My Whiskey Brother Ralfy. I have been follow up your reviews for quite sometime, recently you talk about CARDHU. I listen you and come to a conclusion some thing happen. On 1988 I was flying from the Guarulhos International Airport of Sao Paulo/Brazil, then at the Duty Free I saw one whiskey I never heard about Cardhu, I bought it, By the time I get to my destination at the Hotel I try it, excellent whiskey. Anyway, on the 90s I happen to be here in the US, and I bought a case of it, then they change the box and and label from Single Malt to Pure Malt and red box and label, and by then change that taste. After that I stop by Cardhu,but give away as present for my Brazilian friends. As you said is a true fact. Today I stop at the Spec's and saw the Cardhu again, this time name Single Malt, but in different box color , not red but brown and light gray. Next time I will buy again the Cardhu, and hope they are like the one I drink on 1988 and 1990s. Many thanks and my very best regards, Marcelo Freire
Ralfy your commitment, astute & consistent objectivity continues to provide the proverbial "gold standard" anywhere, not simply strong drink but all topics could take a priceless lesson from this man... Mr. R. Ralfy, a very lovely malty dram in your honor and to your continued health is being slowwwly enjoyed on your behalf for your tremendous contribution with every vlogg. You rock Ralfy!!!
Thanks for this special review and the story behind Cardhu Pure Malt. I tasted the Cardhu 12 years in the past and it was okay. In the year 2024 they have a 200th anniversary bottling out that has been matured for 12 years in wine casks. Only 40 percent but the price is really good. Need to try at least a sample. Cheers from a pat-pal in Germany
This was my first student favorite for a malt Scotch, it weened me off Chivas Regal and led me down the long path around the whisky/whiskey/bourbon world. This journey continues to be a joy but my first love was Cardhu (single malt of course)!
Just got a bottle of the Asdas extra special Speyside single malt and am about 95℅ sure it's from Cardhu, it's tastes as good if not better than the new gold nas Cardhu. Excellent value for money at £18.99
So many whisky’s but only one liver! I have always like Cardu 12 and it remains in my top 5. I wonder if a slightly higher alcohol level, say 46% abv, removal of chill filtering and caramel colour would even further improve this nectar but I would be surprised if that happened. Thanks for the duel review Ralph. How about another duel between Cardu Gold and Cardu 12.
Cardhu is an excellent bottle to keep on your shelf when you have friends visiting who are not serious malt-heads, but fancy a glass when they see your whisky bottles. A brilliant review, btw! Ps. Review suggestion: A whisky that's not particularly good and Ralfy telling us why is that so. I'm not sure have I seen any whisky get below 80 marks on Ralfy's vlogs!
Drinking it right now. Well balanced Whisky but nothing sticks out. You can drink it plain, on the rocks or even as a base for cocktail. Nothing to complain about: Fair price for the quality. Cheers!
Thanks a lot for this review ralfy - I've actually asked for it a while back. Excellent trip back to history for those of us who didn't know about the scandal. Hope you do a review on the Cardhu Special Cask Reserve at some point or the 15/18yos even. Cheers m8 :-)
I agree with your suggestion about reviewing/critiquing a bad whisky for a change. A constant diet of whiskies that fall in the 80's or even to 90 or 91 may be representative of the majority of products offered today, but it does nothing to warn one away from inferior whisky (or toward truly superior offerings). If the philosophy is to "tell it as it is", then the bad news is a valid part of that as well.
Just got a bottle of this on special offer and was not impressed. It was nice enough. But I want more from a scotch now. If a malt is good enough to spend time with, I’ll spend time with it and enjoy it. If it’s ‘passable’ I’m more likely to knock it back quicker.
Did you deliberately switch the places of the boxes behind the bottles when you've put them down? To see if we'll notice? That was cute! Thumbs up. And for the question "What would be useful to the malt-mates - Glenfarclas Heritage is a good example. Thanks!
How is this comparing the 21yo parliament? The 21yo costs 109 euros here and the 15yo isnt available right now. Which one is more heavy on sherry? Thanks for the reply.
Ralfy - Thanks for the continuing whisky education. You say that Scotch has to be distilled in pot stills in order to be considered Scotch whisky. Forgive my ignorance but I thought that Glenmorangie uses column stills, and that Irish whiskey, conversely, is distinctive because of their use of pot stills. Thank You.
one of those malts i have seen on the shelves but never bothered with. ill certainly pick up a bottle in the future... always good to try something different. good review
Another great review thank you Ralfy. Also on a side not, I hear Vat 69 has been discontinued and has been replace with Vat 69 Gold Label, any plans on review that?
Have any strong opinions on the rest of the Bruichladdich line, Ralfy? I thoroughly enjoyed the laddie ten (after your review) and am eyeballing the 16 and others. Any good values there, or should I stick with the 10?
Not sure where to put this request - Can you tell us in a vlog what you know/believe about whisky competitions? Are they fair, nonbiased, etc.? So many whiskies brag about winning this or that competition, that I started wondering if they were true competitions or just advertising gimmicks. Thanks.
Enjoying a dram of the cardhu on the left SM. Have to say my taste buds need some work. I got a refreshing green apple and pineapple sour fruit from the nose and a bitter orange and more of that sour fruit when tasting. I didn't get any of the vanilla and heavier sweetness. My single malt tasted much more like your description of the other cardhu. Makes me wonder.
+ralfystuff I recently saw (at auction) what was advertised as a Cardhu 12 year old from the 1980s. The label clearly stated "pure malt highland scotch whisky" did Cardhu put out pure malts before 2003?
The two products do look similar, but wasn't the issue that Cardhu essentially created its own hitherto unknown designation for a vatted malt, "Pure Malt", which as called "pure" created confusion with a single malt (as in implying "pure Cardhu")? Had Cardhu, in '03, simply called its product Cardhu Vatted Malt (the designation of the time) would there have been a problem? If it’s a vat, and identified as such, and bottled at the distillery, would it be wrong to put the distillery’s name on it?
My late father worked at Cardow (Cardhu) distillery from 1955 to 1963, the distillery is in the village of Cardow, both spellings of the name Cardow and Cardhu are pronounced the same, Car-doo, Cardow is the Anglicised spelling and Cardhu is the Gaelic spelling. The imposter, Cardhu Pure Malt was produced in 2002 and 2003, at that time stocks of Cardhu 12 year old single malt were very low that it was withdrawn from Northern European markets to supply their main customers in Spain. Cardhu 12 year old single malt, around 60% was blended with 40% of other single malts to produce the Pure Malt product. You can't fool serious whisky drinkers, now Diageo have learnt a lesson from the Cardhu Pure Malt fiasco.
Hi Ralfy, can you recommend me any heavy sherry monster? I have tasted Abunadh but its not that heavy oily im looking for. Some creamy dark sherrymonster.
The use of the term "pure" is confusing. I've also noticed that OB 12 year old Strathisla is labeled "Pure Highland Malt Scotch Whisky". I've assumed it's a single malt, though it is not identified as such on the packaging. Is it a single Ralfy, or is this some kind of trick by Chivas?
Ralfy, is it true that Macallan will be branding their primary range by color now, instead of age statement? How do you feel about that? And also, how about a Glen Scotia or Glengyle review? Springbank's been getting all the attention.
Hi Ralfy, I just bought two bottles of Cardhu Single Malt. One as a present for someone who prefers mild whiskies, and (ofcourse) one for myself, because I like to know what I'm giving away. ;-) It's quite enjoyable, but I agree with you that you really need to take your time with this one. The taste (especially the arrival) is a bit disappointing compared to the nose at first, but it does improve over time. If you drink this Cardhu too fast, you really miss most of the taste completely.
Ralfy, Cardhu 12 is absolutely my favorite single malt (taking into consideration I've only been drinking scotch for a few years) and I buy a bottle every time I see one. However, here in the States, Cardhu is very difficult to find (on the west coast) and when I have found Cardhu, more often than not, it's the bottles with the red H. Cummings signature on the label. My experience with these "H. Cummings signature" bottles is, they are very unimpressive. quite disappointing.. My First bottle was what I call an "original label" like the one you have in this video and it was spectacular! my question is, is there a difference in the making process of the "original label" Cardhu versus the "H. Cummings" signature bottles?
Hi Rafly, I bit off topic here, but would like your advice on how to remove/peel off the label from the bottle? I want to keep the label of whisky I drink. Thank you.
Fact is, Ralfy...EVERY"branded malt" would be SO much (qualitatively) better w/o the low-end 40%AbV...along w/the chillfiltered-e150a treatment!! Its no secret anymore Ralfy, the word is out.. Lets keep writing these distillerys & Voice these legitimate concerns!! For we together are the rulers of destiny!! and we all know there's Power in Numbers!! cheers mate.
Ralfy I need your help here for a minute if possible. Have you ever heard of a whiskey finished in a Cyprus- wood Barrel...if you have, could you shed some light on this finish?! Thanks Ralfy. cheers.
Ralfy, you mentioned that making malt whisky in a column still is a big no-no. But I've read that Loch Lomond has been doing that for years and they are still feuding with the SWA about it. Apparently malt whisky made in a column still is called silent malt.
Ralfy, I'm doing some exploring about my earlier Strathisla question. Looks like they have just undergone a repackaging. Strathisla 12 is now identified as a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky. All the previous packaging had identified it as Pure Highland Malt. But alas, it looks like the ABV has been reduced to 40% from its previous 43%. So more truth in advertising, but unfortunately probably not a dram worth trying. Now if they'd pushed it up to 46%+........we'd have a much happier story!
I'm not Ralfy of course. But I recently discovered that Jameson's is EXCELLENT with Coca-Cola. Two shots (90ml / 3 oz) to a 355ml (12 oz) can. Seriously. You will thank me, mate.
I wonder if a simple labeling change would've been sufficient to quell the criticism? Many of the bourbon and Tennessee whiskey distillers use identical bottles, but different colors on the labels to indicate age, proof and so on. I agree with the advice to pick up some early bottlings from young distilleries and have done so with Balcones and Stranahan's - though the latter has been absent from the shelves now for over a year. Corporate merger, I believe.
For the next set of reviews I would like to see some more japanese whiskys beeing reviewd: Nikka Miyagiko 10,12, 15 yo, Nikka Taketsuru pure malt 12 yo, Suntory yamazaki 12, 18. Or the Three Ships limited edition 10 year old South African single malt whisky :)
@ArtMorte hey mate. Ralfys' M.O. is to NOT embarrass those malts that fall short of the 80/100 cutoff , thus encouraging a more craft offering from those very "brands"that go unreviewed! IMHO, that is ! cheers
Thanks for the tip, mate :D I will definitely try Jameson with Coke. I drank it by it's own but never tried it with coke :) So far I liked Coke with Jack Daniels, Chivas and Ballantines. Jameson is next to try :)
very, very good whiskey, the 12 yo. I found and picked up a bottle on a whim, as I'm used to Ardbeg, Laproaig and Dalwhinnie... this is very light in comparison to the first two mentioned, but has similarities to Dalwhinnie, though I like both, I'd have to say Cardhu is my new favorite Scotch.
I've often wondered about the Iberian 'obsession' with Cardhu but over the years I've put it down to some quirk of marketing logistics. There are plenty blends over here, it's just most of the time the only single malt available in non specialist stores (ie supermarkets) is Cardhu. I don't think there's anything about the Iberian palate that lusts after this particular brand, it's simply what's available. It's a pity as it's a pretty mediocre dram but it also tends to be quite cheap at around 25-30 euros for the single malt. Quite how they've managed to corner the market in this part of the world, I have no idea.. One other thing this video made think about is if Cardhu is a "malt monster" if such a thing exists? It's certainly very malty. Malt mention suggestion = Meditative moonshining malcontents
@@nickcangemi I'll disagree with Ralfy because he's wrong. I spent the first six years of my life at 2, Cardow Cottages in Cardow, Morayshire. My father worked at Cardow Distillery for eight years, our back garden backed onto the Distillery's warehouse and my mother hung her washing line from the warehouse wall. I attended Knockando school and was christened in Knockando kirk. Both Cardow and Cardhu are pronounced the same (Cardoo) it's just that Cardow is the Scots spelling and Cardhu is the Gaelic spelling for the village. The name Cardhu derives from the gaelic "Carn Dubh" which translates to "Black Rock". We left Cardow in January 1963 due to my father jetting a job at the now demolished "Littlemill" distillery in Bowling, West Dunbartonshire. I was born in Dufftown, the malt whisky capital of the world which currently has six working distilleries, the most famous being Glenfiddich.
It's funny you should bring up whiskey scandals since earlier this year Beam decided to drop the proof of Maker's Mark from 45% to 42% and claiming that the loss of 3% alcohol would not change the flavor. After getting a largely angry reaction from the bourbon drinkers, Beam quietly reverted to the original proof but not before a large number of 42% bottles got out into the market.
Oh dear, they should have called it "oak matured spirit drink" or something like that instead of Whisky then :) Apparently there was a series of 9 "Celtic Nations" bottlings planned... I wonder what other celtic whiskeys they had in mind for the blends (Penderyn? Armorik?)
spot on w/malt-marks Ralfy! y'know we understand the 40% w/blends as their intent is mass appeal but the single malts, arent they by definition a specialty product?? But marketing/bottling of these two are being put in the same 40%basket mate.A SM should be special in a way to stand out frm the rest (ie"craft pres") from where I see it,many SM distllerys are going w/the same trick-to no avail..yea? A distinctive malt should distinguish itself with what it is thats Distinct-the Quality! cheers R.
For most of the review about the scandal, I was thinking, no big deal - buyer beware. But, when you mentioned a theoretical malt blend of Lagavulin and Caol Ila and calling it Lagavulin Pure Malt, I had a total change of mind. Thanks for pointing that out. I love both by the way. But, I understand now that a malt blend should have it's own branding.
with Cardhu - which i generally like - i am specially disappointed: in addition to this standard 12y they have the Cardhu Special Cask Reserve with changing batches and a premium in price. and still even this "special" presentation has 40%, colour and chillfill ....
ill tell you one other thing on the exporting on american whisky (u mentioned adding caramel once its outside the usa). Bourbon laws 'in the usa' are bottled at 40%. but Jim Beam have recently put a 37% bottle on shelves in Australia, and its a massive $15 cheaper than the standard. Unfortunetly the idiots in the Australian government have based some taxes on Alcohol volume. sad state of affairs really. This results in most Scotch being atleast double the price in Australia compared to the UK.
Hi Ralfy :) I have a question I know you won't like. Which whiskey is best to drink with coke except jack daniels? I know that coke kills all the flavours you would get from drinking it without "polutants" but majority of girls drink whiskey only with coke. And I like to drink wiskey, so I drink whiskey properly without anything and mix it separately for them with coke. Thanks for the answer. Great channel, I learn something from your every video. Greetings from Croatia!
I always check with Ralphy before buying something new, i can't afford to make tragic mistakes, and so far, so good.
Same here
My Whiskey Brother Ralfy. I have been follow up your reviews for quite sometime, recently you talk about CARDHU. I listen you and come to a conclusion some thing happen. On 1988 I was flying from the Guarulhos International Airport of Sao Paulo/Brazil, then at the Duty Free I saw one whiskey I never heard about Cardhu, I bought it, By the time I get to my destination at the Hotel I try it, excellent whiskey. Anyway, on the 90s I happen to be here in the US, and I bought a case of it, then they change the box and and label from Single Malt to Pure Malt and red box and label, and by then change that taste. After that I stop by Cardhu,but give away as present for my Brazilian friends. As you said is a true fact. Today I stop at the Spec's and saw the Cardhu again, this time name Single Malt, but in different box color , not red but brown and light gray. Next time I will buy again the Cardhu, and hope they are like the one I drink on 1988 and 1990s. Many thanks and my very best regards, Marcelo Freire
Ralfy your commitment, astute & consistent objectivity continues to provide the proverbial "gold standard" anywhere, not simply strong drink but all topics could take a priceless lesson from this man...
Mr. R. Ralfy, a very lovely malty dram in your honor and to your continued health is being slowwwly enjoyed on your behalf for your tremendous contribution with every vlogg. You rock Ralfy!!!
Thanks for this special review and the story behind Cardhu Pure Malt. I tasted the Cardhu 12 years in the past and it was okay. In the year 2024 they have a 200th anniversary bottling out that has been matured for 12 years in wine casks. Only 40 percent but the price is really good. Need to try at least a sample. Cheers from a pat-pal in Germany
This is what makes you the best there is. Thanks for all you do, Ralfy.
@AGT0M They got 83 and 82. You see it at 12:00
This was my first student favorite for a malt Scotch, it weened me off Chivas Regal and led me down the long path around the whisky/whiskey/bourbon world. This journey continues to be a joy but my first love was Cardhu (single malt of course)!
Just got a bottle of the Asdas extra special Speyside single malt and am about 95℅ sure it's from Cardhu, it's tastes as good if not better than the new gold nas Cardhu. Excellent value for money at £18.99
So many whisky’s but only one liver! I have always like Cardu 12 and it remains in my top 5. I wonder if a slightly higher alcohol level, say 46% abv, removal of chill filtering and caramel colour would even further improve this nectar but I would be surprised if that happened. Thanks for the duel review Ralph. How about another duel between Cardu Gold and Cardu 12.
Seven years on and I'm finally trying the Cardhu single malt. Not disappointed.
I definitely want to try the malty single malt one. Thanks for the video, sir. You are truly one of a kind. Cheers.
Cardhu is an excellent bottle to keep on your shelf when you have friends visiting who are not serious malt-heads, but fancy a glass when they see your whisky bottles. A brilliant review, btw!
Ps. Review suggestion: A whisky that's not particularly good and Ralfy telling us why is that so. I'm not sure have I seen any whisky get below 80 marks on Ralfy's vlogs!
Ralfy, I know there are many fine whiskeys, But can you do a video on a few of your current favourites for certain price ranges ?
Cheers
Its been a while since Ive watched your videos, and now im glad I watched again! :) Im hooked yet again! Time to watch what Ive missed!
Thank you Ralfy! Every your video is not only a review but an interesting malty story also!!
Drinking it right now. Well balanced Whisky but nothing sticks out. You can drink it plain, on the rocks or even as a base for cocktail. Nothing to complain about: Fair price for the quality. Cheers!
I seem to remember reading that Glendullan constituted the main part of the malts they added to Cardhu.
Thanks a lot for this review ralfy - I've actually asked for it a while back. Excellent trip back to history for those of us who didn't know about the scandal. Hope you do a review on the Cardhu Special Cask Reserve at some point or the 15/18yos even.
Cheers m8 :-)
I agree with your suggestion about reviewing/critiquing a bad whisky for a change. A constant diet of whiskies that fall in the 80's or even to 90 or 91 may be representative of the majority of products offered today, but it does nothing to warn one away from inferior whisky (or toward truly superior offerings). If the philosophy is to "tell it as it is", then the bad news is a valid part of that as well.
Just sharing a 12 year old cardu with you ralfy, thought I'd pop in havnt stopped in for a minute
I'm about to start watching all your vlogs again from the very beginning Ralfy!
Big jobs!
An excellent review and history lesson! Thank You!
Just got a bottle of this on special offer and was not impressed.
It was nice enough. But I want more from a scotch now.
If a malt is good enough to spend time with, I’ll spend time with it and enjoy it.
If it’s ‘passable’ I’m more likely to knock it back quicker.
Did you deliberately switch the places of the boxes behind the bottles when you've put them down? To see if we'll notice? That was cute! Thumbs up. And for the question "What would be useful to the malt-mates - Glenfarclas Heritage is a good example. Thanks!
So many to choose from!
A solid blend like VAT69 or adelphi and something like Old Pulteny 12yo (probably a bit more advanced but fairly complex).
How is this comparing the 21yo parliament? The 21yo costs 109 euros here and the 15yo isnt available right now. Which one is more heavy on sherry? Thanks for the reply.
Tried Cardhu for the first time on Zante last week and loved it , it was the 12yr old.
Ralfy - Thanks for the continuing whisky education. You say that Scotch has to be distilled in pot stills in order to be considered Scotch whisky. Forgive my ignorance but I thought that Glenmorangie uses column stills, and that Irish whiskey, conversely, is distinctive because of their use of pot stills. Thank You.
Seen this on special, which always worries me on times. Is it worth buying 10 years after this review Ralfy?
one of those malts i have seen on the shelves but never bothered with. ill certainly pick up a bottle in the future... always good to try something different. good review
Another great review thank you Ralfy. Also on a side not, I hear Vat 69 has been discontinued and has been replace with Vat 69 Gold Label, any plans on review that?
What do you make of Masters of Malt? Their tasting sets, their bottlings, et.
Have any strong opinions on the rest of the Bruichladdich line, Ralfy? I thoroughly enjoyed the laddie ten (after your review) and am eyeballing the 16 and others. Any good values there, or should I stick with the 10?
Not sure where to put this request -
Can you tell us in a vlog what you know/believe about whisky competitions? Are they fair, nonbiased, etc.? So many whiskies brag about winning this or that competition, that I started wondering if they were true competitions or just advertising gimmicks.
Thanks.
Enjoying a dram of the cardhu on the left SM. Have to say my taste buds need some work. I got a refreshing green apple and pineapple sour fruit from the nose and a bitter orange and more of that sour fruit when tasting. I didn't get any of the vanilla and heavier sweetness. My single malt tasted much more like your description of the other cardhu. Makes me wonder.
+ralfystuff I recently saw (at auction) what was advertised as a Cardhu 12 year old from the 1980s. The label clearly stated "pure malt highland scotch whisky" did Cardhu put out pure malts before 2003?
+Adam Krepp . . . pure at that time could mean single malt, or not !
@@thewhiskybothy I think the pure means 100% single malt whisky.
Ralfy do you know how does the power cuts affect the distillation process? Does it cause some production losses?
The two products do look similar, but wasn't the issue that Cardhu essentially created its own hitherto unknown designation for a vatted malt, "Pure Malt", which as called "pure" created confusion with a single malt (as in implying "pure Cardhu")? Had Cardhu, in '03, simply called its product Cardhu Vatted Malt (the designation of the time) would there have been a problem? If it’s a vat, and identified as such, and bottled at the distillery, would it be wrong to put the distillery’s name on it?
Hello from samui Island.. Today I bought it.. Will try it 🌹
just ordered the cardhu 12yo, it's my first whisky, so i'm very excited to try it.
poisoncobra7 how is it? my parents have a bottle of it which is probably 20 years old...
Ralfy, Whats in your opinion is the best single malt whisky for a beginner.
Something that is easy to drink neat or with a drop of water?
My late father worked at Cardow (Cardhu) distillery from 1955 to 1963, the distillery is in the village of Cardow, both spellings of the name Cardow and Cardhu are pronounced the same, Car-doo, Cardow is the Anglicised spelling and Cardhu is the Gaelic spelling. The imposter, Cardhu Pure Malt was produced in 2002 and 2003, at that time stocks of Cardhu 12 year old single malt were very low that it was withdrawn from Northern European markets to supply their main customers in Spain. Cardhu 12 year old single malt, around 60% was blended with 40% of other single malts to produce the Pure Malt product. You can't fool serious whisky drinkers, now Diageo have learnt a lesson from the Cardhu Pure Malt fiasco.
Hi Ralfy, can you recommend me any heavy sherry monster? I have tasted Abunadh but its not that heavy oily im looking for. Some creamy dark sherrymonster.
The use of the term "pure" is confusing. I've also noticed that OB 12 year old Strathisla is labeled "Pure Highland Malt Scotch Whisky". I've assumed it's a single malt, though it is not identified as such on the packaging. Is it a single Ralfy, or is this some kind of trick by Chivas?
Any idea what the blend was comprised of??
I have a 12 y/o single malt.
My wife & I love it.
Ralfy, is it true that Macallan will be branding their primary range by color now, instead of age statement? How do you feel about that? And also, how about a Glen Scotia or Glengyle review? Springbank's been getting all the attention.
Hi Ralfy,
I just bought two bottles of Cardhu Single Malt. One as a present for someone who prefers mild whiskies, and (ofcourse) one for myself, because I like to know what I'm giving away. ;-)
It's quite enjoyable, but I agree with you that you really need to take your time with this one. The taste (especially the arrival) is a bit disappointing compared to the nose at first, but it does improve over time. If you drink this Cardhu too fast, you really miss most of the taste completely.
I started on Oban 14 year. Certainly not over the top or overpowering, but a bit pricey.
Ralfy, Cardhu 12 is absolutely my favorite single malt (taking into consideration I've only been drinking scotch for a few years) and I buy a bottle every time I see one. However, here in the States, Cardhu is very difficult to find (on the west coast) and when I have found Cardhu, more often than not, it's the bottles with the red H. Cummings signature on the label. My experience with these "H. Cummings signature" bottles is, they are very unimpressive. quite disappointing.. My First bottle was what I call an "original label" like the one you have in this video and it was spectacular! my question is, is there a difference in the making process of the "original label" Cardhu versus the "H. Cummings" signature bottles?
Have you tried Glenfiddich 15/ Glenlivet 15/ Glenfarclas 21/ Bruichladdie Laddie ten or Laphroaig 10yo?
How are you getting by with the snow?
Hi Rafly,
I bit off topic here, but would like your advice on how to remove/peel off the label from the bottle? I want to keep the label of whisky I drink. Thank you.
+Carson Chan . . . rather difficult these days due to the glue used, you might try label-keeper clear sticky tape if you can find it.
+ralfystuff
Thank you so much.
Carson Chan hair drier should work:)
I did check this out, and it's a single malt. Why they use "Pure" is a mystery, but then again, so is the use of "Highland", given it's a Speyside.
NB: This is a reference to the American film "A Christmas Story."
why do distillers allow or benefit from independent bottlers?
Fact is, Ralfy...EVERY"branded malt" would be SO much (qualitatively) better w/o the low-end 40%AbV...along w/the chillfiltered-e150a treatment!!
Its no secret anymore Ralfy, the word is out..
Lets keep writing these distillerys & Voice these legitimate concerns!!
For we together are the rulers of destiny!! and we all know there's Power in Numbers!!
cheers mate.
Brilliant value - currently A$47 in Sydney Australia as at 1/2020
Ralfy I need your help here for a minute if possible.
Have you ever heard of a whiskey finished in a Cyprus- wood Barrel...if you have, could you shed some light on this finish?! Thanks Ralfy.
cheers.
Ralfy, you mentioned that making malt whisky in a column still is a big no-no. But I've read that Loch Lomond has been doing that for years and they are still feuding with the SWA about it. Apparently malt whisky made in a column still is called silent malt.
Ralfy, I'm doing some exploring about my earlier Strathisla question. Looks like they have just undergone a repackaging. Strathisla 12 is now identified as a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky. All the previous packaging had identified it as Pure Highland Malt. But alas, it looks like the ABV has been reduced to 40% from its previous 43%. So more truth in advertising, but unfortunately probably not a dram worth trying. Now if they'd pushed it up to 46%+........we'd have a much happier story!
Ralfy - you are such a great vlogger, you could easily expand your hobby into a carrer :)
Ralfy, what is your opinion on the Cardhu 18 Years? - Thanks and malt-greetings!
not tried it yet, check whiskybase for reviews.
:-) Cardhu is on sale in my local discount house.
Got halfway through your tasting notes Ralfy, and my mouth started to water !!!)
I'm not Ralfy of course. But I recently discovered that Jameson's is EXCELLENT with Coca-Cola. Two shots (90ml / 3 oz) to a 355ml (12 oz) can. Seriously. You will thank me, mate.
I wonder if a simple labeling change would've been sufficient to quell the criticism? Many of the bourbon and Tennessee whiskey distillers use identical bottles, but different colors on the labels to indicate age, proof and so on. I agree with the advice to pick up some early bottlings from young distilleries and have done so with Balcones and Stranahan's - though the latter has been absent from the shelves now for over a year. Corporate merger, I believe.
Could you inform me as to what the liquid was that you added to the Whiskey?
Tequila
For the next set of reviews I would like to see some more japanese whiskys beeing reviewd: Nikka Miyagiko 10,12, 15 yo, Nikka Taketsuru pure malt 12 yo, Suntory yamazaki 12, 18. Or the Three Ships limited edition 10 year old South African single malt whisky :)
Ralfy, love your reviews. I have an odd question, what is the 3 legged ornament called and where can it be found?
Its the symbol for The Isle of Man,where he lives!
Its been a long time since I had a Cardhu.
For even more background on this story, people should take a look at the Malt Madness page on Cardhu, as well as the Wikipedia page on the distillery.
Ralfy what are your other hobbies/passions ? cigars, whisky, ...
@ArtMorte hey mate. Ralfys' M.O. is to NOT embarrass those malts that fall short of the 80/100 cutoff , thus encouraging a more craft offering from those very "brands"that go unreviewed! IMHO, that is ! cheers
Thanks for the tip, mate :D
I will definitely try Jameson with Coke. I drank it by it's own but never tried it with coke :)
So far I liked Coke with Jack Daniels, Chivas and Ballantines. Jameson is next to try :)
very, very good whiskey, the 12 yo. I found and picked up a bottle on a whim, as I'm used to Ardbeg, Laproaig and Dalwhinnie... this is very light in comparison to the first two mentioned, but has similarities to Dalwhinnie, though I like both, I'd have to say Cardhu is my new favorite Scotch.
I've often wondered about the Iberian 'obsession' with Cardhu but over the years I've put it down to some quirk of marketing logistics. There are plenty blends over here, it's just most of the time the only single malt available in non specialist stores (ie supermarkets) is Cardhu. I don't think there's anything about the Iberian palate that lusts after this particular brand, it's simply what's available. It's a pity as it's a pretty mediocre dram but it also tends to be quite cheap at around 25-30 euros for the single malt. Quite how they've managed to corner the market in this part of the world, I have no idea..
One other thing this video made think about is if Cardhu is a "malt monster" if such a thing exists? It's certainly very malty.
Malt mention suggestion = Meditative moonshining malcontents
I wonder why Bruichladdich Celtic Nations got banned... SM and Blend sharing the same name like Cardhu?
Surely the reason it is sometimes called Cardow is because the distellery is in the village of Cardow.
Never disagree with Ralfy.
@@nickcangemi I'll disagree with Ralfy because he's wrong. I spent the first six years of my life at 2, Cardow Cottages in Cardow, Morayshire. My father worked at Cardow Distillery for eight years, our back garden backed onto the Distillery's warehouse and my mother hung her washing line from the warehouse wall. I attended Knockando school and was christened in Knockando kirk. Both Cardow and Cardhu are pronounced the same (Cardoo) it's just that Cardow is the Scots spelling and Cardhu is the Gaelic spelling for the village. The name Cardhu derives from the gaelic "Carn Dubh" which translates to "Black Rock". We left Cardow in January 1963 due to my father jetting a job at the now demolished "Littlemill" distillery in Bowling, West Dunbartonshire. I was born in Dufftown, the malt whisky capital of the world which currently has six working distilleries, the most famous being Glenfiddich.
Thanks Ralfy. Love your videos
This stuff is AMBROSIA, but hard to find in SA, Texas.
It's funny you should bring up whiskey scandals since earlier this year Beam decided to drop the proof of Maker's Mark from 45% to 42% and claiming that the loss of 3% alcohol would not change the flavor. After getting a largely angry reaction from the bourbon drinkers, Beam quietly reverted to the original proof but not before a large number of 42% bottles got out into the market.
Recently bought 2 bottles from "Duty Free" in Gran Canaria Airport (Las Palmas) for 18 Euros each. Bargain??
Great stuff, just picked up a bottle for only €20 in Spanish duty-free having not heard of it - now wishing I had purchased a few more!
Oh dear, they should have called it "oak matured spirit drink" or something like that instead of Whisky then :)
Apparently there was a series of 9 "Celtic Nations" bottlings planned... I wonder what other celtic whiskeys they had in mind for the blends (Penderyn? Armorik?)
spot on w/malt-marks Ralfy!
y'know we understand the 40% w/blends as their intent is mass appeal but the single malts, arent they by definition a specialty product??
But marketing/bottling of these two are being put in the same 40%basket mate.A SM should be special in a way to stand out frm the rest (ie"craft pres")
from where I see it,many SM distllerys are going w/the same trick-to no avail..yea?
A distinctive malt should distinguish itself with what it is thats Distinct-the Quality!
cheers R.
Always liked Cardhu (SM), it's a big part of JWB
Thanks Ralfy, interesting story!
Haha I feel a little stupid now, thought it was glucose syrup or something. Great review though, it's a wonderful whiskey.
For most of the review about the scandal, I was thinking, no big deal - buyer beware. But, when you mentioned a theoretical malt blend of Lagavulin and Caol Ila and calling it Lagavulin Pure Malt, I had a total change of mind. Thanks for pointing that out. I love both by the way. But, I understand now that a malt blend should have it's own branding.
Thank you for reviewing !
with Cardhu - which i generally like - i am specially disappointed: in addition to this standard 12y they have the Cardhu Special Cask Reserve with changing batches and a premium in price. and still even this "special" presentation has 40%, colour and chillfill ....
It remind me to glenfidich 15yo very nice wisky for the price.
ill tell you one other thing on the exporting on american whisky (u mentioned adding caramel once its outside the usa). Bourbon laws 'in the usa' are bottled at 40%. but Jim Beam have recently put a 37% bottle on shelves in Australia, and its a massive $15 cheaper than the standard.
Unfortunetly the idiots in the Australian government have based some taxes on Alcohol volume. sad state of affairs really. This results in most Scotch being atleast double the price in Australia compared to the UK.
Google "Triskelion" , read the wikipedia page, then google Isle of Man (the place where Ralfy lives) and you'll find out.
Hi Ralfy :)
I have a question I know you won't like. Which whiskey is best to drink with coke except jack daniels? I know that coke kills all the flavours you would get from drinking it without "polutants" but majority of girls drink whiskey only with coke. And I like to drink wiskey, so I drink whiskey properly without anything and mix it separately for them with coke.
Thanks for the answer.
Great channel, I learn something from your every video.
Greetings from Croatia!
Cheers, mate.
I am also seeing some video problems.
What in the bloody sparkling hell is a "mechanotherapist?"
same experience here!