Decadent Drinks is one of those bottlers that keeps a very high pace. From their July outturn we’ve picked three releases from the mid-range Decadent Drams series. They’re single malts or teaspooned malts.
We’re starting with a Speyside single malt made by a famous and highly litigious family. Hence the name Glenlitigious.
Glenlitigious 12 yo 2012 (50%, Decadent Drinks 2025, second fill sherry hogshead)
Nose: fruits at the centre. Pears, some marmalade and white nectarines. Then a mild hint of sherry spice and herbal honey. Nicely rounded, also the sweetness is kept in check by a subtle chalky and metallic edge.
Mouth: attractive again, offering a nice mix of juicy stone fruits, more honey, plenty of oranges. Peaches for sure. Then it moves towards hazelnuts, white pepper and mild clove. Hints of toffee, cereals and balanced wood. It gets a little leafy towards the end, including a gentle bitterness.
Finish: medium length, still some coppery notes, along with stewed fruits and spicy notes.
Overall a vibrant whisky with a perfect balance of grains, fruits and sherry. This is a style we’d like to see more often in official releases from like… say, Glenfarclas for example. Available from the source or retailers like Royal Mile Whiskies or The Whisky Exchange.
Ben Nevis 12 yo 2012 (53%, Decadent Drinks 2025, refill hogshead + fresh sherry hogshead)
Nose: starts quite dirty, with a hint of sour milk, mushrooms, vase water and metallic tools. It needs time to settle down. Then wet chalk and raw wool come forward, as well as pears and sweet citrus. Also hints of flower nectar, green leafy notes and a touch of raisin sweetness.
Mouth: quite robust, on lemons and grapefruits, along with oily notes, charred oak and mineral notes. Beer hints with a whiff of crushed aspirin, grassy olive oil and light shoe polish. Then flashes of sweet green fruits, overtaken by salty elements and hints of tobacco leaves.
Finish: fairly long, with more raisins, hints of ginger and cold coffee in the very end.
Quirky whisky, as expected. The 2012 vintage is a difficult one in my book, sometimes really great but often also a little uncomfortable. This has a bit of both. You can get it from Decadent Drinks or Master of Malt among others. Score: 86/100
Westport 21 yo 2003 (53%, Decadent Drinks 2025, blended malt, sherrywood, 228 btl.)
Nose: a slightly high-pitched and sourish style. Oranges (perhaps blood orange), hints of flower petals, white cherries and unripe red plum. Subtle tobacco, a little cinnamon and ginger. Always a bit of oak polish in the background and a little honeysuckle too. Quite seductive.
Mouth: a tad spin-doctored perhaps, with a light winey touch. Some vanilla and peach candy, with cranberry and fruit cake. Still some acidity to break the sweetness, as well as this aromatic hint of potpourri. Later also almonds, leather and tobacco, leaving a drying edge.
Finish: medium long, with hints of raisins and red fruit tea, as well as a leafy tobacco note.
Really good, even though it has this slightly peculiar fruity / winey / fragrant side that feels a little contrived. In a blind tasting I may have guessed some Port influence. Pretty similar to the previous cask in that respect. Now available from Decadent Drinks or partners like The Whisky Exchange. Score: 87/100