Notes on The Casual Dram:23
Tomatin 10 Year Old 2014-2025 Decadent Drams by Decadent Drinks 53%
2nd fill sherry hogshead
Decadent Drinks was founded in 2018 by whisky writers and industry figures Angus MacRaild and Iain McClune. The Scottish independent bottler is known for creative labels, transparent releases, and flavour-driven cask selection across brands including Whiskyland, Decadent Drams, Equinox & Solstice, Old Orkney and the cult Whisky Sponge series.
Tomatin Distillery produces a soft, fruity Highland style using long ferments of around 60 to 100 hours that encourage ester development. Its tall, slender copper pot stills maximise copper contact, promoting lightness and elegance, with some weight retained thanks to descending lyne arms (which reduce reflux). Maturation is through a variety of wood: bourbon, sherry, port and wine casks. Tomatin typically shows a creamy texture, tropical fruit, honey and gentle spice.
Clynelish 'Adelphi' 2015 / 9 years old #51256 54.5%
Refill oloroso sherry butt
Clynelish produces a very clean and fruit-driven style of malt thanks to clear worts, long ferments and distillation that involves maximising copper conversation – (unusually, Clynelish’s spirit stills are larger than its wash stills).
It is also famed for its waxiness - which is believed to result from the build-up of oil in the feints receiver (which is now carefully replaced after its removal in the silent season).
Founded in 1819 by the Duke of Sutherland during the ‘clearances’, a second distillery was built alongside Clynelish in 1967 as part of an expansionary phase conducted by DCL. The original distillery ran in tandem as Clynelish B, but was later renamed Brora (after the local township) and made predominantly peaty whisky. It closed in 1983, and has become “one of those” collectibles since.
SMWS 70.55 Balblair - 'The carpenter's cocktail cabinet' 15 years 57.5%
Ex-bourbon hogshead, finished in 1st fill ex-oloroso hogshead
Balblair is a small distillery that runs high staffing levels with a nod to traditional distilling. Clear worts promote citric and floral notes, whilst small, squat spirit stills and wooden washbacks encourage a heavier, meaty, sulphurous new make - which, with time in oak, evolves to offer notes of butterscotch and toffee.
This expression has been aged in bourbon casks for the majority of its life, with a final finish in a 1st-fill ex-oloroso hogshead.
Pulteney 'Signatory Cask Strength Collection' 13 years old 2008 #2 56.2%
Refill bourbon barrels and finished in fresh sherry butt
It’s hard to pick which style the Pulteney distillery aims at, as it has very conflicting processes working in combination.
On one hand, the distillery runs short ferments which typically result in a heavier, nuttier style - but then the other-worldly wash still sports a massive boil bulb almost as large as the base of the still and a flat top. This helps to produce high levels of reflux and separate specific alcohols. The reflux-heavy theme continues in the spirit still, which has both a purifier pipe and a very convoluted, coiling lyne arm. Again, reflux is maximised here, with the purifier conceivably adding oiliness to the character. After all this, condensing then takes place in worm tubs, which, as we know, decrease copper contact in the final throws and add weight.
The style has been described as, “heavy, leathery and oily, with a fragrant almost ozonic freshness.”
Mystery whisky
From a Northern Highlands distillery located off the A9 trunk road.
