The Marketing Malt 2008, DeDr, 57.1 %, 17 yrs, WB300137

The story of decadence, part II: How to become homeless and a beggar. Despite all the predicaments that come with it, I bought this bottle after PayPal approved it. I expect the electricity to be shut down any time now. Recently, I came across a new Korean series called 'Teach You a Lesson'. It's very intriguing and I found it very emotionally affecting. Although the way in which the problems of pupils at school, problematic teachers and difficult parents are dealt with is debatable, there are some lessons to be learned: When reviewing whisky, one should never be afraid of the brand, distillery, fellow reviewers or YouTube influencers when it comes to nosing, tasting and giving a verdict. You must never accept samples, free bottles or any other kind of bribe. That being said, I was going to dismiss this one because of its low age, high price, labeling, the maybe-brand and perhaps the bottler. Does this whisky teach me a lesson? Yes, it certainly does!

Nose: Wow! Exorbitantly, luxuriously, extravagantly rich, deep and intense sweetness. Freshly baked cake, mainly chocolate and fudge, as well as vanilla custard, dates and cacao. Baked apples, oriental sweets, dates and dried figs, with hints of Demerara and muscovado sugar, old rum and dried prunes.

Palate: The lesson begins with a nice, sweet, friendly welcome. We're checking homework and getting a bit strict here; we're now discussing the mathematical problem and things are getting complex and demanding. But there is no need to fear; this drink provides the necessary scaffolding to help you reach your lesson goal. Sweet and bitter notes accompany you: dark chocolate, dark coffee and brownies.

Finish: The lesson is almost over, but it's taking a long time. There is no exit strategy; the burnt caramel lingers too long and prevents you from taking a break. 'Lessons in life will be repeated until they are learned.'― Frank Sonnenberg

92/90/90

Campbeltown Blended Malt 08-year-old, DeDr, 53 %, Little Decadent Star, WB300097

This conspiratorial collaboration can’t really be that secret, and there aren’t that many distilleries in Campletown anyway. Let’s have an educated guess.

Nose: Malt, sweet, fresh brioche, marzipan, yellow fruits – perhaps even a ripe, mushy yellow pear – a hint of banana, coconut and lychee. Haven’t done my homework yet, my tax return’s waiting, haven’t taken the rubbish out, haven’t phoned Mum, and my World Cup predictions are way off the mark. None of it matters – it’s summer, so the to-do list can wait.

Palate: Stormy heat, thunderstorms, lightning and thunder on the tongue. Bitter orange, bitter almond, bitter melon, unripe apples, a hint of ginger and pepper. Orange peel.

Finish: Oily, long, warming, but also slightly burning. A hint of chilli. If I had to guess, I’d say Kilkerran with hints of smoky Glen Scotia and a touch of Springbank, but I’m rubbish at guessing. “I’ll always keep you guessing. I’m living up to the name. It’s powerful. That’s just what I do.” – Future.

88/85/86

Glenlivet, 19 yrs, 2006, 2026, DeDr, 57.1 %, WB299719

What have I done? Tragedy in Three Acts: The Story of Decadence, Part I — How to Become Homeless and a Beggar. Decadent drams are going to ruin me. I told you about my credit cards. Apparently, the third one wasn’t entirely blocked; there was some cash left for this post-Bolshevik, brutalist Bolshoi bottling. Of all the distilleries, Glenlivet, somehow a symbol of industrialisation and mass production. According to the 2026 Malt Whisky Yearbook, Glenlivet leads the list of distillery capacity with 21,000,000 litres of pure alcohol, neck and neck with Glenfiddich. Is this the drink for the working class? Let's see what the comrades have manifested.

Nose: The syrupy class has returned from the gulag after 19 years to take over the government and fight the system. They have become denser, wiser and richer in experience, not money. All kinds of sweetness have gathered and become concentrated, with dates, baked apples and grade C maple syrup taking the front line, followed closely by Comandante Che caramel. Milk chocolate is taking the aristocracy by storm. Crumble and cherry plum cake sing The Internationale. Sticky toffee, Turkish delight, nougat, fudge and shy shortbreads throw Cacao-Molotov cocktails. I like this version of 'the Capital'. Hegelians won't like this whisky.

Palate: I sense the dialectic of materialistic sweet and altruistic spice; neither has total hegemony. Together, they transform into a black, bitter, counter-revolutionary espresso. The capitalistic bitterness is constantly suppressing the sweetness. The bourgeoisie tries to distract you by powdering your senses with cacao, nutmeg and cinnamon. There are hints of Cuban cigarillos. Conservatives would call this a nihilistic modern style, modernists would ask where their freedom to disagree is, and postmodernists would say, 'Why bother?' Structuralists would say, 'You can not escape the system you live in.' Your therapist would say, 'It's not your fault.' Buddha would say, 'There is no style, there is no You.' AI says, 'Ah, you’re right. I’ll change that.'

Finish: Internal contradictions linger: the sweetness of fudge and caramel, the bitterness of strong coffee and dark chocolate. There is no equilibrium; the sensations are constantly overthrown until eternity. I disappoint everyone and am constantly doing so. "History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce." - Karl Marx

91/90/89

Ardbeg Ten, 61.7 %, Committee Exclusive 2026, WB294312

This bottling caused quite an uproar. There are now three entries for the same bottle on Whiskybase, with 124 (+1) reviews and 592 ratings as of 12 June 2026. Like Moses parting the Red Sea, Ardbeg has divided the community into haters and lovers. I am a former lover who tried really hard to become more than just friends, but Ardbeg did everything to keep me at a distance. I just drop by every now and then to say hi. People say, 'We wanted this all along' or 'That's what we've always been waiting for'. Is the waiting over?

Nose: Citrus fruits, mandarin from a tin, smoked sauerkraut, smoked

salmon, chipotle peppers, petrichor – the smell of wet pavement shortly after summer rain, juniper – it's very reminiscent of gin, grilled vegetables such as aubergines, fermented vegetables and kombucha. There's a nearby extinguished campfire – speaking of which, something was on fire a lot. Perhaps there were battles between pirates and the imperial armada, or the battlefield at Culloden shortly after the disaster. The palate is reminiscent of an ashtray, with a strong hint of burnt tired tyres. Of course, there's the first-aid tent with its medicinal and disinfectant smells – it's like eating cigarette ash. Why would anyone drink that? Just kidding — of course it's interesting for peat lovers. But I compared this one with a standard 10-year-old from 10 years ago. The old one is much denser, deeper and richer. The new one is just flat compared to the old ten-year-old bottling.

Finish: Medium-long with a slightly sweet, slightly sharp and spicy finish, reminiscent of chipotle. The peat lingers on the palate with hints of maritime flavours, grains of salt and peppercorns, and a hint of juniper. Was I waiting for something? 'The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind.' – Humphrey Bogart

87/86/86

Tomatin Cù Bòcan, Creation #8, 2026, 46%, WB300819

I would never have bought this because it's not my wheelhouse. But I was influenced by Roy, the famous influencer from Aqvavitae. So there you go, another tragedy and I'm no wiser. This Tomatin, by the way, is an experimental bottling with some interesting cask finishes, such as Canadian Ice Wine and Spanish Verdejo white wine casks — both formidable drinks. How do they influence this bottle?

Nose: There's an intense maltiness, an extremely sweet aroma and tropical fruits, reminiscent of the juices found in countries around the

equator, such as papaya, maracuja, mango and lychee influenced by the tropical climate. It's similar to the cheap, sweet multivitamin juice from Aldi that's been found guilty of causing diabetes a, b, c, d and the rest of the alphabet. There are sweet Haribo gums with lots of tropical fruits, but lots of artificial flavours. Speaking of artificial and superficial things, there's a hidden youth with bad character and a bad influence, underficial some alcohol burning sneakily underneath. If you change glasses, you'll find grilled pineapple, bananas, hints of coconut, and of course the vanilla armada: butterscotch, crème brûlée, Balsen butter cookies, café latte, and bubble gum. Hey, wait! Those last two are sneaky influencers...

Palate: Forget the palate; just focus on the nose. No, I must endure this procedure even though it's not my target profile. There are hints of bitter seeds, like those from oranges or grapefruits, and a citrusy orange peel flavour. It's very watery yet sharp and alcoholic, and somehow young and superficial. Maybe I can see the intention: to create an easy-drinking, sweet summer whisky. Not on my watch! This is another example of how tastes can differ; some people may find this very appealing, but it doesn't work for me. Despite its watery nature, sharpness and bitterness influence the mood. It's like artificially sweetened, young, thin, bad grappa.

Finish: Short and sharp, with a lingering aftertaste similar to white pepper. The influence is gone if you turn off YouTube; it disappears rapidly if you swallow it down, but the guilt remains — a guilty conscience due to wasting money again for nothing. 'I longed for him. Got him. Shit.' ― Margaret Atwood

87/81/80

Glen Elgin, 2009, 2026, 17 yrs, TCaH, 56.8 %, WB300572

Another sought after worm-tub distillery. Some Glen Elgins were notoriously hard to find—especially those with sherry influence; I am speaking, of course, from my own experience searching for them. Others may have had better luck. But what is the situation today? I get the impression that many Glen Elgins are once again appearing on the "whisky dance floor" as independent bottlings.

Nose: Mmh, Very elegant, some shy sweetness, not too overpowering, Icing sugar, some powderily Vanilla, some vanillic milkshake, some shaky coconut cocktails. Interestingly no fruit notes whatsoever. Some dough though. A bit of a confectionary but too far away. From the same direction: honeysuckles. Acacia honey in the vicinity.

Palate: Bitterness like from rockets or other root flavor, ginseng? Ginger?  Candied ones for sure. Rich, not that dense, light and floral. But viscous, chewy and oily.

Finish: A bit short indeed, camphoric, but not that much minty, interesting bitterness, a bit grassy.

Water reveals more herbs, more Vicks VapoRub, eucalyptus. Not so sweet cough drops. Fascinatingly attractive, different from the ordinary.

“Never love anyone who treats you like you're ordinary.”― Oscar Wilde

89/88/88

1770 Glasgow, 2017, 2025, 8 yrs, 55%, WB285966 or WB286260

Glasgow 1770 does a lot of experimenting—much like Holyrood in Edinburgh—using different casks, yeasts, doing finishes with exotic casks, peated and unpeated, and double, triple, x-iple distillation (I’ve lost count). Different barley? I don't know, I guess it's just concerto.

Nose: So sweet—creamy hard candies like Werther’s Original, toffee, burnt caramel (but not *too* burnt, just a light brown note). Syrupy; reminiscent of "Spaghetti-Eis" (vanilla ice cream pressed into noodle shapes) and candied walnuts. It’s like bathing in vanilla pudding powder—delightful. Banana and honeydew melon bobbing along like pool toys.

Palate: Creamy pudding, vanilla pudding, rice

pudding with vanilla sauce, a touch of cinnamon, and candied ginger. In the background—and slowly moving to the fore—are the varied juices of overripe yellow fruits. Fruit gums featuring assorted tropical flavors: banana, melon, pineapple, etc.

Finish: Unsurprisingly short, given its youth. Toffee notes, lingering candied ginger, and a hint of white pepper. A fair bit of the action takes place at the back of the palate. What I mean is

that no experimentation is needed here. This one is perfect as it is, despite how simple it is.

“The search for something can prove as interesting as finding it.”— Paulo Coelho.

91/90/89

Bowmore, NSS, 2015, 2026, 11 yrs, 57.9 %, WB296705

It's not my place to say it, but I will anyway: it's a real shame what Bowmore is doing with its spirit. Caramel colouring, chill filtering and all the other things you shouldn't do with Scotch are common practice (the same is true of many other distilleries; only independent bottlers showcase the spirit in its purest form). This spirit has so much potential: for me, it has a very appealing peat aroma and a very nice maturing behaviour. It works with bourbon, sherry and other wine casks. Bowmore was not really affordable for me independently; it was either too expensive or scarcely available. But recently, I've noticed, just a feeling, plenty of Bowmore flooding the market.

Nose: Nice, with bonfire and campfire notes producing umami together

with grilled meat and perhaps grilled vegetables. There is a slight minty freshness that produces the impression of a nice summer ocean breeze on the shore. Speaking of briny, maritime freshness and youthful vibrancy, I hate to say it, but I will anyway: 'summer whisky'. Incidentally, in summer I like young, peated, bourbon-matured Scotch whiskies. Everything is fine somehow, with no wars going on and everyone peacefully enjoying this whisky together without any deep thoughts. Now, vanilla notes together with sweet candy floss and Turkish delight spread across the room. In the background, there are hints of exotic fruits, such as honeydew melon and grilled pineapple. Wow, I can smell some herbs: basil? Thyme? Eucalyptus? There's a citrussy freshness — mandarins, perhaps?

Palate: A confectionary explosion of vanilla custard, smoked vegetables, smoked salmon, almonds, marzipan and other nuts, as well as other smoked dishes — but not ham or dark meat, rather white meat — together with grilled aromas from the barbecue. There are hints of a white wine, such as Pinot Gris, but with a distinctive sweetness. The sweetness is sherbet-like, with hints of fruit, such as pineapple juice. There are hints of lychee and starfruit, with a slightly lemony flavour and bitterness in the background.

Finish: Bitter, but not unpleasantly so. It is reminiscent of rocket or dandelion flavour, and is aromatic and fresh. It is herbaceous, but not overpowering. It's similar to the finish of a medium-complex, dry, summer white wine with a slightly mineral quality. Adding water brings out more sweet aromas and makes the palate more briny. The aftertaste is much more pleasant.

“Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”– Elie Wiesel

90/90/89