Mortlach 2005, Decadent Drams/ Drinks whatever, 2026, 50,1 %, 20 yrs, WB295736

There are moments, fleeting instants, that happen and you want to hold on to them for as long as possible, but then they’re gone and you keep searching desperately, constantly on the hunt.

Nose: A lovely warm breeze of the approaching summer, freshly harvested hay, whatever it is, straw-yellow like the glass, bright and fragrant, the nostrils delight in the aromas, fragrant vanilla pods, crème brûlée, vanilla custard fresh from the oven, candyfloss, baked apples, apricot cake and yes, fresh from the same oven, peach tart, apple sauce, light cinnamon notes, a hint of clove, a touch of nutmeg and allspice, freshly grated lemon or orange zest (?), quince jam, toffee and cream sweets.

Palate: Peach juice from tinned peaches, other soft, overripe yellow fruits, a hint of the South Seas, hardly any coconut though, more Mediterranean in fact. But, oh so much lychee. Life-affirming yet slightly melancholic, the lightness of being, a touch of ginger spice for the not-so-light side of

existence.

Finish: Milliseconds? Half an eternity. No need for hunts anymore; the moment has come to stay. Oily, mouth-filling, slightly warming in the throat, cinnamon and cloves tickle, but not harshly. Juices of yellow, overripe fruit. 

“The present moment, though fleeting, is the only tangible moment. The rest are but a heap of memories.” ― Michael Bassey Johnson

94/93/93

 

 

Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, 1972, 2025, Decadent Drams, 50.8 %, Reich glass, WB277516

Everything about this bottle is decadent, even the name. I find Decadent Drinks and their marketing strategy extremely annoying, yet I can't stop Google stalking them — their stories are kind of addictive. Here's another story, so Google it yourself and have fun! While you're doing that, we're playing the waiting game. Is five hours and twenty minutes enough, or do we have to wait half a decade? So, how do you drink such a decadent dram? To add to the decadence, we're pairing the drink with even more decadent glasses. Both are absurdly expensive, and altogether, with the bottle, they're total credit card killers: Izaak Reich from the Czech Republic and Josephine N° 3 from Germany, But I have to admit that these glasses are of the chain, they do enhance the aromas and taste incredibly. For a few hours, you will feel elegant and aristocratic, but also like snobby, arrogant, bourgeois jet-setters.

Nose: How do century eggs smell? Does it make any difference that this one is only half a century old? Don't get me wrong; nothing here smells of eggs, and they're only a few weeks old. Here, you can smell wisdom and reminiscences of much older libraries and students who have been studying in hidden corners for even longer. You can smell sweat evaporating in the air, mingling with old wood, furniture, and forgotten stories. Some of these stories are still remembered. If you do, it's like smelling whisky and recognising aromas of cream caramel, vanilla custard, milk chocolate and hints of banana. You turn the pages of those old books; some are antiques, written in ancient runes or alphabets. Now and again, you recognise words such as 'cantaloupe' and other kinds of honeyed, sweet tropical melons. Dive deeper into the calligraphy and you will read 'honey', even 'honeycomb'. 
Books about long journeys to the South Seas tell tales of tropical fruits and coconuts. It's interesting how, back home and tired from the long journey, you sit by your fireplace, remembering all the exotic cultures, and hold a very old brandy similar to Louis XIII cognac and just die there and then.

Palate: The arrival indeed picks up the thread: it is an old, wise cognac. It transforms sweet aromas into something deep and rich. It boldly coats the mouth with a mineral, even chalky, flavour, with hints of allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon, and a touch of clove in the aftertaste. It is like Earl Grey tea, sweetened with lots of sugar and a few drops of Amalfi lemon. 
Finish: The finish reveals some cloves and chalky notes, leading to a drier sensation. A few shy oaky tannins make their presence known. Before you die, a slight bitterness remains of things you have regretted doing or not doing. 
“When the storytelling goes bad in a society, the result is decadence.” – Aristotle.

93/92/91

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

Ardnamurchan 10, 2015, Decadent Drinks, Decadent Drams, 2025, 55%. WB289307

The standard ten years-olds didn’t impress me much, but as a 10 years old cask strength was released, it was gone before you could say yikes-a-ten-years-old-cask-strength-from-Ardnamurchan-what-a-lovely-distillery-i-need-one…Now Decadent Drinks released this one, and I didn’t hesitate. Was it worth it?

Nose: Slightly alcoholic, sparkling. Some dates and dried figs, not particularly rich, somewhat subdued, smoky aromas such as cigar and ashtray dominate the dimensions. A hint of pipe and tobacco. In the background and occasionally in the foreground, waves of sweat float through the air.

Palate: Sweet, also slightly sour, a little salty, peppery. Cloves and nutmeg. A slightly nutty note, perhaps marzipan? And a kind of aniseed note, or is it eucalyptus? In any case, not so decadent.

Finish: Disappears very quickly, depending on how big the sip was. The sweetness sticks in the mouth. A few tannins remain.

89/88/88