This is an assorted selection of recent Decadent Drinks releases. There’s a bit of everything, spanning all the ranges. Fancy an affordable young Ben Nevis, or would you rather go for a 38 year old Glenburgie?
Glenburgie 38 yo 1988 (46,7%, Decadent Drinks ‘Whiskyland’ 2026, refill hogshead, 168 btl.)
Nose: a typical DD profile, full of old waxes, paraffin and ripe orchard fruits. Secondary hints of green mango, cider apple, apricot, pollen and heather honey. Perhaps a whiff of frangipani in the distance. Then dried grasses and linseed oil, along with gentle herbs and a lovely dusty edge.
Mouth: gentle, with lots of round fruity notes, like apricot, pineapple, melon and waxed apple skin. Also creamy natural vanilla and a hint of (un-modern) coconut, with a bit more floral honey. Subtle hints of tropical tea and old waxes. Oak is the supporting act here.
Finish: quite long, with more hay, refined creamy fruits and a mild chalky / waxy note.
Glenburgie rarely disappoints. This waxy and fruity profile fits the Whiskyland series perfectly. Available from Decadent Drinks or Royal Mile Whiskies for instance.
The Teuchter – Ben Nevis 10 yo 2016 (47%, Decadent Drinks 2026, refill barrels + refill butt finish, 309 btl.)
Nose: starts fresh and fruity. There’s banana and gooseberry, along with a hint of pineapple. Then some mint leaves, even a light touch of juniper. Subtle beehive notes and nice waxy hints as well. Just a wee vegetal and grainy note in the background, becoming a tad more gritty as it sits in the glass.
Mouth: a bit more mineral and gravelly now. Still some yellow fruits, along with a grapefruit note, a hint of white pepper and ginger. A pleasant bitterness runs throughout, with some walnuts and just a hint of coffee beans. Then also a smoky menthol accent.
Finish: quite long, still slightly bitter, with peppery spice.
We recently had the rather uncommon 2003 vintage and now there’s 2016 which I hadn’t seen either. Started fresh and fruity but became more austere and intense along the way. Always a nice mineral character too. This will arrive late July, if I’m not mistaken. Score: 87/100
Blair Athol 28 yo 1998 (52,8%, Decadent Drinks ‘Decadent Drams’ 2026, two refill hogsheads, 160 btl.)
Nose: generous fruits, like peaches, mirabelles, tangerines and yellow apples, along with some marzipan. Lemon oils, with hints of linseed oil too. Then hay, some floral honey and some fresh grass after a while.
Mouth: a citrusy onset, on lemon cookies and lemon peels. Then sweet ginger, as well as some honey sweetness and later also caramelized notes. Very oily. Mid-palate it becomes greener, on cereals, grassy notes and a little pepper. There’s a waxy side to it as well, almost like a Clynelish but spicier.
Finish: quite long, with cereal notes, ginger and zesty citrus. Now also a little vanilla.
This Blair Athol shows a really oily texture, which works well with the grassiness but also the fruity sweetness. However after the Glenburgie I’m picking up too much sharpness to give it the same score. Available from Decadent Drinks or retailers like The Whisky Exchange. Score: 89/100
Blair Athol coming close to Clynelish? That calls for a real one…
Clynelish ‘Candlekitty’ 15 yo 2010 (51,5%, Decadent Drinks ‘Decadent Drams’ 2026, refill barrel, 230 btl.)
Nose: lemongrass and lemon juice, as well as gorse flowers, a nice saltiness and celeriac. Then clay, a little paraffin and hints of grass after the rain. Hints of green fruits underneath, along with a little cement, floral honey and classic notes of fresh laundry.
Mouth: entirely on lemons and grapefruits, apples, a little ginger and subtle herbal notes. In a second wave it becomes lightly caramelized, with pineapple, lovely viscous honey and more sweet grassy notes. Mineral and lightly earthy notes in the background.
Finish: long, very mineral and lemony again, with a gin and tonic vibe, some malt biscuits and subtle oak spice.
Excellent purity, close to the distillate, with all the expected waxiness, beehive notes and just the right amount of tangy sharpness. Close to last year’s Candlekitty. This one is lined up for late July as well. Score: 89/100
Old Jura 17 yo 2009 (54,8%, Decadent Drinks 2026, refill barrel, 125 btl.)
Nose: crisp, with fresh apple, gentle sea spray and plenty of oily notes. Sunflower oil, perhaps engine grease too. Gorse flowers. Later a hint of rubbed lemon skin and unripe pineapple appears. Then back to wet hay, a light hint of cardboard and mulching leaves.
Mouth: quite rugged. More mineral notes, with a clear saline footprint. Then green banana, still a hint of pineapple, and bittersweet fruits like yellow grapefruit. Chamomile and dried herbs. Drops of tonic water, a slice of dried ginger, perhaps a hint of mustard. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some peat in this.
Finish: medium to long, with some earthiness, salt, some faint ashes but also light floral notes.
A quirky whisky, relatively unfruity with a pleasant austerity. Not perfect, but it’s a good Jura. Who has a good Jura in their collection? Available from Decadent Drinks or The Whisky Exchange, among others. Good fun Score: 88/100