Laphroaig 2015 Old Islay 10 yo

 

 

 

52°

Distillery : Laphroaig - Islay

1st Fill Bourbon Barrel

Independent Bottling 

By Decadent Drinks 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2026

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 43 ppm 

 

 

 

Angus MacRaild and Iain MacClune, who founded Decadent Drinks in 2020, have launched a new range called the Islands Hopping Series. The concept involves travelling from one island to another across the British archipelagos and experiencing their most iconic whiskies. The first was a 21-year-old Bowmore released in February, the second a 20-year-old Ledaig (Old Mull), the third a 21-year-old Bunnahabhain, and this is the fourth, a 10-year-old Laphroaig aged in a single first-fill bourbon cask, slightly diluted to 52% ABV. Angus told me that at cask strength it was around 57–58% ABV. In the tradition of the Old Orkney range, these bottlings are called Old Islay. The aim is no doubt to revive old-style whiskies. For this one, 301 bottles are being released.  

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Right from the start, a gritty smokiness, a very pronounced coastal character, iodine, sea spray, seawater, seaweed, the tide, kelp, and a huge medicinal note, bandages, disinfectant, Betadine, melted plastic. There is indeed a whisper of vanilla and some yellow fruit in the background, but it’s subtle. The whole is very well crafted and very balanced, a bit austere, mineral. On the palate, it goes even further, the medicinal intensity is still there, peat, salinity, oysters and limestone, perhaps a hint of lychee and coconut, not overly strong spices, clove, grey pepper. A very long and explosive finish, gravel, soot, liquorice, a few dried fruits steeped in medicine, burnt rubber, roots. 

 

In Short, 

It’s so quintessentially Laphroaig, so typical of the distillery that there’s nothing else to say, except that despite its divisive flavours and aromas, it seems very well-balanced, easy to drink and almost self-evident. Yes, there is something old-fashioned about this whisky despite its boldness, or at least reminiscent of the old whiskies as we imagine them today. As for the price, it is high for a 10-year-old, but the quality is there, it tastes significantly older. I didn’t hesitate for long before picking up a bottle. 

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Jon Henrik Fjällgren - Old Paths

Mortlach 2005 Decadent Drams 20 yo

 

 

 

50,1°

Distillery : Mortlach - Speyside

1st Fill Bourbon Barrel

Independent Bottling 

By Decadent Drinks 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2026

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

The company, founded in 2020 by Angus MacRaild and Iain MacClune, released another Mortlach last year, distilled in the same year. This one is therefore the sister cask, but slightly older. What makes them special is that they have been matured in first-fill bourbon casks, which is quite rare for this distillery. This cask yielded just 179 bottles. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The nose is immediately fruity and juicy, with very ripe yellow plums, honey in abundance, and pronounced waxy notes. Soft brioche, banana, pineapple, royal jelly, caramelised onions, sugared porridge, vanilla cream. On the palate, it is quite smooth but very oily, citrusy, lemons of various colours, kumquat, peanut butter, butter biscuits, rather rare spices. A lovely finish, which lifts slightly but remains fruity, this time more candied, mirabelle plums, apricots, quinces, shortbread biscuits, discreet cereals. 

 

In Short, 

An astonishing whisky, which bears no resemblance whatsoever to the distillery’s usual style. It’s not just the influence of the Bourbon, I’ve already drunk Mortlach whiskies matured in Bourbon casks and they weren’t like this. Mortlach is robust and deep, here it’s smooth and mellow, it’s more like a Benrinnes or a Blair Athol. But there’s also plenty of fruit, it’s very pleasant to drink, although it doesn’t leave a lasting impression. The price is a bit high, perhaps even too high in my opinion, but enthusiasts and the curious with deep pockets might be tempted to give it a go. 

Score : 89 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                            To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                            Son Lux - Flickers

Glen Grant 1995 Whiskyland Chapter Twenty-two 30 yo

 

 

 

46,8°

Distillery : The Glen Grant - Speyside

1 Refill Bourbon Barrel, 1 1st Fill Sherry Hogshead

Independent Bottling 

By Decadent Drinks

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated 

 

 

 

Let’s take a quick look back, at the end of last year, Decadent Drinks released this little gem, a blend of two casks from the famous Speyside distillery, one a Refill Bourbon Barrel from 1993, the other a 1st Fill Sherry Hogshead from 1995. This means the influence of the sherry will be quite restrained. Only 177 bottles were produced from these two casks, the angels’ share has certainly done its job. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The sherry is light and perfectly structured, not at all overpowering, on the contrary it is a small crystalline stream, slightly sticky, crisp caramel, nougat, light but thick honey, resin, mirabelle plums, damp wood, brandied cherries, blackberry tart, malted grains. A zest of citrus, wheat ready for harvest. On the palate, raisin cake, dates, melted chocolate, a drop of vinegar, assorted jams, quinces, red berries, light woodiness, powerful and varied spices. A long, powerful, splashy finish, liquorice, gingerbread, hot chestnuts, cooked mushrooms, it is quite forest-like, even earthy, ferns, roots. 

 

In Short, 

A really nice blend, the sherry notes are balanced by a very subtle Bourbon influence, creating a wonderful balance, with some cereal notes punctuated by red fruits. The alcohol content is quite low, but you don’t feel the lack of body. The price, on the other hand, you can feel it, it’s very high – truly excessive in this case – which makes this a rather extravagant purchase. 

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                            VLMV - I Am An Officer

Glenturret 1990 Whiskyland Chapter Twenty-Nine 35 yo

 

 

 

41,5°

Distillery : The Glenturret - Highlands 

Refill Hogshead 

Independent Bottling 

By Decadent Drinks 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2026

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated 

 

 

 

It has been less than two years since the Whiskyland collection was launched, and we are already at chapter 29. And each time, these are very mature whiskies, sourced from exceptional casks. Here, a 35-year-old Glenturret, having spent its entire youth in a refill hogshead, allowing it to express itself fully. Except that a good portion of the alcohol has already evaporated, in fact it was time to bottle this one. 231 bottles were nevertheless taken from the cask. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Liquid honey, waxed wood, malted cereals, pine resin, spring freshness, buttered brioche, subtle floral notes. Creamy citrus, fresh exotic fruits, a pinch of iodine, hand cream. Slight minerality. On the palate, it is creamy and oily, an elegant woodiness, egg yolk, yellow plums, then fairly pronounced spices, nutmeg, clove. A very long finish but not particularly powerful, candied mirabelle plums, very ripe bananas, crushed wheat, more wax, cookie dough, a drop of caramel. 

 

In Short, 

The nose is superb, the rest is excellent, but its lack of power is still somewhat noticeable. It’s a truly beautiful bottling, showcasing the very essence of a distillery that remains all too little known. The price is, of course, very high, which is hardly surprising given its age. What can one say? We’d rather be millionaires. 

Score : 90 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Little Willie John - Made for Me

Kilchoman 2011 20th Anniversary Casks Series 100% Islay Casks 14 yo

 

 

 

55°

Distillery : Kilchoman - Islay

1st Fill Ex-Oloroso Sherry Butts

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 20 ppm

 

 

 

On 14 December 2005, the first Kilchoman cask was filled. To mark the 20th anniversary of this great day, Anthony Wills, the distillery’s owner and founder, decided to open 20 casks and create four different bottlings, five casks per bottling. This is one of the four, distilled on 24 March 2011 and bottled on 21 April 2025, giving it exactly 14 years in the cask. There are 5 ex-Oloroso sherry butts, resulting in a total of 3,145 bottles. All stages of production took place on Islay, which is why the peat level is slightly lower than usual. Nowhere does it state that the whisky is cask strength, so I’m assuming it isn’t, though I can’t say for certain. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Hazy, fresh, spicy and fruity sherry, barbecue smoke with a good layer of soot, dried fruit, raisins, dates, figs, apricots, crushed nuts, a strong whiff of iodine, baked apples, cinnamon, damp leather, smoked ham and strawberry jam. It becomes more vegetal and herbal after a while. Tobacco leaves, very discreet cereals. On the palate, fresh fruit, damson plums, some red berries, white peaches, blood oranges. A clump of dried, dusty peat. Lingering spices, acacia honey. FFairly long and powerful finish, though not overwhelmingly so, charcoal, chocolate, coffee, grilled meat, liquorice. Caramel and blackberries, a pinch of salt. 

 

In Short, 

It’s really very good, neither the sherry nor the peat is overly pronounced, leaving room for a variety of flavours and fruits rarely found in a peated whisky. It’s complex and deep, but eventually quite easy to drink. The only issue is the price, it’s sold at the price of an 18-year-old, which isn’t great value. 

Score : 88

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                            Anne Bloom - The Saddest Smile

Springbank 18 yo 2025

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : Springbank - Campbeltown 

50% Bourbon Casks, 45% Sherry Casks, 5% Rum Casks

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 12 ppm

 

 

 

This is the very latest in the long series of 18-year-olds launched in 2009, making it the 17th batch of this now-traditional expression. The maturation process is unusual, as it involves rum casks, this had already been tried in 2023 and was fairly well received by the public, so they’ve done it again. I’d love to know how many bottles are released each year, it’s not possible to give a precise figure, but it must be in the region of 20,000 or 30,000 bottles. The bottling date is 8 December 2025, with a release in February 2026, distillation therefore took place between 9 December 2006 and 8 December 2007.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Yellow fruit, mellow plum, cake batter, a dash of vanilla, a generous slice of pineapple. Light smoke, dust of peat. Flambéed bananas, mountain honey, almond powder, untreated wood, crushed nuts. In the background, barn-like aromas, but very discreet. Faint mineral notes with a hint of citrus. On the palate, it is velvety, smooth as silk, liqueur-like almonds and lychees, persimmon, vanilla milk, subtle spices, black pepper, cloves. A very long, full-bodied finish, a pinch of charcoal, a drop of grapefruit juice, blond tobacco, cigar ash, cola nuts, dried fruit, dates, raisins.

 

In Short, 

I preferred it to the previous Springbank 18-year-olds I’d tasted, I found it more expressive and fruitier, probably thanks to the influence of the sherry casks. The rum is barely detectable, I just noticed plenty of citrus notes, but it isn’t sweet, and that’s just as well. That said, this series follows the same pattern, I find it a bit too gentle, hard to find in there the character and originality of the 10-year-old, with its barn-like aromas and coastal, mineral notes. That’s my main criticism. The price has thankfully dropped a little, but not enough for my liking, this craze surrounding Springbank is truly regrettable. 

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                            Future Islands - Sail

Noah's Mill Genuine Bourbon Whiskey Batch N°24-05

 

 

 

57,15°

Distillery : Willett Distillery - U.S.A.

New Charred Oak Barrels 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Bourbon Whiskey

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

Willett Distillery is one of the few distilleries in the US that remains family-owned. Founded in 1936, it is now run by the heirs of the founder, A. Lambert Willett. Within this distillery, Noah’s Mill is a brand that has been in existence for at least thirty years, initially it was marketed with a 15-year-old age statement, but from the early 2000s onwards it was sold only as a NAS. However, we know that, according to its recipe, it blends whiskies aged between 4 and 22 years (there must be more of the 4-year-old than the 22-year-old). Its mash bill is as follows: 72% maize, 13% rye and 15% barley. Originally, it was a blend from various distilleries, but recent batches come exclusively from Willett in Kentucky. This is one of the most recent batches, released by La Maison du Whisky for exclusive sale in France. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Cereals soaked in caramel, melting chocolate, olive oil, fir honey, hazelnuts. The cereals have a very rustic character, you can detect rye, roasted maize, pine nuts, and smooth, freshly sanded wood. Fresh vanilla, slightly syrupy fruit. On the palate, it’s truly coarse-grained, freshly harvested wheat, dry herbs, bread fresh from the oven. Soft brioche, spread with greengage jam, dry earth, barn, crushed almonds. Long and powerful finish, though not quite as intense as one might expect, abundance of grains, country bread, a knob of butter, dry twigs. Fried onions.

 

In Short, 

Rye is the grain that stood out most to me, it struck me as very rustic, even rough. I’d read that it was a smooth whisky, but I didn’t find it smooth at all, rather grainy, earthy and rustic. That said, I really appreciated its character, more grain and less sweetness than Blanton’s, but more power, variety and depth than Weller 12 Year Old. This one has its place on the shelves of bourbon enthusiasts. The price seems more or less right to me.

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                            To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                            Robb Benson - The Crow

Tamdhu 2016 Duich Copper & Oak Series III 9 yo

 

 

 

60,3°

Distillery : Tamdhu - Speyside

Refill Bourbon Barrel

Independent Bottling 

By Fib Whisky Limited 

Limited Edition

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

The company was founded in 2017 under the name Kilrymont Distilling, before being renamed Fib Whisky Ltd in 2021. It is run by two brothers, Iain and Andrew Mundy, who are always keen to experiment with new finishing techniques. But here, nothing too daring, a simple Refill Bourbon Barrel does the job, yielding just 54 bottles, sold exclusively in the UK. The other half of the cask was used for another bottling, finished in a Madeira Barrique this time. It is rare to find a Tamdhu without Sherry, which is why this one is so interesting. Like all the company’s labels, it was designed by Orla Stevens. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Sweet fruit, intense wax, citrus and white peach, lemon tart, pineapple cake, vanilla cream, scrambled eggs. Lovely freshness, spring dew, shards of limestone, steamed rice. On the palate, fresh almonds, juicy pears, lychee, coconut, argan oil, pronounced spices, cloves, black pepper. A long and powerful finish that develops slowly, damp earth, oak bark, chocolate, light coffee, very subtle bitterness, drops of honey, varnished wood, artichoke heart, diced green apple.

 

In Short, 

I really like the nose, it’s reminiscent of a Clynelish but without the peat, with plenty of fruit, like a Glenburgie. The finish is very powerful but quite well integrated. The price was very reasonable, making it a real bargain, but unfortunately, it’s nearly completely sold out now. I haven’t tasted the sister cask finished in Madeira, but frankly, I think they should have bottled the whole cask without any finishing.

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                             Lola Bates - Girl's Girl