Bunnahabhain, 2005, 2026, First Fill Canasta Sherry, 53.8 %, 20 yrs, WB303215

The last chapter of 'Story of Decadence'. I didn’t become a beggar; I found a new way to make money by selling organs. Did you know that a kidney can fetch anything from US$50,000 to US$120,000 on the black market? But I'm not an idiot; instead of buying the new Glengarioch 52 Year Old DeDr, I bought two of this bottling. 

I once asked the tour guide at the Cairn distillery regarding the very old GM bottlings and how GM manages to bottle such old whisky. He replied that GM matures the whisky in different types of barrel, including storage and supply barrels. He explained that these barrels were denser, thicker and more solid than standard whisky barrels. This meant that the loss by the angels' share was very small. The Glengarioch is beyond my reach anyway. However, the Bunnahabhain paralysed me when I read 'Canasta', those very aromatic, sweet sherries. Words like 'Canasta', 'Palo Cortado', 'PX', 'Oloroso', 'Amontillado' and 'Manzanilla' trigger an instinctive search for ways to buy this bottle, so I promised a Russian oligarch my left kidney and pulled the trigger (jklol).

Nose: Fresh Coriander, dried juniper, very sulphury sultanas or those dried sulphured apricots. Fireworks and devilish bathing in hot volcanic pools. In the background, you can smell rum raisins, milk chocolate, fudge, sticky toffee, Christmas cake, rum-soaked muscovado sugar and lavender.

Palate: Unfortunately, there is yet another South American soap opera telenovela with endless seasons. Coriander dominates the palate, along with dried juniper, cardamom bitten, lavender and various herbs and spices that taste of soap and perfume. There is also orange zest and candied orange and lemon peel, as found in some Christmas cakes. Many people like these sulphury aromas and even long for them. I don't. For me, it is definitely an off note.

Finish: Unfortunately, it is long and sharp. The sweetness lingers, though, as does a lot of coriander. My expectations were high, but Bunnahabhain keeps disappointing me. Of course, this is just my personal opinion. But, as a great man or woman once said, 'Disappointments are not meant to destroy you. They are meant to strengthen you and make you resilient.' But I am still triggered by the above sherry related words and keep making the same mistakes until I donate my brain.

87/84/86 

Speyside (M) SV, 2005, 2026, 20 yrs, DRU17/A106 #21, 58.4 %, WB295567

Another mysterious, misty, mountainous, malty, mind-boggling Macallan. The new stills in the large machinery were installed around 2017/18, so this spirit was distilled using the legendary old stills. However, they already had 21 stills in 1975, so it's not that small. The new facility houses 12 wash stills and 24 spirit stills, essentially running three parallel distillation setups under one spectacular roof.

Nose: The nose is nice, with hints of maple syrup, date syrup and dark

honey. There are also hints of Yucatan honey, rum raisins and dark chocolate, as well as soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, cooked plums and other dark fruits, such as blackcurrants, blackberries, black cherries, black elderberries, black goji berries and black grapes that are already fermenting — is this Eiswein? There are hints of leather and tobacco, and an umami flavour as if someone is frying dark meat.

Palate: Chewing tobacco, sour, like biting into old leather with dried BBQ sauce. It's like a young but dense red wine from hot regions around Spain, Portugal or South Africa. Or perhaps some Malbec from Chile or those dense, tannic, deep purple Californian Napa Valley wines. There is some sweetness, but it is totally suppressed by oaky, syrupy, winey notes. Some might say it's almost undrinkable espresso, but others find it deep, rich and interesting. I don't know — total failure or a big success? As always, try it for yourself and form your own opinion.

Finish: Long-lasting with young tannins; wild, untamed and slightly alcoholic red wines dominate. Refreshingly youthful, although old — but who wants to die young anyway?

'Dying is banal. Whatever time I have left, I want to fill it with nothing but cocktails and chaos." - The Boroughs.

91/91/92

Bowmore 2005 TWA, 20 yrs, 51.8 %, 2026, The Nose 3.0, WB298777

After a long period wandering among the ill and beyond, health and perception returned, along with a Bowmore and this strange Nose 3.0 glass. In the centre is a comb-like glass structure. I wonder how to clean it — supposedly it enhances the aromas. This glass enhances my depths to the bank.
Nose: Unfortunately, there is no significant difference in the aroma between the Nose 3.0 and the blender's glass, despite the huge price difference. However, let's focus on the Bowmore. How many different apple cake variations do you know? Crumble cake, covered apple cake, apple strudel with plenty of cream and apple sauce, grilled pineapple and bananas. I admit the last two don't really count as apple dishes. There are all sorts of influences from bourbon casks: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, a touch of white pepper, vanilla and honeydew melon. Palate: Honeydew melon family, ginger, aromatic white pepper,

perhaps Szechuan pepper (?), apple juice, pineapple juice, cinnamon and clove tea, and rooibos tea sweetened with honey. Adding a few drops of water brings out even more sweetness, reminding me of stevia! Valla!
Finish: Warming and very long with a drying effect in the mouth and numb teeth; the cinnamon and clove combination continues to heat things up. It's like a violin solo accompanied by drums and an electric guitar. A few drops of water conjure up hints of acacia honey and doughnuts, or Berliner doughnuts if you prefer. Grains of salt linger a little longer. "Not all those who wander are lost." ― J. R. R. Tolkien.

91/90/90

The Marketing Malt, 2005, 2025, Decadent Drams, 20 yrs, 57.1 %, WB292400

‘Please enjoy this silly, extreme, and extremely fun concoction.’ Sighing, almost imperceptibly, palm to face, rolling eyes, shaking head... remembering calming techniques from yoga sessions, therapists' advices, boddhidharma hummings...

Nose: After 10 minutes warm maple syrup, baked bananas, a few mint leaves indecisive whether to enter. No chance. Dates and raisins, other dark fruits, mainly dried or during the cooking process. Milk chocolate, maybe figs? Hmmm, not yet, just heraldically announced. Let's wait a little longer... After an hour, old sofa, old furniture, grandad's chamber from the 60s, never moved out, no change of scenery. However, unbelievably changing: cake, maybe Christmassish. Cherry, chocolate muffins, dark honey combs, honey bread, gingerbread, Germans call it Magenbrot.

Mouth: The first sip after 15 minutes reveals surprisingly cough drops. Minty mentholic malt moments meander momentarily, mindfully mildly the mouth. After an hour or so, dark chocolate and espresso skid on a women's 3000m ice skating forward synchronously back and forth, wobbling and swaying, overtaking and crossing each other one after the other on the right and left, swapping the lead. A slight sharpness appears, with no gold in sight for either espresso or chocolate. Fried orange peel dominates the field, with orange juice and a hint of caraway underscoring the picture. Could be perceived as unpleasantly “silly”. Unfortunately, the mood takes a turn for the worse, with sulphurous notes appearing in the mouth and the taste becoming soapy and unpleasant. Of course, we don't let this spoil our mood. However, ratings are in free fall, poor B grades...

Finish: Very nice long finish, some herbal notes from the cough sweets are still noticeable, mouth becomes drier, tannins and black tea linger, oily consistency. Arrogant and presumptuous, somehow annoying, Decadent Drams…

91/86/89

Glenallachie 20, 2025, 2005, Master of Malt 40th Anniversary Exclusive, 54.2 %, #5391, WB283677

This is another exclusive: it has been matured in PX casks. Both are formidable, but I have to say the PX is much better and tastier than the other Oloroso one for the Aberdeen shop.

The nose is a nice, warming summer breeze with bossa nova in the background and all your problems far away. There are still cooking jam and cherry notes, as well as other dark fruits cooked in syrupy caramelised demerara sugar. This is beautifully accompanied by coffee and espresso notes. There are now baking notes, like freshly baked bread or cake straight from the oven.

Palate: Sweet coffee notes take centre stage, accompanied by soy sauce and balsamic nuances — not just hints, but

strong flavours. There is also the ever-present honey note. I can now detect plummy aromas reminiscent of old Armagnacs. An endless flood of aromas is entering the umami notes, reminiscent of fried or grilled food, such as burgers or steaks. More dishes are served that I cannot account for.

Finish: Dark chocolate mixed with manuka honey. It's reminiscent of an old Sassicaia or other Super Tuscan red wine. Not the elegant Tignanello, though. ‘When you realise nothing is lacking, the whole world belongs to you.’ Lao Tzu

93/92/92