After our ample Decadent Drams series, we’re now moving higher up the range, with three Whiskyland releases from Decadent Drinks. However we’ll start with The Teuchter, the start of a new series.
The Teuchter – Highland Single Malt 17 yo (46%, Decadent Drinks 2025, Batch #1, first-fill PX sherry wood, 330 btl.)
Nose: it may have some PX sweetness, bringing sultanas and dark caramel or treacle, but there’s also a distinct sourness which makes it lighter. Cranberries, orange peels and cherries. Also a leathery hint and a winey edge, Pinot Noir maybe. Mild aniseed and clove, as well as some sourdough bread.
Mouth: again the darkness of blackberries, plums, rum and raisins, but the sweetness is toned down again by tobacco leaves and a mulled wine element. Then some gingerbread and light meaty hints, along with old (slightly sour) wood and hints of nutmeg. A bit of muscovado, but overall it’s certainly thinner than you’d expect from PX. Hints of toasted wood in the end.
Finish: long, on bramble, hints of Cola sweets, caramelized nuts and old casks in a bodega.
These casks have a very specific sherry character, I even think I know which tonelería they’re coming from. It’s not my favourite kind of PX, the high pitched notes are nice but it’s lacking some treble, so to speak. Now let’s put things into perspective: at £ 69 this could be the perfect gift under many Christmas trees. Or in your own hipflask. Already seen at Decadent Drinks and The Whisky Exchange for instance (who seem to know this is undisclosed Tomatin).
Glen Grant 30 yo 1993 + 1995 (46,8%, Decadent Drinks ‘Whiskyland’ 2025, refill barrel + first-fill sherry hogshead, 177 btl.)
Nose: lovely fruits. Golden apples, ripe peaches and honeydew melon, along with mild vanilla and almond oil, as well as a subtle fragrant hint of dried flower petals. Some beeswax or sunflower oil and marzipan. A hint of sweet rhubarb underneath. Really nice.
Mouth: still juicy nectarine, hints of gooseberries, oranges and stewed apples. An orchard basket. Then mild honey, a handful of sultanas and candied ginger. There’s a light hint of green walnuts and a wee grape-y note but that’s fine. Gingerbread in the background. The combination of bourbon and sherry wood works really well.
Finish: medium, with lingering orchard fruitiness, a hint of sandalwood and fruit tea. Some herbal honey as well.
I really dig this juicy fruitiness. My first reaction was ‘yet another Glen Grant’ but in reality they offer a wide array of impressions. Available from Decadent Drinks or Royal Mile Whiskies, among others. Score: 90/100
Longmorn 28 yo 1996 (54,2%, Decadent Drinks ‘Whiskyland’ 2025, refill hogshead, 155 btl.)
Nose: lots of peaches, stewed apples and honey. Some sweet bakery notes and vanilla underneath, as well as light exotic fruits like tangerine and guava. Then a lot of variations on this theme: marmalade, mint leaves, touches of basil smash. Later a lightly mineral and waxy note appears, as well as subtle oak.
Mouth: quite intense, still showing a deep fruitiness (pineapple, apricots, quinces etc.), but there’s also a darker side with toffee, black pepper and plain barley notes. Then a generous dose of herbal notes, floral honey and a mild chalky / gristy undertone.
Finish: medium, more on minty oak, with a little varnish and lingering orchard fruits.
Really good again. The classic Longmorn fruits are there, but there are lots of other things to discover. The oaky edge is quite sharp at times. Available from Decadent Drinks and retailers like The Whisky Exchange or Master of Malt. Score: 88/100
Laphroaig 34 yo 1991 (48,3%, Decadent Drinks ‘Whiskyland’ 2025, refill hogshead, 182 btl.)
Nose: a well-known profile that never deceives. A wonderful mix of sunflower oil, mango and ripe banana, as well as guava. Mild bandages and seaweed, a little squid ink, sweet lemons and oil paint. And then of course this refined and polished peatiness, very sophisticated. Even a mild farmy hint.
Mouth: oily, with more of this mellowed medicinal smoke, some herbal potions and Lapsang tea. Underneath there is sweeter vanilla, stewed peaches, pink grapefruit and more guava. It’s great how the fruitiness returns in these bottlings. Then subtle camphor, smoked olive oil and a hint of chalky dryness.
Finish: long, with lingering warm fruits, some saline ashes and herbal notes.
A superb balance between coastal Islay notes and these slightly tropical fruits. This is just an excellent gentleman. Available from Decadent Drinks or Master of Malt. Score: 91/100