Here’s an assorted set of Decadent Drinks releases. Some of them are certainly from the latest batch, but I believe a couple of them may be released in December or January already. Anyway, never too late to have a 35 year old Caol Ila or a 40 year old Ardmore, right?
Caol Ila 35 yo 1990 (44,5%, Decadent Drinks ‘Whiskyland’ 2026, refill hogshead, 226 btl.)
Nose: quite round, with the waxiness rounding off the initial lemon zest. Then golden melons, sweet pear and a little honey. A good dose of iodine and pebblestones, along with hay, wet fabrics and mineral oils. Subtle ashes in the distance.
Mouth: perfect. Just a little more faded smoke and smouldering peat, but still these lovely fatty notes, sunflower oils and a faint fruitiness. Mid-palate it gets a tad sharper, as oyster juice, hints of white pepper and green tea. Then it returns to hemp, a little tobacco and mocha, always with a salty edge and this sooty undertone.
Finish: medium to long, warming, with more tobacco, warm smoke and medicinal hints.
Truly a great Caol Ila. It shows more fruitiness than we expected, but also a deep sooty side. Excellent whisky. Still available from the source or partners like TWE or RMW.
Ardmore 40 yo 1985 (42,6%, Decadent Drinks ‘Whiskyland’ 2026, refill hogsheads, 247 btl.)
Nose: so very elegant! Some wet sheep wool, soft linens, charcoal and very light mentholated notes. Something earthy too, maybe petrichor. Then fresh hints of green apple and mint, along with lemon zest and a drop of condensed milk. Later this moves towards tropical notes. The peaty side is subdued – more or less in the old Springbank zone.
Mouth: more Springbank vibes. Car workshops, toolbox rags, old leather and old wood, along with old herbal tea. Pear, tangerine and papaya in the background, as well as a subtle hint of passion fruit acidity. Peppered honey, some gravel and greasy notes. The perfect amount of dirtiness for me.
Finish: very long, now showing more classical smoke, combined with orange peels, peppery medicine and mineral oils.
I fell in love with this one for its lovely old-style evolved peat. I hesitated between 91 and 92 points because it’s a tad fragile, but I’ll happily defend the higher score anyway. A beautiful dram that sites on the crossroads between Springbank, Ben Nevis and 1980s Brora. Too bad this seems to be sold out everywhere. Score: 92/100
Sideburn 29 yo 1994 + 1996 (53%, Decadent Drinks ‘Decadent Drams’ 2026, refill hogsheads, 201 btl.)
Nose: quite honeyed, on a background that is nicely dusty. Good paraffin notes, hints of dough and dried wildflowers. Then some green fruitiness, on apple, underripe banana, berries and melon.
Mouth: richer, now more towards apricot, with marzipan, fine vanilla and (heather) honey. Maybe ripe pineapple too. Mid-palate it shows herbal notes, a subtle grassy hint and peppery cereals, as well as grapefruit peels and oaky notes.
Finish: medium to long, with spicy tea, subtle wax and gently drying wood, maybe tiny sawdust even.
A nice mix of honeyed warmth, evolving to zesty notes and oak. Classic William Grant and the multi-vintage concept works well. Available from Decadent Drinks or The Whisky Exchange among others. Score: 89/100
Millstone 11 yo 2014 (48%, Decadent Drinks ‘Decadent Drams’ 2025, first-fill PX hogshead, 320 btl.)
Nose: the dark side of sherry. Chocolate ganache, bramble jam and prunes. Also savoury hints of dried meat, along with coppery notes, worn leather and very old balsamic syrup. The caramelized hint of PX. Then there’s a hint of old rum as well, say well-aged Enmore.
Mouth: like a bottle-aged PX which lost most of its sweetness. The dark chocolate, caramel and black tea is still there. Dates and walnut paste. Also plenty of tobacco, a few drops of quina, liquorice and plenty of rancio. Some subtle hints of cough syrup as well.
Finish: medium to long, with more cocoa, fig syrup and overall darkness.
The quality is in the old cask here. This is dark and brooding, extremely rich, with a great balance of sweet and savoury elements. Still available from Decadent Drinks or Abbey Whisky. Score: 89/100
Marketing Malt 20 yo 2005 (57,1%, Decadent Drinks ‘Decadent Drams’ 2025, first-fill European oak sherry butts, 612 btl.)
Nose: this has the vibrance and polished (almost solventy) wood of armagnac, or proper ancient Oloroso. Really volatile. How many liters did they keep in the wet cask? Very luxurious, in a way. Hints of walnuts, maple syrup, Christmas cake and dark honey. Then plenty of raisins soaked in rum, oil paint, Demerara sugar and orange peels.
Mouth: deeply sherried but it still manages to stay juicy and fruity. That means cherries, cranberries and sour plums. I love this acidity. Underneath there is cocoa, a lot of leathery notes, more armagnac and some herbal tea. Subtle drops of espresso and peppery oak, only in the very end does the European character become a little too loud.
Finish: very long, with some drying wood but also plenty of juicy red berries, brown sugar and walnut liqueur.
Straight from Teletubby land, this is a wonderful dram. A slightly silly dram in a way, because it’s so full of sherry. Totally modern perhaps, but it does give you a true sense of Oloroso. The previous Marketing Malt was good but this is excellent. Score: 90/100