Why can the name not be mentioned?

Because the distillery wants it that way. Many sell casks on to independent bottlers on condition that the name is kept off, so their own range is not diluted.

What does single cask mean here?

That the whole bottling comes from one cask — number 48 — with nothing blended in. The cask gave 308 bottles, and once they are gone the release does not come back.

What is Whiskyheroes?

A range from Brave New Spirits in Glasgow with single casks and small batches. The labels are drawn from vintage action comics, and every bottle has its own character and title.

What does it taste like?

Dry and fresh. Gooseberry, baked apples, menthol and rosemary are the notes the bottler highlights, and they fit a bourbon cask and a light Speyside spirit well.

Should I add water?

At 54.7% it is worth trying. A few drops open up the green fruit notes and soften the dry herbal edge.

Is it non-chill filtered?

Yes, and it has natural colour. That means the whisky may turn hazy if it gets cold — normal, and no reflection on quality.

What other Scotch is there?

See the full selection in our Scotch Whisky section, where distillery bottlings and independent releases sit side by side.