Five scotch whiskies | Various ABV

A Sample Set Debutant

I’m doing something new. Not life-altering, not soul-shaking, and certainly not the kind of thing that’ll earn me a Knighthood - but new, nonetheless. And new is worth noting.

I’ve got a few Dramface reviews under my belt now, and I’m starting to feel the rhythm. The computer keys are flowing, the palate’s becoming attuned, and I’m almost - almost - hitting a stride. Confidence is creeping in like late-night Campbeltown funk. Then Wally happened.

After his heroic efforts tackling the May Decadent Drams outturn (Glen Grant 30, Glen Scotia 8, Mannochmore 15, Springbank 30, Caol Ila 13 - a line-up that reads like a whisky Avengers roster), he decided to pass on the June baton. The klaxon went out on the Dramface writer’s chat and I threw my hand up, feeling curious and brave. A few days later a box of five 30ml samples landed on my doorstep via Wally at HQ, as casual as you like. No note. No warning. Just a quiet thunk.

Now, I can already hear the collective eye-roll: “Oh no, poor Charlie, forced to drink rare whisky samples. What a tragedy.” And aye, fair enough. But here’s the rub - I’ve never reviewed anything from a 30ml sample before. I’m a full-bottle kind of guy. I like to live with a whisky, let it stretch its legs, whisper its secrets - over time. Whether it takes four drams or ten, the review comes when it’s ready - not when the liquid runs out.

So I’m writing this before a single drop has touched my tongue. I’m thinking about these limitations, perhaps a little too late mind you - they’ve been delivered after all. So, as I roll the sleeves up I’m thinking about Dougie’s Glasgow 1770 Syrah review, where the sample and the full bottle told two very different tales. The sample was all soap and disappointment; the bottle, a red-fruited revelation. That’s stuck with me, we’re here to learn from each other.

It feels, ominously like this is going to be like judging a campervan trip from the first few miles. You get the rattle of the engine, excitement of setting, maybe even a glimpse of the coast - but the real magic doesn’t hit until you’re halfway up the Bealach na Bà with the windows down and the stereo humming.

Well, we’re here now. Let’s find out.

The order is absolutely random, just the order I picked them up to put the details in.

Review 1/5 - Tomatin 10yo

Tomatin 10yo, Decadent Drams, 2nd fill sherry hogshead, 53% ABV
£90 RRP

From Decadent Drinks:

This 10 year old, 2014 Tomatin has been selected for our Decadent Drams series by Nigel the Capercaillie. It has been matured in a 2nd fill sherry hogshead and bottled with a few degrees reduction to Nigel's preferred dramming strength of 53%. Despite considerable protestation from Nigel, we put a picture of him on the label to celebrate this collab.

I have never owned a bottle of Tomatin. I have tried it a few times at festivals etc. but it has never grabbed me enough to get me to commit to a purchase.

Score: 5/10

**Average. In a good way.**
***TL;DR***
*No off notes, no glaring faults - just solid whisky*

Nose

The nose struck me as light, fruity and summery, with a nice balance of citrus fruit and some vanilla. There was something else hidden in the back that I just couldn’t put my finger on initially, but it is a hint of saltiness.

Palate

This was immediately much heavier on the mouth than I expected. I guess that’s the sherry maturation which wasn’t evident from the nose; it’s less summery and more fireside. There is a lot of bright fruit with some spice and caramel; also some salt hidden in there like the nose. There is a woody note, and it comes over as a bit on the watery side despite being 53%.

The Dregs

This is a decent dram. No off notes, no glaring faults - just solid whisky. And yet, it’s dependable to a fault.

It does everything just well enough to avoid criticism, but not well enough to earn praise. Don’t get me wrong - it’s enjoyable. The texture's pleasant, the finish is tidy, and if someone poured me another, I wouldn’t decline. But there's no spark. I won’t be rushing out to find a bottle. Some drams stir curiosity, plant questions, invite repeat visits.

Score: 5/10

Review 2/5 - Blended Grain 52yo

Blended Grain 52yo, Decadent Drams, single refill barrel, 50.8% ABV
£295 RRP

From Decadent Drinks:

This Decadent Drams bottling is a 1972, 52 year old single refill barrel of blended grain whisky. No, we don't have a scooby which grain distillates went into this potion back in 1972. All we know is that it tastes old, mechanical, medicinal, sweet, fruity and luscious. It's like drinking a coconut full of rum inside the mind of a sentient pineapple that's learned how to operate heavy machinery and has since unionised with the other tropical fruits and is now causing headaches for the Labour government.

This dram started its extended, slow slumber before I took my first breath. And yet, for all the poetic ageing, I’m still on the lookout for a grain whisky that truly captures my attention. They often feel like polite conversations: pleasant enough, but lacking any spark of provocation. I’m not closing the door, I’ll keep exploring from time to time - who knows, perhaps the next one I meet will rewrite my expectations.

Score: 6/10

**Good stuff.**
***TL;DR***
*Good, but feels like an 18yo in its fifties*

Nose

A bright nose with a good bit of fruit; salty. I think there is a hint of sherry in the back. There are some tropical fruits and oranges. There is something damp in there somewhere, it’s on the junction of wet dog and wood that’s been damp for an extended period.

Palate

This is smooth, like 2am in a jazz club smooth. It is noticeably creamy on the mouth with a dark cane sugar and a bit of banana. Some tropical fruit and a hint of Cointreau. There is caramel which comes in towards the end in a fulsome way, it hangs about for a long time.

The mouth feel is marginally oily and the legs are short to medium in length.

The Dregs

I’ve obviously had grain whisky before—there’s even a 32-year-old bottle sitting quietly on my shelf. Despite a few revisits, it never really caught my imagination. Pleasant enough, sure.

This one? It’s unquestionably more robust—layered, flavoursome, confidently smoother than its 50.8% might suggest. And yet… I’m not floored.

It carries itself like it’s aged, but the flavour settles closer to an 18-year-old malt - tamed, composed, but lacking that deep gravitas you’d hope from a 52-year-old spirit. Maybe that’s unfair. Maybe my expectations are doing too much of the talking.

I hovered around a 7/10, genuinely tempted. But then I thought: What should a whisky with half a century in wood taste like? Should it surprise, challenge, unfold slowly like a memory? This dram didn’t quite do that. So I held back.

Score: 6/10

Review 3/5 - Highland Park 20yo

Highland Park 20yo, Whiskyland Chapter Sixteen, refill sherry hogshead and refill hogshead, 55.5% ABV
£345 RRP

From Decadent Drinks:

There are many ways to Whiskyland - but, like these two befuddled Vikings, most people have to first get lost in order to find their way here. Whiskyland Chapter Sixteen is a marriage of a 2005 1st fill sherry hogshead of Highland Park, with a 1997 refill hogshead of Highland Park. The resulting 20 year old grog, bottled at natural marrying strength, is a magnificent, multi-vintage take on classical, mature Highland Park distillery character, with a subtle drenching of sherry. So, lash up your sails for a storm, christen all your weapons with names like 'Bone Squelcher', 'Skull Mangler' and 'Thighroid Dispruptor', grab a few nosing horns and pray to your preferred assortment of imaginary Gods that you wash ashore on one of the stretches of Whiskyland coastline that is well-served by hostelry and at least three-star accommodation.

I have had a few Highland Parks that I have enjoyed even if it really isn’t a go-to distillery for me. On paper this one sounds brilliant.

Score: 7/10

**Very good indeed.**
***TL;DR***
*Very good, but left me wishing I could try the individual casks*

Nose

There is honey and a dose of sherry, but there is also some damp oak, saline notes and maybe a bit of earthiness.

Palate

It is quite drying on the mouth; the sherry isn’t too obvious on the mouth but there is the honey you could nose with some artificial caramel. It is quite thick and syrupy on the mouth feel and it has got long legs that warms the mouth for a long time.

The Dregs

I was hoping for more here. Twenty years in wood should carry some real weight, and with one of the components clocking in at 28 years, you'd expect a bit more presence. What’s in the glass feels more reserved than anticipated: held back.

It leaves you wondering what each cask might have offered on its own. Were they blended into something smoother? We won’t know. I can’t help but think I’d have got more excitement, more character, from trying the two casks separately.

Score: 7/10

Review 4/5 - Glen Moray 31yo

Glen Moray 31yo, Whiskyland Chapter Seventeen, three cask types, mixed vintage, 50.5% ABV
£385 RRP

From Decadent Drinks:

Whiskyland Chapter Seventeen is a bit of an experiment. A mixing together of Glen Moray single malt from three different cask types and vintages. Small amounts of whisky from one refill sherry and two refill bourbon hogsheads, were all married together in that most romantic of vessels, an IBC, to create a small-batch 31 year old Glen Moray that's richly fruity, waxy and honeyed with abundant old school Speyside character. There are certainly parts of Whiskyland which are governed by chaos, but this bottling comes from one of Whiskyland's more serene places, where balance and harmony are very much the rule. We hope this wee Glen Moray demonstrates those same qualities.

Score: 7/10

**Very good indeed.**
***TL;DR***
*Classy, but overpriced*

Nose

Quite a plain nose initially, seems well balanced. There is some grass and tropical fruit along with orange and a hint of dry wood.

Palate

The taste is quite juicy, with a generous spread of rich fruit, yet it is refined. It’s not loud or showy - there’s a subtlety to it, a nuanced layering that invites you to take your time. There’s more going on than the usual citrus stuff. You get strawberries, maybe a bit of pear, and foam banana. There is also some honey in there and it is waxy on the mouth with medium legs.

The Dregs

This is, without question, a quality whisky. It carries itself with a quiet elegance - classy, smooth, and measured. There’s no bravado here, no fireworks. In my glass, it just doesn’t quite catch the spotlight.

I tend to gravitate towards whiskies that swing a bit harder - those bold, full-bodied expressions that grab you by the senses and make no apologies for it. This one plays its cards close to the chest.

If I were judging on quality alone, it easily holds its own. But whisky doesn’t live in a vacuum - context matters. And at £385 a bottle, the flavour profile here simply doesn’t align with that price tag for me. It’s good, yes, but it doesn’t deliver the complexity, depth, or wow factor that I expect from a dram in that bracket.

I toyed with an 8/10. On another day, maybe. But once you factor in cost, it slides firmly into “I like it, but I wouldn’t chase it” territory. There’s just not enough flavour in the glass to make me reach for my wallet - and that’s not a knock on the whisky, so much as a nod to my own preferences.

Score: 7/10

Review 5/5 - Glen Ord 8yo

Glen Ord 8yo, Equinox & Solstice Summer 2025, Edition, 2x refill hogsheads, 48.5% ABV
£65 RRP

From Decadent Drinks:

This year's Summer edition of Equinox & Solstice is a rich and delicious 8 year old Ord, bottled as always at this series' trademark dramming strength of 48.5%. We made this by marrying together two refill hogsheads of 2017 Glen Ord. The result is a surprisingly rich, sweet and honeyed dram, with a good waxy highland backbone and juicy fruity character. Perfect for summer sipping or powering up your highballs!

Glen Ord is another distillery I have very little experience with. It is clearly a Diageo stable distillery, which may be interesting on a double cask level.

Score: 5/10

**Average. In a good way.**
***TL;DR***
*Like all of these, I’m left feeling I needed more time with this*

Nose

Very salty straight away, but that fades significantly with it in the glass. There is tropical fruit – pineapple and apple notes with some cut grass and a whiff of berry flavoured bubble gum.

Palate

Honey, but not overly sweet honey. Elements of digestive biscuits and buttery. It’s quite odd; very drying on the mouth with medium legs, waxy in nature and a bit chalky.

The Dregs

I wasn’t feeling the love on the first few sips - something about it just didn’t grab me. But as I worked through the glass, I started to warm to it. There were a few moments near the end where it felt like it was beginning to open up, showing a bit more of itself. I’d have liked the same amount again, just to see how the taste evolved with a little more time and space.

Score: 5/10

The Final Dregs

Before diving into any kind of conclusion I need to caveat all of this - and my opinions shared here. Like all reviews, this piece is rooted entirely in me, my own preferences and where I sit on my own personal exploration of all things whisky. I have no doubt that there are far more experienced reviewers out there, with sharper and more immediate palates who could do a much more efficient job when faced with a 30ml pour. But I enjoy taking my time and revisiting the target.

So the conclusion is fairly simple really. At this moment in time, reviewing through samples isn’t an approach that resonates with me. I like to feel that I’ve treated things fairly and I didn’t altogether get that sense from this exercise. I don’t think my scores would have changed dramatically - if at all - but I do feel I’d have gained more insight and been more confident in the ratings. There’s something inherently disjointed about experiencing a dram in miniature - it was a series of fleeting encounters lacking the full breadth of story. I found myself questioning the integrity of the scores I’d assigned; were they snapshots of promise, or just premature judgments? Once those wee bottles are all emptied, there’s just no way of knowing.

Some drams felt like they were just stretching their legs, on the verge of becoming far more compelling with time and space to evolve. A brief pour from a tiny vial leaves too much room for doubt.

So, for now, I think I’d be hesitant to review samples in future. Not out of contempt, but out of respect - for the whisky, and for the way I want to engage with it. If I’m going to tell its story, I need to sit with it a while longer and maybe on more occasions. Let the story unfold and not just judge on soundbites.

I gave this new thing a fair shot, but until I feel I can do these smaller amounts full justice - one way or another - I think I’ll keep my hand down for future sample offers.

Tried these? Share your thoughts in the comments below. CC

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