We’re catching up with Decadent Drinks again (pretty impossible to try everything they’re bottling though). This time the focus is on the mid-range Decadent Drams series, with 10-20 year old single malts.
Glentauchers 19 yo 2002+2005 (57,1%, Decadent Drinks ‘Decadent Drams’ 2025, first-fill bourbon + sherry, 138 btl.)
Nose: juicy fruits take center stage. Apricots, red plums and bramble, along with herbal honey and light citrus acidity. Hints of tobacco leaves and waxy oak. Then some cinnamon and mild vanilla, along with mint leaves and hints of grapes. Rich and vibrant.
Mouth: more of these waxy notes mixed with juicy fruits. Crisp apple, nectarines, yellow plums and hints of orange and kiwi. This blends nicely with honey, cinnamon and white pepper. There’s a leathery note too, along with some leafy hints. Subtle Madeira cake in the background. The plummy notes stay strong until the end.
Finish: medium to long, still offering plenty of juicy fruits, as well as hints of walnuts and a little tobacco.
I loved the previous edition and this is just as good. The combination of casks makes it really complex and entertaining. Recommended. Still available from The Whisky Exchange for instance.
Tullibardine 11 yo 2013 (53%, Decadent Drinks ‘Decadent Drams’ 2025, second fill sherry hogshead finish, 242 btl.)
Mouth: the bourbon influence (I assume) takes the lead. Apricots, bright citrus notes, subtle papaya. Then it becomes more robust again, with peppery notes, wee herbal notes and a hint of nutmeg. Zesty notes appear, along with darker chocolate notes that grow stronger over time. Again more wood than you’d expected when you read ‘second fill’.
Finish: fairly long, with more of this cocoa powder, pepper and malty sweetness.
A good Highland profile. The clever cask combination adds complexity to the spirit, and combined with the robust nature the result exceeds expectations for the age. Available from Decadent Drinks or The Whisky Exchange for instance. Score: 87/100
Craigellachie 20 yo 2011 (55%, Decadent Drinks ‘Decadent Drams’ 2025, refill hogshead + sherry hogshead, 251 btl.)
Nose: full on sherry, with dates, brown sugar, walnut oil and some mild chocolate. A slightly roasted edge. Then dark honey, ripe melon and dried bits of banana. There is a slightly vegetal and meaty edge, probably from the spirit and not some sulfurous cask. Light hints of tobacco leaves as well.
Mouth: more tobacco leaves and roasted walnuts, combined with strawberries, fresh figs and hints of molasses. Pipe tobacco. Then caramelized nuts, some coppery notes and black peppercorns. This leads to dark chocolate and hints of cigar boxes.
Finish: quite long, with a dark sweetness, roasted nuts and some drying herbal notes.
This Craigellachie takes no prisoners. It reminds us of Signatory’s 100 Proof series: richly sherried but not too refined. The innate distillery character suits it well. Available from Decadent Drinks or Master of Malt among others. Score: 87/100
Candlekitty 15 yo 2010 (55%, Decadent Drinks ‘Decadent Drams’ 2025, refill barrel, 254 btl.)
Mouth: more lemons, unripe gooseberries and grapefruit skins. Chalky apples, one or two green olives and hints of plum eau-de-vie. Very natural, with the typical waxiness all over the place. Then plenty of mineral notes, more metallic touches and grassy / earthy notes, just a vague hint of vanilla in the distance.
Finish: long and tight, Sauvignon style, with some stems and salty elements.
Classic Clynelish, very natural and unhindered by any wood. Sometimes a tad austere but offering all the expected markers and excellent purity. Not yet available – this one launches November 26th from Decadent Drinks. Score: 90/100
Arran 10 yo 2014 (57,1%, Decadent Drinks ‘Decadent Drams’ 2025, first-fill sherry hogshead, 294 btl.)
Nose: plenty of sweetness up front – coconut and bramble syrup, as well as stewed plums and apples. Some raisins and a fair dose of sweet and toasted oak. Some toffee notes and caramelized peanuts, along with aniseed, light leafy touches and hints of liquorice.
Mouth: modern sherry, in a vibrant way that mingles nicely with the fruity spirit. Stewed apricots and orange candy, along with more toffee and raisins. Then wood spice takes over, with gingery notes and aniseed. Peppered dark chocolate towards the finish.
Finish: fairly long, on oak spice, marmalade and hints of cocoa powder. Some herbal, almost camphory notes in the very end.
This is a modern sherry cask applied to a good spirit. The resulting whisky is quite a robust and powerful Arran – a great cardplayer’s whisky. Sold out from Decadent Drinks but still available from Master of Malt among others. Score: 87/100
Glen Moray 10 yo 2014 (57,1%, Decadent Drinks ‘Decadent Drams’ 2025, second-fill sherry hogshead, 297 btl.)
Nose: fruity sweetness but also umami notes. That would be strawberries, raisins and plums, along with tobacco and hints of cured meat. Some mulched leaves, green peppercorns and sticky fudge. Some hints of chocolate too, making it slightly bloated, like a proper PX.
Mouth: just a little brighter now, even though it’s also quite hot. Brown sugar, more tobacco notes and walnuts. Then some balsamic touches, plums and red berries. Hints of toasted wood, cinnamon and aniseed. Later back to molasses and salted caramel.
Finish: long, quite spicy, with hints of walnuts, dried herbs and faint floral touches.
There are some really nice elements here, but not entirely convincing. Available from Decadent Drinks or The Whisky Exchange for instance. Score: 86/100
Bowmore 14 yo 2011 (53%, Decadent Drinks ‘Decadent Drams’ 2025, refill barrel, 250 btl.)
Nose: very pure and clean. It’s full of dried seaweed, lemon peels, lime juice and light smoke, but always with an underlying sweetness, kinda like lemon icing. Some mineral ashes and light hints of ink. Now let’s see whether there are fruits to be had in the mouth.
Mouth: just a gentle fruitiness, with lemon juice, more lime and light hints of peach. Bright and fresh, with a well-dosed smokiness and nice hints of seawater. Mid-palate some barley sugars appear, along with more mineral notes, vegetal oil and drops of pink grapefruit.
Finish: medium to long, with more citrus juice, gentle smoke and lingering sweetness.
All quite mellow, just a lovely combination of coastal sharpness, fresh citrus notes and just enough sweetness. So well made. Available from Decadent Drinks or The Whisky Exchange among others. Score: 88/100
Ardnamurchan 7 yo 2017 + 2018 (53%, Decadent Drinks ‘Decadent Drams’ 2025, Oloroso sherry, peated + unpeated, 187 btl.)
Nose: nice hints of cigar humidors, rye bread, salted liquorice and some fir wood. Then prickly peppercorns, mild tarry peat and some dried fruits in the background. Tonka beans and smouldering ashes as well. Some freshly sawn oak on top.
Mouth: thick ashy peat with dark sherry. Hints of dark beers, caramelized nuts and red berries. Gentle leathery notes, as well as plenty of tobacco qualities and earthy pepper. Charred oak and green walnuts appear later, with a slightly resinous edge.
Finish: quite long, with Spanish ham, blackberries and plenty of wood smoke.
The spiritual successor to Whisky Sponge n°100, so to speak. Due at the end of November, but it is already available from The Whisky Exchange or Royal Mile Whiskies. Score: 88/100
Glenturret 12 yo 2013 (54,3%, Decadent Drinks ‘Decadent Drams’ 2025, re-charred hogshead, 291 btl.)
Nose: also peated. Some bitumen up front, but also greenish wood – charred. Reminiscent of Thy’s beechwood in a way. Barbecued notes and bonfires. I’m trying to look beyond the smokiness, but there’s not a lot on offer. Some leather, maybe some pepper. Also: pan-fried potatoes.
Mouth: again very tarry and salty. Kind of a herbaceous smoky note, with a lovely chocolate-y theme in the middle, like you get in some Porter beers. Then it shows some medicinal herbs, some chilli, hints of bacon and rich sooty notes.
Finish: long, deeply smoky, with a wee hint of blackcurrant and scorched herbs.
This one delivers a lot of rich smoky notes, at the expense of… well… something else. I’m sure this works brilliantly as a fireside dram for the winter season, but for a non-peathead there’s not a lot to discover. Available from Decadent Drinks or The Whisky Exchange for instance. Score: 86/100