Our backlog for Decadent Drinks is pretty huge. I could choose to review one of their bottlings a day and keep going for two months or longer. Instead I decided to do a ‘rapid fire’ session with concise tasting notes of recent releases. Some of them are from the very latest batch, others are quite a bit older.
The word decadent comes from Latin, of course (de-cadere, to fall apart) but it also made me think of the Greek word deka or ten. Ten reviews today. Let’s try to catch up with the crazy tempo of this bottler!
Springbank 25 yo 1999 (42,2%, Decadent Drinks ‘Whiskyland’ 2025, refill hogshead, 229 btl.)
Nose: a quick fruity flash comes out first, in a youngish and green way, almost lemonade but also lime candy or even white grapes. Uncommon for Springbank of this age, but nice. After that it becomes decidedly more industrial, with metallic notes and beautiful greasy touches and citronella wax, hints of cold ashes and mineral salts.
Mouth: quite mild, which is not surprising given the ABV. Again these sweet green fruits, a mix of grapes, kiwi, gooseberry and maybe underripe mango. Then more towards lemon peels and grapefruit, along with more waxy notes, herbal tea and white pepper.
Finish: not too long, quite mineral with a subtle salty note and green fruits in the background.
The greener side, the waxy notes and the softness makes it a rather different Springbank and moves it closer to Clynelish in a way. A nice variation on the Campbeltown theme. Still available from Decadent Drinks or partners like The Whisky Exchange for instance.
Gone Grant 30 yo 1994 (51,2%, Decadent Drinks ‘Whiskyland’ 2025, refill barrel + first-fill sherry hogshead, 230 btl.)
N: very aromatic and rich. Furniture polish, guava, apricots and red apples. Nice beehive notes, honey, cinnamon and mint leaves. Almond sweetness underneath. M: more polished oak, raisins and figs, honey and menthol. Sweet bananas, red fruits, orange peels. Drops of cognac too. F: long and rounded, on jammy fruits, cinnamon sweetness and oak spice. 〉〉〉 A brilliant mix of honeyed bourbon and elegant sherry. The best Gone Grant so far? Available from DD or RMW. Score: 91/100
Miltonduff 22 yo 1991 + 2002 (52,8%, Decadent Drinks ‘Decadent Drams’ 2025, refill hogshead / second-fill barrel, 245 btl.)
N: spicy and a tad alcoholic. Honey, stewed orchard fruits, oranges and plain vanilla. Ginger biscuits, resinous hints, pepper and cinnamon. M: grassy and peppery, then sweeter. Oranges, pears, fruit cake, light wax. Caramelized pecans and some herbs. F: medium length, still spicy, more wood and honey. 〉〉〉 Entertaining but slightly rough. Available from DD or MoM. Score: 87/100
Tomatin 10 yo 2014 (53%, Decadent Drinks ‘Decadent Drams’ 2025, refill Oloroso sherry hogshead, 285 btl.)
N: easy and fruity. Apricots, raisins, red berries, mashed banana and orange. Mild vanilla and marzipan. Some modern oak too. Nice. M: more orchard fruits. Apricots, apple cake, vanilla, even tinned pineapple. Then salt, pepper and clove and a hint of herbal wood. F: medium, more wood spice and slightly bitter chicory. 〉〉〉 Rich fruits with a modern woody touch. Affordable and a nice daily dram. Get it from DD or TWE. Score: 88/100
Sideburn 31 yo 1992 + 1993 (53,6%, Decadent Drinks ‘Decadent Drams’ 2025, refill barrel + first-fill barrel, 461 btl.)
N: honeyed and waxy, with vanilla, peach, banana foam and marzipan. Some dough and mint leaves, with wildflower touches. M: still waxy and honeyed. Citrus fruits, pineapple, also grassy sharpness and peppery cereals. F: medium to long, citrusy, floral, with nutty undertones and ginger. 〉〉〉 Classic William Grant, a bit younger than it actually is. Available from TWE or RMW. Score: 89/100
Tobermory 17 yo 2008 (54,9%, Decadent Drinks ‘Decadent Drams’ 2025, refill hogshead, 207 btl.)
N: subtle complexity. Lemon peels, ginger and salty oak. Then leather, laurel, walnuts and breakfast cereals, along with a chalky touch. M: orange peels, salinity, nut husks. Some earthy and meaty undertones, making this very unmodern. Resinous oak, caramel and smoky tea leaves. F: medium length. Nutty and earthy, with orange peels, pepper and coastal hints. 〉〉〉 Middle-aged, with a rather sturdy character yet balanced flavours. Available from DD or TWE. Score: 88/100
Blended Grain Scotch Whisky 52 yo 1972 (50,8%, Decadent Drinks 2025, refill barrel, 177 btl.)
N: classic old grain. Orange cake, geranium, coconut, orange and pineapple. Whiffs of varnish, lemongrass and green banana. Hints of autumn leaves and damp wood after a while. M: pepper and pineapple, then melons, some grassy / plain woody notes. More banana, a little caramel and a grainy sharpness. F: decent, on orange peels, herbs and grains. 〉〉〉 It’s just that we’ve had better grains from this bottler. Available from DD or TWE. Score: 87/100
World Peat Highball Pre-Mix 8 yo (53,6%, Decadent Drinks ‘Decadent Drams’ 2025, bourbon barrels, 461 btl.)
N: no-fuss peat and ashes, with a nice sooty depth, light medicinal notes, menthol and toasted vanilla. Plenty of lemons. M: warm smoke, charred wood, buttery sweetness, burnt herbs, more lemons and hints of apple. F: medium, on smoked tea, chocolate sweetness and herbs. 〉〉〉 A mix of peated malts from Scotland, Sweden, Germany and beyond. Great value for money. Side note: it does work as a highball. Available from DD or RWM. Score: 87/100
Caol Ila 13 yo 2012 (53,1%, Decadent Drinks ‘Decadent Drams’ 2025, first-fill sherry hogshead, 212 btl.)
N: an intruiging mix of iodine, leather, dried figs and raisins, vanilla, savoury coal smoke, charred pine and sweet tobacco. Coffee and glazed bacon. Spent firepit. M: slightly sharper, on raisins and prunes, cocoa, Lapsang Souchong and meaty smoke, sour berries, coffee and diesel. F: long, on ponzu, smoked raisins and coffee. 〉〉〉 Love this. Deeply sherried but there’s also a unique smoky je-ne-sais-quoi that totally struck me. This deserved a more elaborate review, I’m very sorry. Available from DD or RWM. Score: 90/100
Old Orkney Malt 25 yo 1999 (50,3%, Decadent Drinks 2025, first-fill ex-bodega Oloroso sherry butt)
N: dried (and fresher) red fruits, velvety smoke, old leather, some dunnage floors. Hints of cocoa, tobacco and wet earth. M: more berry sourness, plums, coffee, milk chocolate and tobacco leaves. Then savoury notes and sharper herbs. Pink pepper, burnt toast and sandalwood. F: long, on actual Oloroso, drying herbs and sour cherry. 〉〉〉 The characteristic ‘ex-bodega’ footprint is noticeable, with a certain sour herbal note. Really great, in fact better than the similar bottling from last year. Available from DD or RWM. Score: 91/100