Four recent malts from Decadent Drinks in this session. We combine the penultimate Whisky Sponge release (Glen Moray) with bottlings from the new Decadent Drams range (up to £ 350 more or less).
We start with a 23 year old Blended Malt. After maturation in a sherry cask, it was finished for one year in an ex-Ardbeg refill sherry butt, formerly used for the Kildalton 2008 (Islay Sponge III).
Blended Malt 23 yo 2001 (45,1%, Decadent Drinks 2024, sherrywood, 587 btl.)
Nose: a mild nose, showing leathery notes, plums and raisins. Jams of strawberries and blackberries, as well as nice tobacco. A great mix of old-school sherry notes with juicy fruits and polished oak. Then there’s also a subtle smoky touch – Ardbeg adds a great layer of charcoal and ash here.
Mouth: more dark forest fruits but also cherry jam, with raisins and a subtle minty freshness. Quite vibrant – a very clean style of sherry. Then back to earthy notes, subtle smoke, a hint of camphor and tobacco leaves. Mild hints of black peppercorns and Spanish cedar.
Finish: medium, taking this mix of dark, fruity sherry, tobacco and subtle smoke further.
Such a beauty. First there’s the lovely style of sherry, lifted even further by the smoky Ardbeg note. Some may argue it’s a little soft, but that makes it highly drinkable. I bought a bottle myself, as it’s still available from Decadent Drinks or retailers like Royal Mile Whiskies.
Glen Moray 32 yo 1990 + 1991 (51,8%, Whisky Sponge 2024, refill hogshead + second-fill sherry hogshead, 304 btl.)
Nose: dang. Juicy cherries, half-dried apricots, with hints of melons and jammy figs. Blood oranges too – plenty of ripe fruits. Then loads of beeswax and polished furniture, as well as hints of oriental wood. Light herbal elements, as well as round hints of very old grain whisky. Orange peels and very light hints of dried flower petals in the background, reminding me of old cognacs.
Mouth: very mature, and exactly my kinda sherry! Red berries up front, along with blood orange and quinces. Gets drier, with cinnamon and resinous hints, as well as some herbal tea-like notes. This mingles with oak polish and dark honey. Then some cedar wood and cinnamon.
Finish: medium to long, fruity and resinous, with cigar boxes and warming spice like aniseed.
Complex and elegant, with beautiful, polished wood underneath. I’ve had this sample for a while, but I just didn’t expect it to be so good. Certainly expensive, but this is right up my alley! Plenty of shops that still have it: Decadent Drinks itself, but also TWE, RWM or MoM for instance. Score: 92/100
Loch Lomond + Inchmurrin 15 yo 2009 (53%, Decadent Drinks 2024, two hogsheads)
Nose: quite thick, on cake and apple, as well as oily / buttery notes. Then old coins and honey, as well as papaya. Typical quirky Loch Lomond so far. Hints of dried wildflowers too. The longer you wait, the fruitier it gets.
Mouth: much more interesting now, in my opinion. It combines light peat with tropical fruits, in a way that reminds me of these Irish 1991 bottlings. Mango, pineapple and pink grapefruit. Then pinewood freshness, lemon peels, mild candied ginger and more oily goodness.
Finish: long, still tropical, mixed with some minty oak.
I wasn’t getting a full-blown fruit basket on the nose (I’ve been bothered by Loch Lomond’s bulky noses before), but on the palate it definitely wins me over. Really good and relatively affordable. For this one Whisky-Maniac appears to be your only chance. Score: 89/100
Glen Garioch 21 yo 2003 (55%, Decadent Drinks 2024, first fill bourbon hogshead, 248 btl.)
Nose: starts really waxy, with yellow plums and apple peels, mixed with candles and grassy green tea. Bay leaves, mint and faint chalk. Buttery cookie dough. Then lemon peels and hints of fabrics. Plenty of character.
Mouth: still waxy and slightly chalky, mixed with lightly tropical fruits, though never really exuberant. Hints of pineapple, green banana and mint, with some pinewood and herbal tea. Then zesty grapefruit and lemon candy. Mild peppery notes.
Finish: long, on citrus zest, white pepper, subtle chalk and floral touches.
Some austerity here, but nice complexity with fruits and waxes as a supporting act. Not necessarily my favourite bottling in this line-up, but that’s only because the other ones were more to my personal preference. High quality. Available from Decadent Drinks. Score: 89/100