Since releasing this video, I’ve created something that I wish I had when I started exploring whisky-the Whisky Aroma Flavour Tree Poster. If you’ve ever felt stuck trying to describe the aromas in your glass or found other whisky guides too complicated, this might just be what you’ve been looking for. 👉 Check it out here: etsy.me/3OE0smb It’s already helping so many whisky fans explore flavors with more confidence, and I’m excited to share it with you. Cheers, Phil 🥃
Great video, Phil, thanks! A “myth” I often notice is famous brands = better whisky. I’m an old Scotsman and believed this myself for many years. (Decades actually.) Now I’m discovering loads of lesser known distilleries that make fantastic whisky, way better than the household names. It really is a “journey”!
As a young man I've learned this quickly. Many of my favorite bottles I've tried are the ones I only bought because I've never seen or heard of them before. Cheers 🥃
I agree. I love my Islays, and over the years Laphroaig and Bowmore just seemed to get get worse. The legend of the brand remains though, and I always wondered why. It's not just subjective taste change either. Someone told me that they changed from peated barley to chemical smoke profiles. Dont know if this is true or not, but sounds legit.
@@goffe2282 I understand, BUT riddle me this Batman: We should drink our whisky cool (not 80 room temp), and often we add a spoon of water to open up the whisky. So…wouldn’t a bit of ice do the same all at once? But I agree, don’t add huge ice to totally dilute the liquid gold.
A cork breaking doesn’t mean the whisky is corked. Corkage is a bacterial infection of the whisky/wine/whatever, because this bacteria was in the cork. A broken cork is just that, a broken cork.
The known cork flavour comes from a chemical called TCA, you can feel it in your drink above 3ppm, and there is no connection with the cork stopper breaking or not. If a cork stopper is well produced it should come striped of TCA.
Regarding closures, the best bottle sealing system I have encountered is that used by Waterford, which is a glass stopper incorporating an inert plastic grommet/seal. It snaps into the neck with an airtight seal and you literally cannot pull the stopper out directly. You press sideways on the stopper to break the seal and it pops off easily with no effort. Elegant and genius.
Lots of you aren't on the discord yet! If you wanna chat whisky (beyond just the UA-cam comment section) come join the First Phil Fam here: discord.com/invite/jEQfFc737Y I forgot to link to the channels I mentioned 🤦♂. Find them here: @TheGrailTastings @MissBrewbird @swedishwhiskygirl @whiskycentral Also, a few corrections for this video (thanks so much for the comments from the First Phil Fam community for pointing these out!): 1. I mistakenly used the word 'corked' when I meant to say 'broken cork' or 'stuck cork.' A 'corked' wine actually refers to one that has been contaminated by TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole), a compound that gives the wine a musty, moldy smell and taste. I have actually had this happen before and it made a wine I had just bought to be undrinkable 🤢. Not sure why I used 'corked' in the recording-my bad! 2. My analogy comparing age statements was off, as Tasmania can indeed have a (generally) cold climate. However, my overall point remains: you can't directly compare the age statements between Scotland and Tasmania due to their different climates as they still won't be equal. I'm really excited to dive into this topic more in future videos. As world whiskies grow, the climate where they are made will become increasingly significant. For example, long countries like New Zealand, Australia (from Queensland to Tasmania), and Japan have varying climates from north to south, leading to potentially very different aging processes and results. Much more to discuss here! 3. Wetting your cork-I'm not entirely sure this works. I've tried it myself, but it might be a myth itself! So, don't take that as definitive advice. There are lots of other minor nuances as well, and I really appreciate the insightful comments explaining them! It's great to have such a knowledgeable community. Grateful to all the First Phil Fam here for your knowledgeable comments for helping me make better content!
On the subject of water, I learned a great technique from a distiller recently. Instead of adding the water to you whisky (which risks ruining the whole glassful by over-dilution) take a small sip of water and hold it in your mouth, then sip your whisky 'into' that and allow it to swirl and dilute in your mouth. This largely achieves the same thing without altering the whisky in your glass. The only downside is it doesn't 'open up' the whisky in the glass and allow those aromas to become more diffuse beforehand.
I prefer to take a sip of water after swallowing a bit of the scotch... It can open up some different notes, or with some scotch wash it away completely
Agree on that. Many people who "don't drink blended whiskey" don't know that actually single malt is usually also a blend of different whisky, and they think that "single malt" equals "single cask", however it does not. And even though I like drinking single cask whiskey, I do it not so much because of the taste, but because I imagine how the spirit was made, how it was sitting in a cask for many years, how it was moved between the casks, how it was bottled and finally got into my glass so that I can appreciate all the labor that was put into it.
Whisky and tonic water: you can literally put a few whisky drops in a glass of tonic water and will have a great flavour. Also, you can still enjoy it without exaggerating. Finally, living in a warm country, you can still enjoy whisky in the summer👍
About the 7th myth... so in a way, it is true what you say. Whisky doesn't mature in the bottle. But, at least in my opinion, it is not true that whisky doesn't change at all once bottled, even when when well-preserved. This is something that brandy enthusiasts know about brandy, but for some reason whisky enthusiasts can't admit about whisky.
Seems like a quibble when talking about the difference between mature and change. The fact is that whiskies can change and while it might take a long time to notice a difference a warmer climate will speed it along.
@WhoeverNevermind Agree completely, but I draw a distinction between the two conditions. Maturing or ageing is what happens in the cask and it is profound and rapid. What happens in the bottle is conditioning and it is very slow and very, very subtle to the point that it can almost be ignored, but it is a thing. It's complicated by the fact that no 12 year old whisky (for example) is the same nowdays as that distillery's 12 year old was 40 years ago. Macallan 12 today is radically different to 1980s Macallan 12, so when you open a 40 year old bottle of it there is a difference to the contemporary product and it is 99% due to it being a bottle from a different time and 1% due to the time it spent in glass.
@@cascode1192 exactly, the Whisky "aging" in the bottle always is about its age over all. A 20 year single malt from 1900 is still a 20 year old single malt today, bt the liquid itself is 120 years now, that what makes it special. for example, i own a bottle, from a distillery who didnt survive the "great death of disillerys in the 1980s" However, in 1988, after 8 years out of buiseness, the company fired up the distillery, for one small cask, just to make sure, everything still works, it was demolished the year later. Thats "only" 15 year whisky, but rare, so i will not open it.
I own a bottle of brandy bought by my grandfather with a note „not for drinking but to be passed down. I believe he bought the bottle in the 1970s maybe the early 80s (he died in 1982). Over the time the bottle spent unopened, part of content evaporated out of the bottle. I suspect at this point the brandy isn‘t going to taste nice, because the most likely stuff to have evaporated is the ethanol whereas the less pleasant forms of alcohol are going to be more concentrated than they were when the bottle was new. Because of this I believe what happens when a bottle of any kind of spirit is stored for a long period of time is going be a deterioration, not a maturation.
@@MrAranton Oh.... no, Brandy, Whisky, Cognac will keep its taste, nomatter the years. Important, that the bottle remained airtide. You can drink it even after 200 years...
First time I had blue label, I was blown away. 10 years later, I got a bottle and genuinely couldn’t tell why I was impressed previously. Anyone had similar?
I think Blue Label is a smooth whisky which makes it really easy to enjoy and taste the flavour when you are first getting into Whisky and the burn on most single malts is overpowering. But when you get past that initial wall and develop your pallete a bit you go back and it's decent but no-where near as impressive.
1. Talking about screw cap, some cheap Japanese whiskies had so bad screw caps that there was almost half a bottle remaining due to evaporation on the shop shelf. Hence screw capa can be really a crap. 2. I would add the myth about blended whiskiea. In particular early enthusiasts, who had just discovered the world of single malts tend to deapise blended malts or blended whiskies in general.
Good points Mark! I do like the Yoichi screwcap though, but I know what you mean - you don't want it to feel like a soda! Agree completly with 2. So many great blends out there these days!
As a old (60 year+) whisky lover and distiller, this was spot on. Moved from the UK to Aus in 2004 and re-entered whisky distillation with the old-world view only to learn that producing whisky in the 'new world' does not compare to traditional scotch whiskies. You explained in soooooo well with your beef analogy. Brilliant. All the other myths were bang on too. Thanks for a great video.
On the subject of adding water, there's many a bar in Scotland with ornate water taps as part of the bar countertop, allowing you to add as little or as much as you desire. My favourite memory of that would be the Mishnish in Tobermory.
Your channel just came up randomly... Glad it did. Enjoyed your break down. Informative and I enjoy listening to the NZ accent 🇦🇺✌️✌️✌️ .... Good video mate. Subscribed.
I was at the Lochranza (Arran) distillery last year. And they had two distillery exclusive single cask whisky's. A 12 yo ex bourbon and a 16 yo refilled sherry cask. The 16 yo was sooo pale. One of the lightest colored whisky I've seen. I expected a fresh citrussy and yellow fruit whisky with some oak spices. But it tasted soo dark! Like espresso, very dark chocolate, and burned wood. Absolutely crazy.
The other reason i disregard age statements is due to cask sizes. The whisky interacting with the wood is the whole point, and each cask shape and size will then have a different ratio of volume/internal surface area, meaning two different shaped/size casks will mature at a different rate 🥃
Yes, and not only size but also the shape of the barrel and by that I mean how many times was it used and for how long and for what purpose and where was it placed in the warehouse (impact by temperature shifts and light) under this use and what influences did it get from the environment it was in etc. Was it charred and if so what type of charring? Was it ever re-charred and if so what type of charring this time? All of this along with the type of cask and size means the variables are endless so no direct comparisons can ever be made on age in the barrel(s) alone.
Another great video, Phil. I think the most dangerous myth is that price indicates quality. You mention that age and price are not indicators of the quality of the whisky, but I think so many people who should know this is true are still influenced by brand and price much more than is justified. I get most excited about a great bottle that is a great bargain. Anyone can spend a lot of money and get a good bottle although not all expensive bottles are good in my opinion. Tying your selections to high prices and major brands will ultimately limit our exploration and exposure and probably make you more reluctant to consume the liquid because you are always thinking about how much it cost and how unlikely you are to replace it. I do think we should all indulge ourselves some very highly rated bottles, but keep the cabinet stocked with great values that you enjoy and drink them with pride.
Just found your channel. Fantastic! Personally, I have a real affinity for Japanese whiskys! Living in Saigon for more than 20 years, and having a bar, exposed me to some really, really good whiskys. Speaking of water added, I found that Jack Daniel's is so much better with one or two small ice cubes and letting it melt a bit; the flavours that come out are amazing. Jack and coke is not...........very good, IMHO.
Regarding Whiskey aging in the bottle. It doesn't "age" but rather the oxidation that occurs after opening does affect the spirit. A neck pour is quite different than a body, and end pour. I find this very pronounced and easy to notice with the Johnny Walker Black and also very pronounced with Abolour (sp) 12 and Laphroig quarter cask.
Great video, the point about peat smoke flavor diminishing over time makes me want to try younger releases from Ardbeg and Laphroaig. I love the peat smoke flavor of those distilleries' 10 year whisky.
First time viewer.. and I have a beautiful bottle of whiskey my brother gave me for my 50th!. That I think I’ll have a wee dram of as a night cap… (Oh and I subscribed.. you rock).
Islay wiskey tastes absolutely divine to me, however other types I don't fancy at all. Except, maybe, rye whiskey. I like whisky from ex-oloroso, sherry, madera, porto sweet wine casks, but can't stand whiskey from ex-bourbon casks. The tastiest whiskey I ever tried was not even the whiskey yet - it was pure Islay distillate that was so pure and aromatic - like freshly baked bread with crispy crust that is still warm and breathing.
Lastweek at my mates leaving party. I got him a dram of Glenmorangie and he had a chunk of ice in it. He drank it pretty quickly and I offered him another So this time the ice melted in the glass as he was talking to other people. He came back 15mins later and drank the dram. He asked me immediately what was this whisky and I told him it was his normal Glenmorangie. He was amazed with the taste difference and now lets his ice cube melt or adds a dab of water.
For me, living in Japan taught me "blended" doesn't mean inferior or cheap + nasty. Japan, as we know, got super popular, super fast, and supply tightened considerably. It's hard to find a single Japanese malt aged 10, 12 years, but it's very common for Scotch. Japan is now a very blended-heavy industry, across multiple price points. I've learned to appreciate that blended is like following a recipe. You're blending ingredients to make new flavours. And if I can get more flavours or different variety of flavours for less, what's the problem? Looking further into it, I discovered blended was actually the norm in Scotland. That's traditionally how whisky was made. So it's also wrong to dismiss blended as simply a way for Japan to cut corners and age less. There's a video in all this, by the way... nudge nudge.
lots of women just don't like to sip neat alcohol but they do have very elegant taste buds. In the cocktail school I went to, there was this lady who only drinks fruity cocktails like lady killer or sex on the beach. She doesn't even like wine that much. But she scored absolutely 100% in all liquor sorting tests while a whisky freak and me scored around 70%. Others were males who don't drink neat alcohol. They scored 40%-60%.
30 year Canadian whisky drinker. I (usually) love Speyside. I do not like Islay, (so far). Altmore 12 is absolutely my number one. I'm a bit surprised to see it here as it's _so_ often overlooked. I bring out Altmore whenever someone says they don't like or have never tried Scotch. Very interesting video. Lots to think about. New subscriber.
Does the transportation of the whisky make a difference? For wines, they are relatively fragile and should be (yes, should, but are not always) moved in temperature controlled shipping containers. Should whisky be transported around the globe in temperature controlled containers or does it not matter?
At start of my whiskey journey all whiskey tasted the same for me cause I only tried cheap blends 😅 I agree with corks, I would like to have more screw ones. At start I thought adding water to whiskey was for people who love 40 abv whiskey, but it's great addition to getting more out of whiskey. Anyway interesting video, thanks for sharing your knowledge
Thanks for the info! Not a big fan of adding coloring to the whiskies and just prefer the barrel doing its work, but im not a big drinker of scotchs or irish which ever uses it. just rye, bourbon and mainly american whiskies. But hey maybe my flavor profile will change in the future.
On the aging myth - it's true that whisky doesn't 'age' in the bottle but, once opened, a whisky can change somewhat - especially if it's stored badly (in excessive heat and/or sunlight). It won't go off like wine does but it will gradually lose its 'freshness' over time.
I always liked the fact that most whisky practice just came down originally to what was laying around. This goes from grain choice to the Sherry barrels being repurposed in some persons cellar.
I've been a scotch drinker for over 10 years now and have tried my fair share of different types ranging from Johnnie Walker Red Label to a local one from Sydney called The Ben Buckler. But there have also been other interesting ones like Monkey Shoulder (which I absolutely love), and Howler Head which is actually rather nice but doesn't taste as sweet as the flavour suggests. Also the longer you leave certain whiskies in the freezer the better they taste too. I was surprised to find they didn't actually ice up.
When I was a beer-drinking young man, a friend of mine used to carry around a small bottle of Jack Daniels, occasionally offering me a drink. I found it and other whiskeys that I encountered here and there back in my younger days to be horrible to my taste. Fast forward many years, after I began to enjoy premium cigars and found that many folks enjoy pairing whiskey with their cigars, so I once again gave whiskey a try. I found that whiskey pairs excellently with cigars, but I still find Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, and many others to still be not to my taste. One of my suppliers of cigars began to introduce me to different whiskeys, some of which were somewhat pricey. Some I liked, some I didn't. On my own, I discovered inexpensive Evan Williams Black Label and Evan Williams BIB White Label bourbons. They're my go-to bourbons. I've tried ryes and scotches. They're not thing, not today anyway. That may change. I'm a fan of adding a drop or two of water to my neat pour, and yes, I love the sound of a cork being pulled out of a bottle, but screw caps are better, in my opinion. I'm no whiskey connoisseur, by any stretch of the imagination. I live on a budget. I was lucky enough to find an inexpensive bourbon that suits my taste. That being said, I enjoy watching YT videos on whiskeys. As is said, "Drink the whiskey you like the way you like to drink it."
Nice list of misconceptions. Perhaps the development of more environmentally-conscious packaging can pave the way for alternatives to traditional corks (The Bruichladdich 18 already has a glass stopped with rubber gasket...) without worrying about the stigma of screw caps.
Great video as always Phil. I think quite a funny myth is that the distillation year is the same as the vintage in wine, like it was a good/bad year. "Oh, the 1964 Macallan" I believe pops up in one of the Bond films. I guess screenwriters drink wine!
Well it's obviously not quite the same as wine but when talking about batches of single cask releases this does hold true, batches are different, sometimes very different. But also all brands of whiskey do change over the years and decades, even the blends where they try to make them very similar they will change according to the availability of the components of the blend over the years. You see this a lot with sherried whisky's where the availability of sherry barrels and casks for aging differs over the years and collectors will pay quite large sums for an older variant of the same whiskey that has more or less sherry influence in it and so on and so forth. Which is why a Macallan is actually something where a year could be important as maybe their sherry casks were particularly good around that time. But I suppose in movies with screenwriters this more comes from Brandy where this is definitely true as Brandy has special year releases and they are most definitely different from one another depending on the wine they used to make them and so on. I have bought sets of smaller bottles of Brandy where you get 5 different years of the same Brandy and it's very interesting to taste the differences and similarities. It would be interesting if this was also possible to do with whisky.
Most single malts are just blends anyway, but blends made up of malt from the same distillery. There were some whiskies that did issue single malts as vintages (eg Balblair, Glenrothes) but it's not the general thing and neither of those distilleries still do vintages. Single cask expressions are another case which definitely can count as vintages, and Waterford is so obsessive about their single farm expressions that they are virtually vintages.
Also I find a lot of people who like a smoky whiskey like a touch of sweetness, so the Smokehead High Voltage is outstanding for around the $100aus mark
I did not know about that sherry casks, the rest I was on top of. A common myth I found is that people knock blends because they don't understand that a single malt and a blend is exactly the same thing, only that a single malt is a blend from the same distillery. All other rules (I believe) still apply (age is determined by the youngest whiskey in the blend, minimum of three years old to be called a whiskey, and distilled water and colouring agent can be added). A single cask, on the other hand, then you have something with a potential to be really interesting, or really terrible. Blends and single malts are whiskeys that are blended together and coloured to taste and look the same as they always have, and they can both be absolutely amazing. Blends are just allowed to blend from different distilleries.
The uk supermarkets are chock a block with non age statement big brand single and blended malt whiskies. Scotch whisky is evolving all the time to compete with the Bourbon & Irish market. Laphraoig took it next level when they released the quarter cask 5 yr old I believe. There’s a lot of competition out there now especially with the cocktail market booming and Bourbon is storming that one. There will always be a certain elegance when sipping your favourite single malt in front of an open fire it’s just bliss .
Great video other than the idea to wet the cork with Whiskey.... there's a reason you don't store them on their side... 😮😅 what do you think of the sudden rise in Tequila cask whiskey/ what distillery would you be most excited to hear they are releasing a Tequila aged Dram? It's early days but it's the next hype wave in Whiskey 😊
Here's what I do: 1) pour a good measure in a 'scotch' glass...savour it, sample it, enjoy it. If a refill is required, do so, then, into a good measure, add a single ice cube...and savour it, sample it, and enjoy it to the max. It definitely 'opens-up' the flavour profiles...and some taste the better for it, whilst some are best left 'unadulterated'. lol I don't do blended whiskies due to a prior 'overload[ed]' incident in my early years. I just can't take them. However, Single Malt Whiskies, and those from above-and-below Hadrian's Wall, and Eire, and Japan, are really rather good, too! My simple rule: if I like it, I like it. Period...regardless of the maker or brand, or where it was produced. Cheers!
That's total nonsense ice Cube making the whiskey cold does not open up any flavors. It actually kills the aromas and makes the flavor complexity go down significantly.
10:01 Remember that less scrupulous distillers will thin their mix with a lot of water and charge the same price as full strength spirit, hence the thought that if you water something down you are diluting and disrespecting it. Granted, most people don’t think about the water used to move a spirit from cask to bottle strength.
I've been trying to avoid plastic containers for food & drink due to BCPs. I wonder if any testing has been done on BCP leaching into alcohol sealed with plastic screw caps.
Ah whisky, one of the few circumstances where choosing between a 15 year old and a 18 year old isn't a sketchy conversation. Also if you can't taste a difference between JB and JD, I am both jealous and sad for you.
Regarding the cork cap, a good alternative in my opinion is the plastic cap. It looks the same and you don't lose the effect of opening the bottle and it doesn't break so easily like the cork one. I was wondering why you didn't mention this variant? I have only seen this plastic type of cap on cheaper whiskies, so maybe I am missing something...
Been a while since I drank whiskey. I've been thinking of trying some again, but because everyone has different tastes, I was wondering if there is a tool, where I could input which mainstream whiskeys I like and dislike and it would give me recommendations of other whiskeys with taste profile I will probably like?
I only add a drop of water to the more smoky, peaty whiskies. My father always added water to his whisky, but his favourite brand was Bell's so I can't blame him.
I remember soap operas in the late-1960s/early-1970s showing upper class women drinking whiskey. I didn’t observe that anywhere else. I was a working class kid aged 6 - 14 back then.
Whiskies and liqueurs can improve in the bottle; I have bought blended whiskies, single malts and various other spirits in bottle from the 1970s and earlier, and it’s amazing how ageing for fifty years in the bottle makes a huge difference. By the way, add a few drops of water to whisky can help release flavours; drowning a whisky as you do, however, whilst speaking of adding drops, is indeed respectful.
Here in rural Japan at my local home centre, a 70cl bottle of Cutty Sark (sure, bottom shelf, but OK with plenty of ice and soda) sells for 948 yen, including consumption tax. That's US$6.40. Cheers. Jack, the Japan Alps Brit
Check if they have Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition - much, much better, it's a litttle bit more expensive but still dirty cheap for that kind of whiskey.
@@nazgulzg A retail outlet near me stocks the Prohibition Edition. Sadly, not my favourite cut-rate home centre. Guess I'll have to use a tea cup to serve this drink. "Dirty cheap", love that my fine fellow!
When I was in my 20s, most distilled spirits tasted the same to me and wine made me gag; rum, gin, scotch all tasted the same, like industrial cleaner. I was beer only and struggled with the higher gravity stuff My taste buds changed dramatically in my 30s and suddenly a lot of things tasted way better and I learned how to taste and smell spirits. I still remember everything tasting the same and think it’s funny compared to what I experience now. The downside is a lot of food I liked as a child tastes disgusting now
I would argue that the whisky in the bottle can actually transform, althouth it depends on the amount of air present. A full bottle won’t drastically change the aromas, if at all, but an almost empty one will change drastically with time. I’ve experienced many bottles of various spirits that either got better or worse the longer it sat half empty. I can’t be the only one who notices, right?
I first tried five star Canadian whisky (not bad in cocktails but that's about it lol). Then I started drinking Jameson Irish whiskey neat (on ice). It was not bad, because it got me into drinking whiskey neat. Now I'm currently drinking the 2019 whiskey of the year according to 'the whiskey bible'. None other than, "Alberta Premium Cask Strength (batch 5)". It's tasty. I get vanilla, caramel, with a backbone of dark chocolate. I'm a happy customer for sure. Love it. Next, I'm gonna try Monkey Shoulder scotch. Then Ballantines scotch. I've heard scotches are smoky, I think I'm gonna like that. We'll see. Still a 'newb' with higher-end whiskey's drinking them neat but loving the adventure.
I think a great compromise to a cork that still gives you the same theatre cork gives you are synthetic corks. I wish every distillery used them to be honest....
I'm with you on that one. Admittedly I was first thinking it was a bad idea and that it will add unwanted plastic/rubber flavor in the whisky but I have never been able to notice any, so I have changed my mind 🙂
Great video, but as a Scotsman the only eye opener was no. 2 Interesting fact: Balvenie DoubleWood and the Aberdour equivalent are quite similar in taste, if not price. Geographically they are very close
I always thought the screw cap was more for the common plebs (obies was cheap and the drink of choice for students:)) and cork was the way to go, and then I discovered Japanese whiskies and love the Akashi Red, nice and cheap and excellent taste.
I have heard that it’s the alcohol vapor that dries the cork. So “wetting” it not only allows the spirit, which if not cask strength, would have water in it to wet the cork, but more importantly the alcohol vapors that have not escaped to be reabsorbed into the whiskey. Is this not true?
Frankly speaking I've never heard people (enthusiasts or otherwise) talking about whiskies improving in bottle, in fact it is the opposite, insisting that a whisky is all but sterile and will not change with time. I believe that changes do occur with time and have experienced it twice. One was a Crown Royal bottled in 1982 (tax tape across the bottle cap) that was opened about 30 years later and the other was a Laphroaig 10 that had sat in a cupboard for about a half dozen years in a tropical climate. Both were unlike what a fresh bottle would have tasted and others in the room agreed. I do however think that some people are under the misconception that a bottle is considered "older" because of the time since purchase. I put that in the category of people who, when talking about single malts, sometimes ask about double malts.
I can think of a few critics who believe there is a subtle change in whisky that is stored in glass for a long time. Serge Valentin and Angus MacRaild for sure, and I think I recall reading something about it by both Charles Maclean and David Broom.
@@cascode1192 Indeed, the Whiskyfun chaps do refer to the bottle effect and for my own part was pleased to hear them say so because it confirmed my own experience. Enthusiasts who I come across generally believe in the myth that a whisky does not change in bottle - some of them are members and organisers of whisky clubs.
4 місяці тому
Having tried nearly everything produced by Johnny Walker, over the decades, I always end up back with good ole' Johnny Black.
The thick kiwi accent is the highlight of this video. Corkers like spictrum and shirry and having six with a sheep abound. Luckily whiskey is already pronounced with an I.
It's funny to think that colour in wine only comes from the grape variety, when usually what we would be looking for when looking at colour, aside the different grape variety's, is the aging process. Same for whisky applies to white wine, wood, gives, colour. For red it's a bit different. Cheers.
I enjoy Japanese whisky heavily watered. Making a proper Whisky Highball in the Japanese fashion or Mizuwari so ratio is usually 1 part whisky to 3 or 4 parts water. While Scotch, Bourbon or other single malts from the west I enjoy with just a few drops of water. You also treat your whiskies differently depending on what they are like I preffer to keep my Japanese whisky in the freezer as I've seen it done over there.
Surely chilling a drink will serve to disguise the flavours. This is why lager and white wine are deliberately chilled. Beer however is drunk cool, but never chilled.
@@oml81mm It enhances the experience of Japanese whiskies the texture is improved as it pours almost like syrup and it mellows out the roughness Japanese whisky have and highlights the more subtle flavours that Japanese whisky is famous for. Also vast majority of Japanese whisky is consumed in a Japanese style whisky highball so whisky from the freezer over good quality ice and then good quality soda/mineral water poured just beside the ice with a mix of 1 part whisky to 3-4 parts water and don't do the silly 13/5 rotations that is a myth instead they try to agitate as little as possible to to combine it you just lift the ice a little bit and drop it. Most people will have a few big gulps at first before sipping. Suntory whiskies being the most common for this practise as they invented it.
@@oml81mm also don't take what I say as some kind of rule or gospel. Something I learned is that I just prefer it that way but there are exceptions obviously as I don't keep all my Japanese whiskies in the freezer as some I enjoy just like any other scotch or bourbon at room temp
@@oml81mm Also white wine is served cold for texture and mellowing the flavours to highlight the more subtle flavours not to mask. Beer isn't always drunk properly cold we talking 2-5 celcius if you have old styles of ale you want it more like the temperature in a cellar. Certain porters and stouts you want as warm as 15c like most red wines.
I found this very interesting, and many of them I knew were myths. This issue I have is this "I love whiskey, but whiskey doesn't love me!" Sorry to say it makes me aggressive, i can cope with about 60ml no more than that, and if I get drunk on it or mix it with other alcoholic drinks, I get damned right nasty. It is a shame as I do like it.😢😢😢
Yeah I'm actually similar. That's the main reason I got into whisky. If I'm going to drink its going to be quality over quantity. I find a pint of water before drinking helps regardless though.
On myth 1 my girlfriend was one of these and then she tried a glass of glenmoranjie 18 infinitas. It’s the only time I’ve seen her have an emotional reaction to alchohol she just smiled and exclaimed “oh wow” and said it was the best drink she had ever tasted
I have always thought the sweet spot for whisky age is about 15 years. Definitely gets smoother with age, but I find at a certain point that ‘smoothness’ seems to reduce the character of the taste.
One minor point I’ll sort of correct you on is in regards to Australian whisky. You mentioned that Australian whisky comes from warmer climates,which in a few cases is true. However the mainstay of Australian whisky is Tasmania (think Lark) and the climate down there is actually pretty comparable to Scotland. Sorry for bringing up such a minor issue
I don't even compare age statements between Scotland and Scotland, lol, the variables in barrels are too big so you got to take it release by release really. Age statements are a rough guide in general mostly between the different releases by the same brand but mostly there to reassure customers and good for sales. I notice often when people believe in the myth of age statements being "equal" they frequently get surprised or disappointed when they buy for example an 18 year old and it's not how they perceive 18 year olds should be compared to some other brands 18 year old they like and so on. It's a fools game. So I say use it as a rough guide but treat every bottling as it's own beast.
I prefer blended scotch whisky to single malt. Some say I am a barbaric savage. They tell me that single malt is "an acquired taste" , but considering the cost of a good single malt, I refuse to drink something I don't like until I like it. I'll stick to blended.
It's not single malt vs. blended malt, as there are amazing single malts, and not so good single malts--- and there are amazing blended malts, and also some not so good blended malts. You really need to try a range of each to form an accurate opinion.
I think the reason why myth #5 exists in part is because Corks are more common, and I think some people see cork as more elegant. In the case of myth #4, I've never heard of that myth until I saw this video. My friend who got me into whisk(e)y told me that's how you're supposed to have Scotch. Personally, that's how I prefer to drink all my whiskies these days.
Yeah I find whisky enthusiasts generally know adding water can be a good thing. I have had people who work at bars and pubs though, tell me I shouldn’t add water 😅
@@FirstPhilWhisky That's fascinating, I wonder where they got that information from. In the end, it ultimately comes down to personal preference I'd say.
I really don't care if it's a cork or a screwtop I am a fan of synthetic corks I've had a few older bottles that the cork broke from just sitting on the shelf for a period of time where the synthetic was fine after the same time period. And I didn't realize they did that with sherry barrels but that makes sense. Enjoy!!🥃🥃🥃
Since releasing this video, I’ve created something that I wish I had when I started exploring whisky-the Whisky Aroma Flavour Tree Poster. If you’ve ever felt stuck trying to describe the aromas in your glass or found other whisky guides too complicated, this might just be what you’ve been looking for.
👉 Check it out here: etsy.me/3OE0smb
It’s already helping so many whisky fans explore flavors with more confidence, and I’m excited to share it with you. Cheers,
Phil 🥃
Great video, Phil, thanks!
A “myth” I often notice is famous brands = better whisky. I’m an old Scotsman and believed this myself for many years. (Decades actually.) Now I’m discovering loads of lesser known distilleries that make fantastic whisky, way better than the household names. It really is a “journey”!
Great point Richard. Very true.
As a young man I've learned this quickly. Many of my favorite bottles I've tried are the ones I only bought because I've never seen or heard of them before. Cheers 🥃
I agree. I love my Islays, and over the years Laphroaig and Bowmore just seemed to get get worse. The legend of the brand remains though, and I always wondered why. It's not just subjective taste change either. Someone told me that they changed from peated barley to chemical smoke profiles. Dont know if this is true or not, but sounds legit.
A quote: “The best whisky is the whisky you like, the way you like to drink it”. Enjoy the drink, don’t overthink it.
Absolutely true, but when a guest told me he wanted ice in the whiskey then I took out a cheaper bottle :).
@@goffe2282 I understand, BUT riddle me this Batman: We should drink our whisky cool (not 80 room temp), and often we add a spoon of water to open up the whisky. So…wouldn’t a bit of ice do the same all at once? But I agree, don’t add huge ice to totally dilute the liquid gold.
A cork breaking doesn’t mean the whisky is corked. Corkage is a bacterial infection of the whisky/wine/whatever, because this bacteria was in the cork. A broken cork is just that, a broken cork.
In winemaking, „corked“ can well come from cask, with no cork involved at all…
Mold/fungal taint. Not bacteria.
What a cork breaking doesn't mean the whiskey is corked pls make this make sense
The known cork flavour comes from a chemical called TCA, you can feel it in your drink above 3ppm, and there is no connection with the cork stopper breaking or not. If a cork stopper is well produced it should come striped of TCA.
Do you think bacteria can survive alcohol isn't it like a law that alcohol is like kriptonite to bacteria?
Regarding closures, the best bottle sealing system I have encountered is that used by Waterford, which is a glass stopper incorporating an inert plastic grommet/seal. It snaps into the neck with an airtight seal and you literally cannot pull the stopper out directly. You press sideways on the stopper to break the seal and it pops off easily with no effort. Elegant and genius.
Good point!
Lots of you aren't on the discord yet! If you wanna chat whisky (beyond just the UA-cam comment section) come join the First Phil Fam here: discord.com/invite/jEQfFc737Y
I forgot to link to the channels I mentioned 🤦♂. Find them here: @TheGrailTastings @MissBrewbird @swedishwhiskygirl @whiskycentral
Also, a few corrections for this video (thanks so much for the comments from the First Phil Fam community for pointing these out!):
1. I mistakenly used the word 'corked' when I meant to say 'broken cork' or 'stuck cork.' A 'corked' wine actually refers to one that has been contaminated by TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole), a compound that gives the wine a musty, moldy smell and taste. I have actually had this happen before and it made a wine I had just bought to be undrinkable 🤢. Not sure why I used 'corked' in the recording-my bad!
2. My analogy comparing age statements was off, as Tasmania can indeed have a (generally) cold climate. However, my overall point remains: you can't directly compare the age statements between Scotland and Tasmania due to their different climates as they still won't be equal. I'm really excited to dive into this topic more in future videos. As world whiskies grow, the climate where they are made will become increasingly significant. For example, long countries like New Zealand, Australia (from Queensland to Tasmania), and Japan have varying climates from north to south, leading to potentially very different aging processes and results. Much more to discuss here!
3. Wetting your cork-I'm not entirely sure this works. I've tried it myself, but it might be a myth itself! So, don't take that as definitive advice.
There are lots of other minor nuances as well, and I really appreciate the insightful comments explaining them! It's great to have such a knowledgeable community. Grateful to all the First Phil Fam here for your knowledgeable comments for helping me make better content!
This is the best community I've seen and my only downside is that sometimes my wallet begs for mercy :)
@@Panzerkampf1995😅🥃🤝
@@Panzerkampf1995 100% Ahah
I'm a retired distiller of 27 years working in Highland and mainly Speyside and found this very interesting.
On the subject of water, I learned a great technique from a distiller recently. Instead of adding the water to you whisky (which risks ruining the whole glassful by over-dilution) take a small sip of water and hold it in your mouth, then sip your whisky 'into' that and allow it to swirl and dilute in your mouth. This largely achieves the same thing without altering the whisky in your glass. The only downside is it doesn't 'open up' the whisky in the glass and allow those aromas to become more diffuse beforehand.
I'm always looking for any excuse to turn something profoundly simple into something that requires more steps. 🤣
I prefer to take a sip of water after swallowing a bit of the scotch...
It can open up some different notes, or with some scotch wash it away completely
If you want a sweeter richer taste, eat a small amount of salt or salt in the water before sampling the whiskey
@@AJHart-eg1ys yeah it’s more steps, I guess - but the point is you’re not altering the whisky in the glass.
@@iainjames03 You're just altering it in your mouth instead, but with added steps. So what is the point??
The one that always gets me: one should only drink single malts, no whisky enthusiast should touch a blend.
So many good blends out there these days!
That’s a good one. Blending is so important for so many things for amazing flavours, cigars for example.
Can't afford to buy single malt so I drink blended
hahaha. true. A big myth. Single malt is better than blended (when a lot of single malts are used in the blending process).
Agree on that. Many people who "don't drink blended whiskey" don't know that actually single malt is usually also a blend of different whisky, and they think that "single malt" equals "single cask", however it does not. And even though I like drinking single cask whiskey, I do it not so much because of the taste, but because I imagine how the spirit was made, how it was sitting in a cask for many years, how it was moved between the casks, how it was bottled and finally got into my glass so that I can appreciate all the labor that was put into it.
Whisky and tonic water: you can literally put a few whisky drops in a glass of tonic water and will have a great flavour. Also, you can still enjoy it without exaggerating. Finally, living in a warm country, you can still enjoy whisky in the summer👍
Ah, homeopathic whisky...Silas Marner would approve!
About the 7th myth... so in a way, it is true what you say. Whisky doesn't mature in the bottle. But, at least in my opinion, it is not true that whisky doesn't change at all once bottled, even when when well-preserved. This is something that brandy enthusiasts know about brandy, but for some reason whisky enthusiasts can't admit about whisky.
Seems like a quibble when talking about the difference between mature and change. The fact is that whiskies can change and while it might take a long time to notice a difference a warmer climate will speed it along.
@WhoeverNevermind Agree completely, but I draw a distinction between the two conditions. Maturing or ageing is what happens in the cask and it is profound and rapid. What happens in the bottle is conditioning and it is very slow and very, very subtle to the point that it can almost be ignored, but it is a thing. It's complicated by the fact that no 12 year old whisky (for example) is the same nowdays as that distillery's 12 year old was 40 years ago. Macallan 12 today is radically different to 1980s Macallan 12, so when you open a 40 year old bottle of it there is a difference to the contemporary product and it is 99% due to it being a bottle from a different time and 1% due to the time it spent in glass.
@@cascode1192 exactly, the Whisky "aging" in the bottle always is about its age over all. A 20 year single malt from 1900 is still a 20 year old single malt today, bt the liquid itself is 120 years now, that what makes it special. for example, i own a bottle, from a distillery who didnt survive the "great death of disillerys in the 1980s" However, in 1988, after 8 years out of buiseness, the company fired up the distillery, for one small cask, just to make sure, everything still works, it was demolished the year later. Thats "only" 15 year whisky, but rare, so i will not open it.
I own a bottle of brandy bought by my grandfather with a note „not for drinking but to be passed down. I believe he bought the bottle in the 1970s maybe the early 80s (he died in 1982). Over the time the bottle spent unopened, part of content evaporated out of the bottle.
I suspect at this point the brandy isn‘t going to taste nice, because the most likely stuff to have evaporated is the ethanol whereas the less pleasant forms of alcohol are going to be more concentrated than they were when the bottle was new. Because of this I believe what happens when a bottle of any kind of spirit is stored for a long period of time is going be a deterioration, not a maturation.
@@MrAranton Oh.... no, Brandy, Whisky, Cognac will keep its taste, nomatter the years. Important, that the bottle remained airtide. You can drink it even after 200 years...
I don't have the money, the time, the residual liver function or hangover recovery ability to try all the whiskys on the market.
If we have to choose between Wisdom and Whiskey then I will choose Wisdom.
First time I had blue label, I was blown away. 10 years later, I got a bottle and genuinely couldn’t tell why I was impressed previously. Anyone had similar?
I think Blue Label is a smooth whisky which makes it really easy to enjoy and taste the flavour when you are first getting into Whisky and the burn on most single malts is overpowering. But when you get past that initial wall and develop your pallete a bit you go back and it's decent but no-where near as impressive.
@ I think that’s absolutely bang on man 👍
1. Talking about screw cap, some cheap Japanese whiskies had so bad screw caps that there was almost half a bottle remaining due to evaporation on the shop shelf. Hence screw capa can be really a crap.
2. I would add the myth about blended whiskiea. In particular early enthusiasts, who had just discovered the world of single malts tend to deapise blended malts or blended whiskies in general.
Good points Mark!
I do like the Yoichi screwcap though, but I know what you mean - you don't want it to feel like a soda!
Agree completly with 2. So many great blends out there these days!
As a old (60 year+) whisky lover and distiller, this was spot on. Moved from the UK to Aus in 2004 and re-entered whisky distillation with the old-world view only to learn that producing whisky in the 'new world' does not compare to traditional scotch whiskies. You explained in soooooo well with your beef analogy. Brilliant. All the other myths were bang on too. Thanks for a great video.
Thanks, Ricky! It's such an important point.
On the subject of adding water, there's many a bar in Scotland with ornate water taps as part of the bar countertop, allowing you to add as little or as much as you desire. My favourite memory of that would be the Mishnish in Tobermory.
Your channel just came up randomly... Glad it did. Enjoyed your break down. Informative and I enjoy listening to the NZ accent 🇦🇺✌️✌️✌️ .... Good video mate. Subscribed.
I was at the Lochranza (Arran) distillery last year. And they had two distillery exclusive single cask whisky's. A 12 yo ex bourbon and a 16 yo refilled sherry cask.
The 16 yo was sooo pale. One of the lightest colored whisky I've seen. I expected a fresh citrussy and yellow fruit whisky with some oak spices. But it tasted soo dark! Like espresso, very dark chocolate, and burned wood. Absolutely crazy.
Great example!
Regarding Myth#4: I think it's more disrespectful on the rocks 😂. And definitley try the dram before you add water!
Agree with all of your myth busts. Interesting. Great vid!👏
Thanks so much!
The other reason i disregard age statements is due to cask sizes. The whisky interacting with the wood is the whole point, and each cask shape and size will then have a different ratio of volume/internal surface area, meaning two different shaped/size casks will mature at a different rate 🥃
Oh yes! That's a another reason. Good point!
Yes, and not only size but also the shape of the barrel and by that I mean how many times was it used and for how long and for what purpose and where was it placed in the warehouse (impact by temperature shifts and light) under this use and what influences did it get from the environment it was in etc. Was it charred and if so what type of charring? Was it ever re-charred and if so what type of charring this time? All of this along with the type of cask and size means the variables are endless so no direct comparisons can ever be made on age in the barrel(s) alone.
Another great video, Phil. I think the most dangerous myth is that price indicates quality. You mention that age and price are not indicators of the quality of the whisky, but I think so many people who should know this is true are still influenced by brand and price much more than is justified. I get most excited about a great bottle that is a great bargain. Anyone can spend a lot of money and get a good bottle although not all expensive bottles are good in my opinion. Tying your selections to high prices and major brands will ultimately limit our exploration and exposure and probably make you more reluctant to consume the liquid because you are always thinking about how much it cost and how unlikely you are to replace it. I do think we should all indulge ourselves some very highly rated bottles, but keep the cabinet stocked with great values that you enjoy and drink them with pride.
It's a known fact that the more you spend on a bottle of whisky, the more popular you will be at parties filled with shallow people.
Just found your channel. Fantastic! Personally, I have a real affinity for Japanese whiskys! Living in Saigon for more than 20 years, and having a bar, exposed me to some really, really good whiskys. Speaking of water added, I found that Jack Daniel's is so much better with one or two small ice cubes and letting it melt a bit; the flavours that come out are amazing. Jack and coke is not...........very good, IMHO.
Regarding Whiskey aging in the bottle. It doesn't "age" but rather the oxidation that occurs after opening does affect the spirit. A neck pour is quite different than a body, and end pour.
I find this very pronounced and easy to notice with the Johnny Walker Black and also very pronounced with Abolour (sp) 12 and Laphroig quarter cask.
Great video, the point about peat smoke flavor diminishing over time makes me want to try younger releases from Ardbeg and Laphroaig. I love the peat smoke flavor of those distilleries' 10 year whisky.
Definitely. Lagavulin 8 is great too!
The linked video on sherry is fantastic. Definitely recommend that for whisky geeks.
Thanks mate! It took ages to make that, but worth watching for people into whisky
First time viewer.. and I have a beautiful bottle of whiskey my brother gave me for my 50th!. That I think I’ll have a wee dram of as a night cap…
(Oh and I subscribed.. you rock).
I tell people to use a fresh bottle or can of coke. There is no point paying for an expensive bottle of whisky and pour it into a flat coke
"Why would you put Coke into expensive whisky? That's what the cheap stuff is for."
Perfect drinking game, take a shot every time he says whisky.
Islay wiskey tastes absolutely divine to me, however other types I don't fancy at all. Except, maybe, rye whiskey. I like whisky from ex-oloroso, sherry, madera, porto sweet wine casks, but can't stand whiskey from ex-bourbon casks.
The tastiest whiskey I ever tried was not even the whiskey yet - it was pure Islay distillate that was so pure and aromatic - like freshly baked bread with crispy crust that is still warm and breathing.
Lastweek at my mates leaving party.
I got him a dram of Glenmorangie and he had a chunk of ice in it.
He drank it pretty quickly and I offered him another
So this time the ice melted in the glass as he was talking to other people.
He came back 15mins later and drank the dram.
He asked me immediately what was this whisky and I told him it was his normal Glenmorangie.
He was amazed with the taste difference and now lets his ice cube melt or adds a dab of water.
What a plebe!
For me, living in Japan taught me "blended" doesn't mean inferior or cheap + nasty. Japan, as we know, got super popular, super fast, and supply tightened considerably. It's hard to find a single Japanese malt aged 10, 12 years, but it's very common for Scotch. Japan is now a very blended-heavy industry, across multiple price points. I've learned to appreciate that blended is like following a recipe. You're blending ingredients to make new flavours. And if I can get more flavours or different variety of flavours for less, what's the problem? Looking further into it, I discovered blended was actually the norm in Scotland. That's traditionally how whisky was made. So it's also wrong to dismiss blended as simply a way for Japan to cut corners and age less. There's a video in all this, by the way... nudge nudge.
lots of women just don't like to sip neat alcohol but they do have very elegant taste buds. In the cocktail school I went to, there was this lady who only drinks fruity cocktails like lady killer or sex on the beach. She doesn't even like wine that much. But she scored absolutely 100% in all liquor sorting tests while a whisky freak and me scored around 70%. Others were males who don't drink neat alcohol. They scored 40%-60%.
30 year Canadian whisky drinker. I (usually) love Speyside. I do not like Islay, (so far). Altmore 12 is absolutely my number one. I'm a bit surprised to see it here as it's _so_ often overlooked. I bring out Altmore whenever someone says they don't like or have never tried Scotch. Very interesting video. Lots to think about. New subscriber.
I agree with Phil that screw caps on wine and whisky bottles are much better that the corks been used
Does the transportation of the whisky make a difference? For wines, they are relatively fragile and should be (yes, should, but are not always) moved in temperature controlled shipping containers. Should whisky be transported around the globe in temperature controlled containers or does it not matter?
At start of my whiskey journey all whiskey tasted the same for me cause I only tried cheap blends 😅 I agree with corks, I would like to have more screw ones. At start I thought adding water to whiskey was for people who love 40 abv whiskey, but it's great addition to getting more out of whiskey. Anyway interesting video, thanks for sharing your knowledge
So true! Thanks for watching!
Loved learning about the production of Sherry Casks! Fascinating
Thanks for the info!
Not a big fan of adding coloring to the whiskies and just prefer the barrel doing its work, but im not a big drinker of scotchs or irish which ever uses it. just rye, bourbon and mainly american whiskies. But hey maybe my flavor profile will change in the future.
Yeah I wish there were rules everywhere against coloring of all liquors.
On the aging myth - it's true that whisky doesn't 'age' in the bottle but, once opened, a whisky can change somewhat - especially if it's stored badly (in excessive heat and/or sunlight). It won't go off like wine does but it will gradually lose its 'freshness' over time.
Good point!
I always liked the fact that most whisky practice just came down originally to what was laying around. This goes from grain choice to the Sherry barrels being repurposed in some persons cellar.
I've been a scotch drinker for over 10 years now and have tried my fair share of different types ranging from Johnnie Walker Red Label to a local one from Sydney called The Ben Buckler. But there have also been other interesting ones like Monkey Shoulder (which I absolutely love), and Howler Head which is actually rather nice but doesn't taste as sweet as the flavour suggests. Also the longer you leave certain whiskies in the freezer the better they taste too. I was surprised to find they didn't actually ice up.
When I was a beer-drinking young man, a friend of mine used to carry around a small bottle of Jack Daniels, occasionally offering me a drink.
I found it and other whiskeys that I encountered here and there back in my younger days to be horrible to my taste.
Fast forward many years, after I began to enjoy premium cigars and found that many folks enjoy pairing whiskey with their cigars, so I once again gave whiskey a try.
I found that whiskey pairs excellently with cigars, but I still find Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, and many others to still be not to my taste.
One of my suppliers of cigars began to introduce me to different whiskeys, some of which were somewhat pricey.
Some I liked, some I didn't.
On my own, I discovered inexpensive Evan Williams Black Label and Evan Williams BIB White Label bourbons.
They're my go-to bourbons.
I've tried ryes and scotches.
They're not thing, not today anyway.
That may change.
I'm a fan of adding a drop or two of water to my neat pour, and yes, I love the sound of a cork being pulled out of a bottle, but screw caps are better, in my opinion.
I'm no whiskey connoisseur, by any stretch of the imagination.
I live on a budget.
I was lucky enough to find an inexpensive bourbon that suits my taste.
That being said, I enjoy watching YT videos on whiskeys.
As is said, "Drink the whiskey you like the way you like to drink it."
Nice list of misconceptions. Perhaps the development of more environmentally-conscious packaging can pave the way for alternatives to traditional corks (The Bruichladdich 18 already has a glass stopped with rubber gasket...) without worrying about the stigma of screw caps.
Yeah good point. Lots of ways to keep the “pop” without resorting to actual cork.
Great video as always Phil. I think quite a funny myth is that the distillation year is the same as the vintage in wine, like it was a good/bad year. "Oh, the 1964 Macallan" I believe pops up in one of the Bond films. I guess screenwriters drink wine!
Well it's obviously not quite the same as wine but when talking about batches of single cask releases this does hold true, batches are different, sometimes very different. But also all brands of whiskey do change over the years and decades, even the blends where they try to make them very similar they will change according to the availability of the components of the blend over the years.
You see this a lot with sherried whisky's where the availability of sherry barrels and casks for aging differs over the years and collectors will pay quite large sums for an older variant of the same whiskey that has more or less sherry influence in it and so on and so forth. Which is why a Macallan is actually something where a year could be important as maybe their sherry casks were particularly good around that time.
But I suppose in movies with screenwriters this more comes from Brandy where this is definitely true as Brandy has special year releases and they are most definitely different from one another depending on the wine they used to make them and so on. I have bought sets of smaller bottles of Brandy where you get 5 different years of the same Brandy and it's very interesting to taste the differences and similarities. It would be interesting if this was also possible to do with whisky.
Most single malts are just blends anyway, but blends made up of malt from the same distillery. There were some whiskies that did issue single malts as vintages (eg Balblair, Glenrothes) but it's not the general thing and neither of those distilleries still do vintages. Single cask expressions are another case which definitely can count as vintages, and Waterford is so obsessive about their single farm expressions that they are virtually vintages.
Also I find a lot of people who like a smoky whiskey like a touch of sweetness, so the Smokehead High Voltage is outstanding for around the $100aus mark
I did not know about that sherry casks, the rest I was on top of.
A common myth I found is that people knock blends because they don't understand that a single malt and a blend is exactly the same thing, only that a single malt is a blend from the same distillery. All other rules (I believe) still apply (age is determined by the youngest whiskey in the blend, minimum of three years old to be called a whiskey, and distilled water and colouring agent can be added). A single cask, on the other hand, then you have something with a potential to be really interesting, or really terrible.
Blends and single malts are whiskeys that are blended together and coloured to taste and look the same as they always have, and they can both be absolutely amazing. Blends are just allowed to blend from different distilleries.
The uk supermarkets are chock a block with non age statement big brand single and blended malt whiskies. Scotch whisky is evolving all the time to compete with the Bourbon & Irish market. Laphraoig took it next level when they released the quarter cask 5 yr old I believe.
There’s a lot of competition out there now especially with the cocktail market booming and Bourbon is storming that one.
There will always be a certain elegance when sipping your favourite single malt in front of an open fire it’s just bliss .
Great video other than the idea to wet the cork with Whiskey.... there's a reason you don't store them on their side... 😮😅 what do you think of the sudden rise in Tequila cask whiskey/ what distillery would you be most excited to hear they are releasing a Tequila aged Dram? It's early days but it's the next hype wave in Whiskey 😊
I like corn.
I've been drinking it for decades, it fixes my insomnia
Here's what I do: 1) pour a good measure in a 'scotch' glass...savour it, sample it, enjoy it. If a refill is required, do so, then, into a good measure, add a single ice cube...and savour it, sample it, and enjoy it to the max. It definitely 'opens-up' the flavour profiles...and some taste the better for it, whilst some are best left 'unadulterated'. lol
I don't do blended whiskies due to a prior 'overload[ed]' incident in my early years. I just can't take them. However, Single Malt Whiskies, and those from above-and-below Hadrian's Wall, and Eire, and Japan, are really rather good, too! My simple rule: if I like it, I like it. Period...regardless of the maker or brand, or where it was produced. Cheers!
That's total nonsense ice Cube making the whiskey cold does not open up any flavors. It actually kills the aromas and makes the flavor complexity go down significantly.
@@teklife erm, in my universe, it melts rather quickly, adding a few drops of water to open-up the brew. Works for me every time. Cheers!
Very cool video Phil! It might take some time for me to get used the screwcaps but I'm fully on board with synthetic corks. Cheers 🥃
10:01 Remember that less scrupulous distillers will thin their mix with a lot of water and charge the same price as full strength spirit, hence the thought that if you water something down you are diluting and disrespecting it. Granted, most people don’t think about the water used to move a spirit from cask to bottle strength.
I've been trying to avoid plastic containers for food & drink due to BCPs. I wonder if any testing has been done on BCP leaching into alcohol sealed with plastic screw caps.
I like BCP's.
Good video some helpful things i agree I I her the Drambo bie is pretty cool for the West Coast of Scotland 🏴
6:39 out of context this sounds wild 💀
Waiting for that comment
Ah whisky, one of the few circumstances where choosing between a 15 year old and a 18 year old isn't a sketchy conversation.
Also if you can't taste a difference between JB and JD, I am both jealous and sad for you.
Regarding the cork cap, a good alternative in my opinion is the plastic cap. It looks the same and you don't lose the effect of opening the bottle and it doesn't break so easily like the cork one. I was wondering why you didn't mention this variant? I have only seen this plastic type of cap on cheaper whiskies, so maybe I am missing something...
One should be careful with plastic because if it's not high quality, alcohol can dissolve plasticizers, and you end up with those in your drink
Been a while since I drank whiskey. I've been thinking of trying some again, but because everyone has different tastes, I was wondering if there is a tool, where I could input which mainstream whiskeys I like and dislike and it would give me recommendations of other whiskeys with taste profile I will probably like?
Where do you get all those different whiskies from?
I only add a drop of water to the more smoky, peaty whiskies. My father always added water to his whisky, but his favourite brand was Bell's so I can't blame him.
I remember soap operas in the late-1960s/early-1970s showing upper class women drinking whiskey. I didn’t observe that anywhere else. I was a working class kid aged 6 - 14 back then.
Totally agree with you on the screw caps. Wish more distilleries were producing with them.
Whiskies and liqueurs can improve in the bottle; I have bought blended whiskies, single malts and various other spirits in bottle from the 1970s and earlier, and it’s amazing how ageing for fifty years in the bottle makes a huge difference.
By the way, add a few drops of water to whisky can help release flavours; drowning a whisky as you do, however, whilst speaking of adding drops, is indeed respectful.
Hi Phil what about Port, Madeira and other wine casks? Are those also seasoned for the whisky industry or are these regular/traditional casks?
Agree on the water one... I advise people to experiment. Every whiskey and pallet is different... try things to find the profile that works for you.
Here in rural Japan at my local home centre, a 70cl bottle of Cutty Sark (sure, bottom shelf, but OK with plenty of ice and soda) sells for 948 yen, including consumption tax. That's US$6.40. Cheers.
Jack, the Japan Alps Brit
Check if they have Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition - much, much better, it's a litttle bit more expensive but still dirty cheap for that kind of whiskey.
@@nazgulzg Or even whisky.
@@JackBlack-ii1ip that too ;-)
@@nazgulzg A retail outlet near me stocks the Prohibition Edition. Sadly, not my favourite cut-rate home centre. Guess I'll have to use a tea cup to serve this drink. "Dirty cheap", love that my fine fellow!
"A few drops of water..." [proceeds to pour the full 1:1 ratio of water in whisky...]
When I was in my 20s, most distilled spirits tasted the same to me and wine made me gag; rum, gin, scotch all tasted the same, like industrial cleaner. I was beer only and struggled with the higher gravity stuff
My taste buds changed dramatically in my 30s and suddenly a lot of things tasted way better and I learned how to taste and smell spirits. I still remember everything tasting the same and think it’s funny compared to what I experience now. The downside is a lot of food I liked as a child tastes disgusting now
I would argue that the whisky in the bottle can actually transform, althouth it depends on the amount of air present. A full bottle won’t drastically change the aromas, if at all, but an almost empty one will change drastically with time. I’ve experienced many bottles of various spirits that either got better or worse the longer it sat half empty. I can’t be the only one who notices, right?
I first tried five star Canadian whisky (not bad in cocktails but that's about it lol). Then I started drinking Jameson Irish whiskey neat (on ice). It was not bad, because it got me into drinking whiskey neat. Now I'm currently drinking the 2019 whiskey of the year according to 'the whiskey bible'. None other than, "Alberta Premium Cask Strength (batch 5)". It's tasty. I get vanilla, caramel, with a backbone of dark chocolate. I'm a happy customer for sure. Love it. Next, I'm gonna try Monkey Shoulder scotch. Then Ballantines scotch. I've heard scotches are smoky, I think I'm gonna like that. We'll see. Still a 'newb' with higher-end whiskey's drinking them neat but loving the adventure.
I think a great compromise to a cork that still gives you the same theatre cork gives you are synthetic corks. I wish every distillery used them to be honest....
I'm with you on that one. Admittedly I was first thinking it was a bad idea and that it will add unwanted plastic/rubber flavor in the whisky but I have never been able to notice any, so I have changed my mind 🙂
Great video, but as a Scotsman the only eye opener was no. 2
Interesting fact: Balvenie DoubleWood and the Aberdour equivalent are quite similar in taste, if not price. Geographically they are very close
I stopped drinking, mostly, but I still like browsing liquor stores. Good channel.
I always thought the screw cap was more for the common plebs (obies was cheap and the drink of choice for students:)) and cork was the way to go, and then I discovered Japanese whiskies and love the Akashi Red, nice and cheap and excellent taste.
You included a myth. Wetting your cork with whisky will dry it out more due to the high alcohol content
Ah I think you might be right!
came here to say the same thing.
Thank you for clarifying that. It sounds logical.
I have heard that it’s the alcohol vapor that dries the cork. So “wetting” it not only allows the spirit, which if not cask strength, would have water in it to wet the cork, but more importantly the alcohol vapors that have not escaped to be reabsorbed into the whiskey. Is this not true?
In a sealed bottle won't the 'air' inside be saturated with alcohol vapour and therefore the cork has nowhere to 'dry' to?
I have to draw a distinction between adding water that's just water and adding unfiltered city tap water that tastes like chlorine.
Frankly speaking I've never heard people (enthusiasts or otherwise) talking about whiskies improving in bottle, in fact it is the opposite, insisting that a whisky is all but sterile and will not change with time. I believe that changes do occur with time and have experienced it twice. One was a Crown Royal bottled in 1982 (tax tape across the bottle cap) that was opened about 30 years later and the other was a Laphroaig 10 that had sat in a cupboard for about a half dozen years in a tropical climate. Both were unlike what a fresh bottle would have tasted and others in the room agreed.
I do however think that some people are under the misconception that a bottle is considered "older" because of the time since purchase. I put that in the category of people who, when talking about single malts, sometimes ask about double malts.
I can think of a few critics who believe there is a subtle change in whisky that is stored in glass for a long time. Serge Valentin and Angus MacRaild for sure, and I think I recall reading something about it by both Charles Maclean and David Broom.
@@cascode1192 Indeed, the Whiskyfun chaps do refer to the bottle effect and for my own part was pleased to hear them say so because it confirmed my own experience.
Enthusiasts who I come across generally believe in the myth that a whisky does not change in bottle - some of them are members and organisers of whisky clubs.
Having tried nearly everything produced by Johnny Walker, over the decades, I always end up back with good ole' Johnny Black.
The thick kiwi accent is the highlight of this video.
Corkers like spictrum and shirry and having six with a sheep abound.
Luckily whiskey is already pronounced with an I.
It's funny to think that colour in wine only comes from the grape variety, when usually what we would be looking for when looking at colour, aside the different grape variety's, is the aging process. Same for whisky applies to white wine, wood, gives, colour. For red it's a bit different. Cheers.
Thanks for sharing Phil.
Some great info.
Slàinte mhath
Thanks for watching mate!
I enjoy Japanese whisky heavily watered. Making a proper Whisky Highball in the Japanese fashion or Mizuwari so ratio is usually 1 part whisky to 3 or 4 parts water. While Scotch, Bourbon or other single malts from the west I enjoy with just a few drops of water. You also treat your whiskies differently depending on what they are like I preffer to keep my Japanese whisky in the freezer as I've seen it done over there.
Surely chilling a drink will serve to disguise the flavours. This is why lager and white wine are deliberately chilled. Beer however is drunk cool, but never chilled.
@@oml81mm It enhances the experience of Japanese whiskies the texture is improved as it pours almost like syrup and it mellows out the roughness Japanese whisky have and highlights the more subtle flavours that Japanese whisky is famous for. Also vast majority of Japanese whisky is consumed in a Japanese style whisky highball so whisky from the freezer over good quality ice and then good quality soda/mineral water poured just beside the ice with a mix of 1 part whisky to 3-4 parts water and don't do the silly 13/5 rotations that is a myth instead they try to agitate as little as possible to to combine it you just lift the ice a little bit and drop it. Most people will have a few big gulps at first before sipping. Suntory whiskies being the most common for this practise as they invented it.
@@oml81mm also don't take what I say as some kind of rule or gospel. Something I learned is that I just prefer it that way but there are exceptions obviously as I don't keep all my Japanese whiskies in the freezer as some I enjoy just like any other scotch or bourbon at room temp
@@oml81mm Also white wine is served cold for texture and mellowing the flavours to highlight the more subtle flavours not to mask. Beer isn't always drunk properly cold we talking 2-5 celcius if you have old styles of ale you want it more like the temperature in a cellar. Certain porters and stouts you want as warm as 15c like most red wines.
I love wild Turkey 101, great budget whiskey for those of us on fixed income.
I found this very interesting, and many of them I knew were myths. This issue I have is this "I love whiskey, but whiskey doesn't love me!" Sorry to say it makes me aggressive, i can cope with about 60ml no more than that, and if I get drunk on it or mix it with other alcoholic drinks, I get damned right nasty. It is a shame as I do like it.😢😢😢
Yeah I'm actually similar. That's the main reason I got into whisky. If I'm going to drink its going to be quality over quantity. I find a pint of water before drinking helps regardless though.
Can you cover barrel woods. Finishing barrels and wood staves added to barrels.
Very interesting, thank you. I would have like to ear about single vs blended, I think that this subject has a lot of myth ...
Screw cap shouldn’t be controversial.. it’s common sense at this point. Either transition to synthetic corks or screw caps.
Obviously synthetics. Never unscrewed a cap and thought "damn this is gonna be good."
I was happy to see the Glengoyne bottle as I don't care for the peaty profile category 🎉
This video made me want to pour a glass of Crown Royal blackberry. I was lucky enough to get a bottle before the shipment sold out in 2 days
Crown Royal Blackberry? That's for little kids.
On myth 1 my girlfriend was one of these and then she tried a glass of glenmoranjie 18 infinitas. It’s the only time I’ve seen her have an emotional reaction to alchohol she just smiled and exclaimed “oh wow” and said it was the best drink she had ever tasted
can you list the channel that you mentioned?
Ah thanks for pointing that out. Linked now!
I have always thought the sweet spot for whisky age is about 15 years. Definitely gets smoother with age, but I find at a certain point that ‘smoothness’ seems to reduce the character of the taste.
I like a screw top. When I am given a wine with a cork now, I wonder how long it's been sitting in the cupboard and whether it's turned to vinegar.
Exactly!
I believed the first one for 15 years, until I was about 34 and a friend let me taste a couple of good whiskies. Was immediately hooked.
Yeah I did for ages too until I tried the Laphroaig 10. So true!
One minor point I’ll sort of correct you on is in regards to Australian whisky.
You mentioned that Australian whisky comes from warmer climates,which in a few cases is true. However the mainstay of Australian whisky is Tasmania (think Lark) and the climate down there is actually pretty comparable to Scotland.
Sorry for bringing up such a minor issue
Good point Todd! Even still, I wouldn't compare the age statements between Tasmania and Scotland.
I don't even compare age statements between Scotland and Scotland, lol, the variables in barrels are too big so you got to take it release by release really. Age statements are a rough guide in general mostly between the different releases by the same brand but mostly there to reassure customers and good for sales. I notice often when people believe in the myth of age statements being "equal" they frequently get surprised or disappointed when they buy for example an 18 year old and it's not how they perceive 18 year olds should be compared to some other brands 18 year old they like and so on. It's a fools game. So I say use it as a rough guide but treat every bottling as it's own beast.
Adding colouring should never be allowed. I'm one of the rare few amongst my group, most of them are Scotch snobs. I love blends!
I prefer blended scotch whisky to single malt. Some say I am a barbaric savage. They tell me that single malt is "an acquired taste" , but considering the cost of a good single malt, I refuse to drink something I don't like until I like it. I'll stick to blended.
It's not single malt vs. blended malt, as there are amazing single malts, and not so good single malts--- and there are amazing blended malts, and also some not so good blended malts. You really need to try a range of each to form an accurate opinion.
I think the reason why myth #5 exists in part is because Corks are more common, and I think some people see cork as more elegant. In the case of myth #4, I've never heard of that myth until I saw this video. My friend who got me into whisk(e)y told me that's how you're supposed to have Scotch. Personally, that's how I prefer to drink all my whiskies these days.
Yeah I find whisky enthusiasts generally know adding water can be a good thing. I have had people who work at bars and pubs though, tell me I shouldn’t add water 😅
@@FirstPhilWhisky That's fascinating, I wonder where they got that information from. In the end, it ultimately comes down to personal preference I'd say.
He he he- “Australia is hot and dry”, uses footage of Overeem from Tasmania
Haha yeah that was a bad analogy 😅. Australia is a huge place
I really don't care if it's a cork or a screwtop I am a fan of synthetic corks I've had a few older bottles that the cork broke from just sitting on the shelf for a period of time where the synthetic was fine after the same time period. And I didn't realize they did that with sherry barrels but that makes sense. Enjoy!!🥃🥃🥃