Perfect timing for this topic. I'd like to splurge for some bigger age statements but I can't. I've been blessed with quite a few decent independent bottles recently, young affordable and always interesting. I just came off a run of picking up every official, NAS Cask Strength that I came across. They're well priced but it's usually a pretty raw dram. The checklist of deal breaking attributes makes shopping much easier. Age stated. NCF. Natural color. 46% or more
Today's dram for the 927 videos is my own blend, Old Mort McCrae. A 50/50 blend of the Mortlach's we have available. Mortlach Rare Old and a 7 Year old bottled by McCrae's. The McCrae's dirties up that sanitized original bottling of Rare Old quite nicely.
I wish we could get more products from small distillers and independent bottlers here in the US, but alas... On the topic of chill filtration; it seems to me that even though a bottle may say non chill filtered, the distiller is still subjecting the whisky to a very intensive filtration after all. It may not be "chill filtered", but it is most definitely excessively filtered. For example, I was enjoying some Arran Quarter Cask, bottled at 58+%, and even with two and a half teaspoons of water and a solid half hour in the glass, it remained crystal clear. Many others barely develop Scotch mist at all. My observation anyway. I'm with you, I want chunks of wood from the cask floating in my glass.
Ralfy I love you for two main things: your life Long experience with scotch whisky and your honesty in delivering your opinion to all of us. Slainte! 🥃👍🏻👍🏻❤️
I think over the next year or two I'm going to dedicate my whisky purchases solely to independent bottles and see what I can find.Thanks Ralfy...Fae C/bank.
I've started my infinity bottle last year, when you mentioned it first. It was some Caol Ila 12 and a couple of other malts. I have to say, the whiskey I've tasted after a couple of months was nothing like any whisky I've ever had -- it had strong notes of green onion and peas! Despite how it may sound, it was up there with the best whiskies for my enjoyment of it, so I can only second the motion for people to start experimenting with these. It may not be what you expect, but it will definitely take you to interesting places.
I like Whiskyfun - Serge has very detailed and incisive reviews of malts (and other spirits) that I'll never have any hope of finding or tasting, but they're quite engaging to read nonetheless. Same goes for the Malt Maniacs' distillery profiles, too bad they've been dormant for some time now :-(
Hi dear, you reminded me Ralfy when I bought a bottle of Bunnahabain 12 last December, sold and dispatched by amazon, it was 33 pounds and I thought I got a good deal but… you know what I got? Something like Johnnie walker red label hardly peated very row seemed to be mixed with a hypnotic. Have avoided Bunna since then.
Not long ago I tasted my first drum of my first infinite bottle…and i have to say that it blowed my mind… being my self a peat lover i crafted something that i would pay for( well i payed for it in deed)…cheers Ralfy and thank you for your channel
You really do need to do your homework when buying an independent bottling, I found masters of malts tasting notes are very good, I know each person gets something different from a single malt but if you take the tasting notes at their grass roots then that helps. you decide if it's for you or not.
aha , i thought i was a bad boy for mixing my own , = but you have saved me ;;; i mixed a over strong glen sco with a lesser and it worked ;; i buy bottles like indie versions of inchgower and glenrothes well good and no one is going to fake them ;;;
Hi Rally, outside the UK is so difficult to get whiskies from indis. Here in Portugal I found a few months ago an Edradour from SV wich fortunately I bought.
Don't overlook everything on the supermarket shelves. Still some decent daily sippers are out there like Tamnavulin. We can't all drink Chapter7 Teaninich or North Star Glen Spey every day. Alternatively you go and research your drinks. £40 will buy you 12yo blend at 50% NCF and natural colour or a blended malt at 50% at 8yo NCF and natural colour which will knock out bottles of greater expense.
i was amazed from a Darroze Armagnac, they even mentioned the Soil, 40% sand 60% clay, this vineyard etc. or recently i got a Ledaig Signatory bottling, what an amazing malt. And then there are in Facebook whisky groups people who buy everything of the shelf when they just see the name talisker, macallan or springbank on it. No matter the taste, casks, color, reviews. just for the sake of having that, or selfimagining that Macallan is the best sherried whisky for your buck.....
Ralfy, I have one doubt here, if the chill-filtered whisky is for supermarket and lower pricing purpose, wouldn't it cost the distillery to have more expenses and time to do the filtering? Sounds kinda contradict here. but i don't mean chill-filtering is a good thing, just raising my doubt🤓
Excellent video. Picked up three independents last week exclusive to my local shop. Looking forward to opening them. Great end to the video as well with the blending comment. Food for thought.
Ralphie, please upload subtitles! i like your reviews you do! Continue in the same spirit, to educate us and share the subtleties in the world of spirits! Greetings from Bulgaria!
Same happens with fragrance , I've been collecting fragrance for 10 years and just started with whisky , the parallels with perfumery and whisky are exactly the same
@@duncs3850 in the fragrance world you have ..batch variations , oxidisation , quality of ingredients notes/casks , fancy bottles , company's reducing the quantity deliberately from 120ml to 100 or 75ml, discontinued products , vintage formulas Vs new formula debates , fakes , corporate take overs ....honestly it goes on and on
Nothing wrong with highlighting poor batches/whiskies. We all pay no small price these days so expectations should be high. Personally speaking, I feel robbed when I get a bad one but have little reach with my voice. Commentators should use their voice and influence to both celebrate the good and point out the bad - prices soon reflect a good review ... Keep it up, ralfy.
As a novice, I am unclear of the distinction between independent bottlers and normal bottlers simply, what is an independent bottler? Love these reviews. From British Columbia, Canada
Ralfy an offtopic question. What is going on with the prices of Lagavulin? Do you think these are justified? Here in Holland, more than 60 euro for 8yo. 75 euro for 10yo. Crazy if you ask me.
Infinity bottles end up big messes and the heal of bottles should just go into mini bottles or drunk up and not try to put a bunch of things together that end up being a distorted mess. Surprised Ralfy advocates them. I thought I raised him better than that. I'm tellin Mom !!!
I made a decent blend of middle of the road sherry/bourbon single malts but it didn't really make me happy so I got a case of new 150ml bottles instead.
Could someone please recommend auction sites they use regularly in the UK for example. I'd be interested in keeping an eye out for independent bottlings just not sure where to start.
Hi Ralfy, Would be interesting to know your opinion on this new bit of information on GlenDronach that was posted on Dramface. They interviewed some guy at Brown-Forman who told them the reason why they had to drop UCF from the box/lable. Allegedly GD also filtered their whisky during Billy Walker. Sometimes more, sometimes less (depending on the turbitiy) but since they weren't part of the SWA their strict rules didn't apply to them (?!). Under Brown-Forman they joined the SWA and therefore removed the line UCF. Sounds to me like a bit of a half-truth to be honest...
. . . I have read the article. I am not convinced. Since starting chill-filltering, GlenDronach sales appear to have fallen in volume. I think they are making excuses. I have never heard of Springbank, Arran, and Glencadam having terrible 'turbidity' issues, have you ? I smell B.S. Note - A significant number of reputable whisky businesses are not members of the SWA. There will be a reason for that.
@ralfydotcom It's immediately evident between the 2020 21yo and the 2021 21yo. The former is marked as NCF and the latter isn't. Both are still drawn from pre mothball stock. The 2020 has a more viscous texture and more flavour. The 2021 is markedly thinner and a little anemic in all honesty. I'd buy the 2020 but not the 2021 for the price they're asking for.
Despite I'm not really into Dalmore I bought some Cadenhead purely ex-bourboncask matured Dalmore 25 für arround 130£ each. They were stunning. I have no idea what goes wrong with the official bottlings, which are all quite boring to me.
@@martindouwe6099 Surely that does not help. It may be the reason why for me the "Cigar Malt" is the only bearable with its 44%. The ABV is also the "problem" for me with Macallan in Europe. In Europe you get most of the Macallans only with 40% ABV. In the US you get the same age statement with 43% ABV. Some things I just don't understand.
Random note. I paid NZ$85.99 for a bottle of Springbank 10 eighteen months or so ago. I see a retailer in Auckland has some in stock and he only wants NZ$345.00 per bottle. I'll pass.
Try Whisky Galore in Christchurch. They sometimes get Springbank in for great prices (it sells out extremely fast as you can imagine). I live in Tasmania but I get bottles shipped over from them all the time. Bought Springbank 18 from them a few months ago for 182 AUD which is a bargain these days for it.
Nice work Ralfy, I'm watching this from my newly finished Manx bothy in Peel!
Rather than sanitized, I like to think of them as censored whiskies. Malty censorship.
Cheers Ralfy, hope we'll meet again soon! And agreed on the Malt Maniacs!
Perfect timing for this topic. I'd like to splurge for some bigger age statements but I can't.
I've been blessed with quite a few decent independent bottles recently, young affordable and always interesting.
I just came off a run of picking up every official, NAS Cask Strength that I came across. They're well priced but it's usually a pretty raw dram.
The checklist of deal breaking attributes makes shopping much easier.
Age stated.
NCF.
Natural color.
46% or more
Today's dram for the 927 videos is my own blend, Old Mort McCrae. A 50/50 blend of the Mortlach's we have available. Mortlach Rare Old and a 7 Year old bottled by McCrae's. The McCrae's dirties up that sanitized original bottling of Rare Old quite nicely.
. . . the power of blending.
I wish we could get more products from small distillers and independent bottlers here in the US, but alas...
On the topic of chill filtration; it seems to me that even though a bottle may say non chill filtered, the distiller is still subjecting the whisky to a very intensive filtration after all. It may not be "chill filtered", but it is most definitely excessively filtered.
For example, I was enjoying some Arran Quarter Cask, bottled at 58+%, and even with two and a half teaspoons of water and a solid half hour in the glass, it remained crystal clear. Many others barely develop Scotch mist at all. My observation anyway. I'm with you, I want chunks of wood from the cask floating in my glass.
Ralfy I love you for two main things: your life Long experience with scotch whisky and your honesty in delivering your opinion to all of us. Slainte! 🥃👍🏻👍🏻❤️
I think over the next year or two I'm going to dedicate my whisky purchases solely to independent bottles and see what I can find.Thanks Ralfy...Fae C/bank.
I've started my infinity bottle last year, when you mentioned it first. It was some Caol Ila 12 and a couple of other malts. I have to say, the whiskey I've tasted after a couple of months was nothing like any whisky I've ever had -- it had strong notes of green onion and peas! Despite how it may sound, it was up there with the best whiskies for my enjoyment of it, so I can only second the motion for people to start experimenting with these. It may not be what you expect, but it will definitely take you to interesting places.
Everybody should do an infinity bottle IMO. Great fun
Thanks so much Ralfy, I appreciate you
I always look forward to your uploads and opinions my friend.
Wholeheartedly agree with you on Serge and Whiskyfun there Ralfy!!
I like Whiskyfun - Serge has very detailed and incisive reviews of malts (and other spirits) that I'll never have any hope of finding or tasting, but they're quite engaging to read nonetheless. Same goes for the Malt Maniacs' distillery profiles, too bad they've been dormant for some time now :-(
Ralfy, I would love to see you do a series on world whiskies: Australian, Indian, German, Spanish, Israeli etc.
There is some great wisdom in this video.
in all the videos, actually
Natural my arse and flash and dash offerings are very much on the point Ralfy. Well said!
Hi dear, you reminded me Ralfy when I bought a bottle of Bunnahabain 12 last December, sold and dispatched by amazon, it was 33 pounds and I thought I got a good deal but… you know what I got? Something like Johnnie walker red label hardly peated very row seemed to be mixed with a hypnotic. Have avoided Bunna since then.
Yeah the last time I tried Bunna 12 I wasn't impressed. They apparently had some significant batch variation 2-3 years ago. Maybe that's why?
Not long ago I tasted my first drum of my first infinite bottle…and i have to say that it blowed my mind… being my self a peat lover i crafted something that i would pay for( well i payed for it in deed)…cheers Ralfy and thank you for your channel
Ralfy, Man amongst Men. I raise a glass to ye every time I open a Whisky bottle (Single Malt.) Where would I be without ye?
... cheers !
You really do need to do your homework when buying an independent bottling, I found masters of malts tasting notes are very good, I know each person gets something different from a single malt but if you take the tasting notes at their grass roots then that helps. you decide if it's for you or not.
Indeed. 👏👏👏😁👌🙋♂️
aha , i thought i was a bad boy for mixing my own , = but you have saved me ;;; i mixed a over strong glen sco with a lesser and it worked ;; i buy bottles like indie versions of inchgower and glenrothes well good and no one is going to fake them ;;;
Hi Rally, outside the UK is so difficult to get whiskies from indis. Here in Portugal I found a few months ago an Edradour from SV wich fortunately I bought.
Take a vacation to the Netherlands! Lots of Indis overhere! Where i go half of the shelf is Indis.
Not really an independent bottling as Signatory Vintage own Edradour distillery
@@gerwinpot4230 sometimes I order from a great site from there wich has hundreds of indis
100% agreed some distillerys are getting gready and i can say i dont suport that shitt.
Stay safe take care
Thank you mr Ralfy
Don't overlook everything on the supermarket shelves. Still some decent daily sippers are out there like Tamnavulin. We can't all drink Chapter7 Teaninich or North Star Glen Spey every day.
Alternatively you go and research your drinks. £40 will buy you 12yo blend at 50% NCF and natural colour or a blended malt at 50% at 8yo NCF and natural colour which will knock out bottles of greater expense.
i was amazed from a Darroze Armagnac, they even mentioned the Soil, 40% sand 60% clay, this vineyard etc.
or recently i got a Ledaig Signatory bottling, what an amazing malt.
And then there are in Facebook whisky groups people who buy everything of the shelf when they just see the name talisker, macallan or springbank on it. No matter the taste, casks, color, reviews. just for the sake of having that, or selfimagining that Macallan is the best sherried whisky for your buck.....
Truly, I don’t have a ‘pure’ bottle in my cupboard at the moment. Everything is a blend of some sort.
We need some of these new distilleries to start cranking out some filthy dirty new make so the stuff tastes amazing in a few years time.
Ralfy, I have one doubt here, if the chill-filtered whisky is for supermarket and lower pricing purpose, wouldn't it cost the distillery to have more expenses and time to do the filtering? Sounds kinda contradict here. but i don't mean chill-filtering is a good thing, just raising my doubt🤓
Meandering magnificence from the Malt Maestro. Loved your earlier rant Ralfy; 'natural my arse'......near damn spilt (spilled) my dram!
good on ya ralfy, get into them, give them a rev up where its needed.
Lovely Extra again. Keep kicking ass! And please share the Undertakers Stash Archive with us. That is what you call eminent info.
Excellent video. Picked up three independents last week exclusive to my local shop. Looking forward to opening them. Great end to the video as well with the blending comment. Food for thought.
Ralphie, please upload subtitles! i like your reviews you do! Continue in the same spirit, to educate us and share the subtleties in the world of spirits! Greetings from Bulgaria!
. .. now done, sorry I forgot earlier !
Same happens with fragrance , I've been collecting fragrance for 10 years and just started with whisky , the parallels with perfumery and whisky are exactly the same
Interesting, I’d never considered that!
@@duncs3850 in the fragrance world you have ..batch variations , oxidisation , quality of ingredients notes/casks , fancy bottles , company's reducing the quantity deliberately from 120ml to 100 or 75ml, discontinued products , vintage formulas Vs new formula debates , fakes , corporate take overs ....honestly it goes on and on
@@matttopcat9677 that’s fascinating, the parallels are uncanny
Sadly in the US liquor laws across state lines make purchasing bottles at online auction very difficult. Red tape everywhere
What food will be great for pairing
Pomegranate balsamic roasted brussels sprouts and a savory single malt
@@bungalowct Now that sounds dee-licious!
Nothing wrong with highlighting poor batches/whiskies. We all pay no small price these days so expectations should be high. Personally speaking, I feel robbed when I get a bad one but have little reach with my voice. Commentators should use their voice and influence to both celebrate the good and point out the bad - prices soon reflect a good review ... Keep it up, ralfy.
Ralfy, when are you going to do an updated review on Penderyn whisky?
.. Cheers to you ..
As a novice, I am unclear of the distinction between independent bottlers and normal bottlers simply, what is an independent bottler? Love these reviews. From British Columbia, Canada
Ralfy an offtopic question. What is going on with the prices of Lagavulin? Do you think these are justified? Here in Holland, more than 60 euro for 8yo. 75 euro for 10yo. Crazy if you ask me.
. . . it's now a 'super' brand. Prices will keep going up.
Infinity bottles end up big messes and the heal of bottles should just go into mini bottles or drunk up and not try to put a bunch of things together that end up being a distorted mess. Surprised Ralfy advocates them. I thought I raised him better than that. I'm tellin Mom !!!
I made a decent blend of middle of the road sherry/bourbon single malts but it didn't really make me happy so I got a case of new 150ml bottles instead.
Could someone please recommend auction sites they use regularly in the UK for example. I'd be interested in keeping an eye out for independent bottlings just not sure where to start.
. . start with a specific online search. I stick to online auction based in Scotland.
Bit stuck. Do I have a clear out to make space for some better whiskey. Seem to have about 20 unwanted malts.
I run a sanctuary for unwanted malts....
@@FatWhiskyDrinkingGuy 🤣
Blend them, you might create something amazing
20 is alot. I've only been disappointed with about 5. Some have been improving over time.
Edradour and Ben Nevis seem to have become hot brands that are becoming Springbank desirable and fly off shelves almost as fast
It's just the flippers trying to shift anything that's sherried and/or limited in production.
❤️👍🥃
Hi Ralfy,
Would be interesting to know your opinion on this new bit of information on GlenDronach that was posted on Dramface. They interviewed some guy at Brown-Forman who told them the reason why they had to drop UCF from the box/lable. Allegedly GD also filtered their whisky during Billy Walker. Sometimes more, sometimes less (depending on the turbitiy) but since they weren't part of the SWA their strict rules didn't apply to them (?!). Under Brown-Forman they joined the SWA and therefore removed the line UCF.
Sounds to me like a bit of a half-truth to be honest...
. . . I have read the article. I am not convinced. Since starting chill-filltering, GlenDronach sales appear to have fallen in volume. I think they are making excuses. I have never heard of Springbank, Arran, and Glencadam having terrible 'turbidity' issues, have you ? I smell B.S. Note - A significant number of reputable whisky businesses are not members of the SWA. There will be a reason for that.
@ralfydotcom It's immediately evident between the 2020 21yo and the 2021 21yo. The former is marked as NCF and the latter isn't. Both are still drawn from pre mothball stock. The 2020 has a more viscous texture and more flavour. The 2021 is markedly thinner and a little anemic in all honesty. I'd buy the 2020 but not the 2021 for the price they're asking for.
Despite I'm not really into Dalmore I bought some Cadenhead purely ex-bourboncask matured Dalmore 25 für arround 130£ each. They were stunning. I have no idea what goes wrong with the official bottlings, which are all quite boring to me.
The mediocre sherry cask application spoiled it.
The low ABV is a big problem
@@martindouwe6099 Surely that does not help. It may be the reason why for me the "Cigar Malt" is the only bearable with its 44%.
The ABV is also the "problem" for me with Macallan in Europe. In Europe you get most of the Macallans only with 40% ABV. In the US you get the same age statement with 43% ABV. Some things I just don't understand.
Random note. I paid NZ$85.99 for a bottle of Springbank 10 eighteen months or so ago. I see a retailer in Auckland has some in stock and he only wants NZ$345.00 per bottle. I'll pass.
Whereabouts? You make me wonder if we're going to the same stores?
@@TasmaniaIsAHole Central City Auckland. That accounts for his higher prices generally, but not the Springbanl.
Try Whisky Galore in Christchurch. They sometimes get Springbank in for great prices (it sells out extremely fast as you can imagine). I live in Tasmania but I get bottles shipped over from them all the time. Bought Springbank 18 from them a few months ago for 182 AUD which is a bargain these days for it.
@@TasmaniaIsAHole Yes, I've used them, I mainly buy from Whisky and More though, Either or...