Congrads Dan E! I'am working my way through Aberlour A' Bunadh for my retirement. GlenDronach 15yr. is on my list. I found Ralfy through his brother BigCliveDotCom. Ralfy has a hard life LOL. He's great! Enjoy Malt Mates.
I didn’t try the older bottling, but this one is outstanding. The chocolate notes accompanied by tropical fruits is truly amazing. At its prize range it’s probably the best by far. Definitely one of my favorites. The older version must’ve been amazing.
It's because when Glendronach came back into business, they had a lot of old stock which went into their age statements. The old 15 was older than 15 years old and had even older stuff in it.
If i had never had the old bottling so many times, i would possibly feel happier about the new 15, and although i knew the old stock would'nt last forever, the change in casks from just oloroso, along with chill filtering, ridiculous price rises and BS corporate statements just take away not add. GL
I opened a new Glendronach 12 (2021) chill filtered and it is not the same taste anymore, something is missing in the smell and the taste, but still a good whisky though! I bought a number of non chill filtered bottles 12 year, hope the are good as they used to be.
Thank you Ralphy. Always enjoy your reviews and this was particularly interesting as this is a long standing favourite. Keep up the good work. Best wishes
Well Ralfy, I first tried this about 8 yrs ago, and loved it, just before they ran out, and have been waiting for it to be re-released. I just received my latest bottle last week ...a very timely review Sir! It's still a fantastic Dram in my oppinion. Thanks for your work, Gregg.
Another main difference between the new and old 15 - the old was 100% Oloroso matured, this one is a mix of Oloroso and PX, and kudos to Glendronach really for mentioning it on the label, leaving no doubt that this is a different whisky.
A good and very competent single malt whisky = 84 marks in Ralfy's. Did I also hear integrity malt mention? Having followed Ralfy's videos for more than a couple of years, this is what I could summarize for me: a single malt scotch which scores 84 and up are highly respectable whiskies, especially it's a safe guide for whisky newbies looking for a good and very competent bottle in a commercial ocean of whiskies. You won't go wrong. Thanks for another great review, Ralfy.
I saw on mass of 334 people’s review in one whisky blog it was rated 4.4/5 and got a bottle of it . it is delicious. U don’t always need to listen to ralfy’s review . His palate changes time to time n yes scores as well.
Glendronach has always been a great distillery even before Billy Walker. The questions for Glendronach and tasters are now Brown-Forman and Rachel Barrie
Barrie has 30 years experience (with stalwarts like Glenmorangie and Ardbeg) and a PhD in Chemistry to boot. She's got the experience to guide Glendronach and BenRiach. I think it was a very good choice by Brown-Forman. What really terrifies me is when the marketing and branding department gets their hands on the dram, I'm thinking of the Game of Thrones tie in bottlings.
@@jasonstraight3338 Rachel Barrie's experience doesn't make her either a company first or a rouge personally. Rachel continued Bowmore's Dissociation from Jim McEwan. Bowmore's reputation has been hurt ever since
Ralfy, you are amazing. Thank you for the reviews. I would really like you to review the glendronach 18 allardice. Unlike the 15 revival (which is now really 15 years old), the 18 Allardice should be closer to 24 years old (for the 2019 version).
I've been waiting for this review before grabbing a bottle and I most definitley will grab one now. The original 15yo revival is among my all time favourite whiskeys and I'm lucky to have one in my collection waiting for that special occation!
I was shocked when I drove up to GlenDronach and they had an American flag flying. That's when I learned it was now a Brown-Forman company, joining Jack Daniel's and Old Forester. But I get a sense they like what they've purchased and their not going to mess with it. In fact, I heard the master distiller say she was going to stick to Sherry casks and step away from some of the experiments like peated GlenDronach.
Glad to catch up again on your channel Ralfy. I squirreled away a full case of the old Revival (19 yrs according to the bottling number), and will enjoy it ... slowly.
When you talk about casks and changing owners you can be dealing with a real craps shoot on taste and character. So when you find your single malt that is near perfect you better buy an extra bottle or two cause tomorrow is not promised
Great review Ralfy, problem in Canada right now is there is an issue with the Old distributor, so we can not get any Glendronach's until the new distributor officially takes over, where I live in BC guy's are buying up anything with Dronach on the label, even the 8 yr. old Hielan is flying off the shelf, as it's going to be a while before we see any new stock, and the Distillery is staying out of the issue.
Hi ralfy I have watched both of your glendronach 15,reviews and I think you missed the mark on this bottle, I don't have any knowledge of the past 15, but I bought 3 bottles of the 2017 release and it is superb to anything I have in my 100 + bottles, and you gave a 84 point on this bottle, sorry 😞 ralfy it is a 91 all day long, I have never had a problem with giving glendronach whiskey a 90 or less, I hope you give this bottle time and re review, I still love 💘 your blog, so have a great day my friend, and cheers to a long life !!!
I did a blend on Glenfarclas 250ml of 105 60% and 100ml of the 21yr 43% and did let it stay 4-5 weeks in the bottle tok one dram and it whas still figthing eachother and let it stay 2 more weeks with some air in it and now i whas reely impressed. Far better then the other stuff i tryed at the price. I had some family cask 1966,1971,1983,1993,2001 and whas not that impressed price/qualety ratio. Try the mix impressive stuff
A couple weeks ago I did a video about the Glendronach 15YO Revival and within a couple days recorded another one about the new Glenallachie 15YO. They are SO very similar whiskies, both 46%, non-chill-filtered, natural colour, both finished in oloroso and PX, but I think Rachel's blend tickled my fancy a little bit more than Billy's. Glendronach is that tad more sweet, tad less oaky, tad less dry-wine-like and tad more accessible and easy going.
KNUR Konesur Agree, i stashed my Glenallachie 15 after some nosing and tasting, honestly I was a little disappointed with that one (bitter’ish notes and less taste/nose). Perhaps it will open up in storage, now that it has been opened.
Is there a chance you could do an extras about warehouse conditions? I've been making my own blends and I like to store them for tomorrow, or next year or so, with some baked or fire hardened oak sticks, and I was wondering how you would suggest I store them.
I am a little surprised by the lower score for such a fabulous whisky. I think we all agree the old 15 was magic in the bottle since it truly much older than 15. It is not a fair comparison. I also believe it is true the cost of sherry casks and limited availability is definitely impacted whiskies quality compared to those of yesteryear. But that score...an 84 for an integrity malt? Perhaps you don't like the PX influence whereas the old version was all oloroso? When I look at contemporary sherry bombs this stuff is just stellar. Sure the current 18 Allardice is crazy good, but that whisky is also much older than 18 too.I would give this an 88 to 89 on your scale. This whisky is very rich and deep. Your review seem more of an indictment of the current barrel economy than the actual juice, however I am sure older versions of many whiskies are just better, and if that is the scale you are using I understand it a bit more.
Agree. 84 seems low for a whisky that won Best In Show at the 2020 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. I've never had the pleasure of tasting the earlier 15 Revival bottling, but I'm tasting my way through this whisky and it's very enjoyable. Love Ralfy's reviews but sense there might be a bit of nostalgia / declinism baked into this rating.
I thought at least 86, 87. I have not had it yet. Prices around me range from 80-120. At the higher end of that I’d rather try something else. Mind you I’ve stashed 4 bottles of the older style, having finished off one. I’m curious but it can wait. Again he gave an excuse as to why modern casks aren’t up to the old standards but that’s a huge drop in scoring. Also the label is exactly the same as the old bottling, he didn’t knock off points on the old one for that. Anyhow. He loved Old pulteney 17. Can’t wait to hear his review of the new version, or rather replacement for that age statement in their core range.
Great video as always Ralfy, Glendro 15 was the first scotch I bought back in 2014 so it will always have a special place in my heart. Glad they brought it back but the 2020 is missing some of the quality from the first release. I would love for you to expand upon your quip of the 'investable whisky space' changing in the future.....
Terrific job as usual Ralfy. I hope the distillery sees your review. Not that the newer version is bad. I just don’t enjoy it as much as I did the older version. Really it’s seems like 2 different Whisky’s. Cheers
Hi Ralfy. Ive still got a bottle of the earlier version that I got around 2014(?) Still sitting in my cellar. This one was only matured in olorosso casks. Enjoyed the review (as always ). Cheers.
Bought a bottle back in April as a Lockdown whisky, so in however many years it is that I open it, I can say "when I bought this, almost the entire world was frozen in its tracks". We're now pretty much back to normal in New Zealand, no cases at all, but borders still closed.
I'm looking for a dominant Tobacco nose and finish, but I would like the recommendations to be of a more dry Tobacco rather than sweet Tobacco and the bonus would be an oily finish. So please recommend me some good whisky to try no matter if it's a blend, single malt, or a bourbon.
Ralfy, since discovering your channel, I have watched many of your videos. So informative and comfortable to listen to. Having somehow always knowing I would like scotch ( maybe my Scottish/Irish heritage) I finally have been able to sip and enjoy to flavors instead of just shotting down liquor. Guess that comes with age. Look forward to your future posts.
Been on the look out, appreciate the re-review. My local retailer only carries the 12 and the 21, and no shipping where I'm located. I'll have to ask if they can special order for me next time I'm in the shop.
Got a bottle of the 15yo at Christmas and was a tad disappointed. Still an enjoyable whisky but found I preferred the 12yo. Think I’ll try the Hielan next
I truly wish these whiskies would put all the info on the label. Although most of the time I know whether a malt is an integrity malt, on the odd independent I can forget. And the problem is that with my collection I have a tradition that once the bottle is opened the packaging is chucked. It doesn't matter how fancy, I chuck it, and all the open bottles sit together naked in a dark cool place. I've been doing it for decades. Why do I do it? No clue. But that is why I wish all the relevant info was on the label. LOL. Actually that is all true.
Can it compare, the 18 is 23/24 pure Oloroso, the closest would perhaps be the oldest 15 revivals when they were around 20/21. I bought one 18 last year and bought 5 more that I stashed because it was adorable, bottled July/2019. (Knocks the socks off my other sherry whiskies, but it is almost a dram you drink at special occasions, due to the fragrance and intense palate).
Have one of these open and thanks to a great malt mate I also have a 2oz sample of the old oloroso only version. The new one is good but very different from the older one which reminds me a lot of the 18. Very curious what will happen to the 18 going forward ? Will there be PX casks added to the 18 like they have done to all the others ? Time will tell!
Ralfy, you brushed past something very quickly that I'd love to hear more about. You said that the palates in mainland Europe is more refined than ours because of our diet of breakfast cereal. I'd really love to hear more about what you mean by that.
It's interesting Ralfy that you say this is less complex than it used to be. I had a bottle of this when they brought it out again around Christmas 2018. I'd say to me it seemed more complex than it used to be. I thought the old Revival whilst a very good whisky was a bit overrated. I thought it was bit cloying and over-sherried. Whereas I found the re-re-released 15 was a bit less sherry forward and had a bit more complexity as a result. Of course it could just be that it's a good few years and many malts between first bottle and second and my palate is more developed now.
Had this in one of my reviews, but together with the old 15 in comparison. I totally agree with you: the older version imho was so outstanding (as you mentioned due to the older casks they had to use due to period of production stopp). The new one still a good Whisky but somehow modern, arbitrary...?
i started my more "serious" whisky journey after getting one of these older bottles in 2014.... immediately bought a second one back then ^^ ... and now that i also tried the new release my reaction was quite the same: competent malt, but nothing special. sad, that i didn't build a stack of these older releases. they were even cheaper than todays bottles :(
Hi Ralfy. Great review, thank you, I have been waiting for this one. I had a "classic" bottle set aside and I have compared them and I agree with your take on the differences. I am curious, though, that the old and new labels look identical to me. Can you see a difference between the new and old bottle labels?
Great stuff, Ralfy! Your thoughts mirror my own from my review 550 and our scores are in the ballpark. Now the question everybody wants the answer to, Ralfy: How many old Revivals did you buy for your closet(which we haven’t seen for ages btw)?🤣 Cheers🥃🥃🥃🥃 Mark
In fact I would say that I like them more than the whiskey reviews themselves. Not that I don't like whiskey reviews, it's just that the extras are very informative and are about more varied subjects.
I really quite like the Hielan... but it is no where near as good as the 15. It is a nice table whisky. A daily sipper. My 15 comes out every once in a great while
So I guess a review of Glanallachie 15YO is now coming soon? Also 46%, also NCF, also natural colour, also oloroso + PX influence, the new Billy Walker's showcase whisky.
I bought the 10 cs, the 12, the 15 and the 18. In my opinion, the 10 cs batch 3 is best, followed by the 12. The 15 and the 18 were both weak in nose and taste and quite on the bitter/sour end, quite disappointing for what you pay. They need better casks over there or something. IMO they are behind Glendronach in terms of taste and enjoyment in all age groups.
@Ralphy Will your book ever come to kindle? I live far a long, long ways from an English bookstore and have to buy all my books digitally. I've been wanting to read your new book for months now
. . . sorry to say that I had big problems with Amazon accepting my location, so I had to remove the e-book. I hope to try and upload it again at the end of the year.
Stori poli nosie nosie no shakie shakie #tea spoon 😉 great man all the time you’re delivering u’re journey the way most of us enjoy and the way it should be .... tnx mate
Well, it's a different whisky. Not worse, not better - different. Personally, I like both of them equally, although for different reasons. Interestingly, very few people pick up the subtle peaty component in the nose of the new Revival - it is easily noticeable when you taste the whisky in a cognac snifter.
Ralfy ! I do not like your 84 mark 😡. But I respect you, so I respect your mark. I’d give it close to 90 and I’d take this any day over the Tamdhu 15. Ps I agree with what you’re saying about comparing to the superlative older revival 15.
In my opinion, you missed the mark on this one, a measly 84 for this kind of whisky? And you gave Deanston 15 an 86 Integrity malt mark, here you did not even bother to use that card. Don't be afraid to say what the problem is, because the score reflect that you want to punish Glendronach for doing something. The whisky is lovely, and there are few to no other 15 year old whiskies at this price point that can touch it in terms of taste and flavor. Too bad about the old revival, but that is dead and gone. This edition needs to be judged for what it is now, not what it was before (totally different and OLDER than the label, limited edition whisky). I really feel that the score did not reflect the review here, you seem pissed off about something, but it is not clear what that is.
Too bad Glendronach 15 is no longer available in the current market, unless if a store/business kept one or two hidden in their stash then you may get your hands on one, but good luck with that😁
Gone. All gone. Missed many opportunities to get them on the cheap. Only once at a total wine, at $100. Could have had a case if I’d driven 400 miles to another store. Another missed chance. Ended up over paying in an auction site. Bought 4, drank one. Back to your point though. Naw, none of the old are left. Collectors made sure of that. Anything’s possible though. With the labels looking the exact same, gotta check the dates on the back.
Sorry Ralfy, but 84 is too less for this whisky, it is one of the best, if not the best 15 years that i ever tasted, just compare it to your other scores.. it should have an 87 or 88 i think
Whisky trick: by "accident" you put a little too much water in your whisky. You have to compensate that with pouring more ... (you get it) ... 🙂 🙂 Just a joke.
I'm halfway through a bottle of the first edition, and it's delicious stuff! Opened it to celebrate my retirement. 😀
Congrads Dan E! I'am working my way through Aberlour A' Bunadh for my retirement. GlenDronach 15yr. is on my list. I found Ralfy through his brother BigCliveDotCom. Ralfy has a hard life LOL. He's great! Enjoy Malt Mates.
I didn’t try the older bottling, but this one is outstanding. The chocolate notes accompanied by tropical fruits is truly amazing. At its prize range it’s probably the best by far. Definitely one of my favorites. The older version must’ve been amazing.
It's because when Glendronach came back into business, they had a lot of old stock which went into their age statements. The old 15 was older than 15 years old and had even older stuff in it.
If i had never had the old bottling so many times, i would possibly feel happier about the new 15, and although i knew the old stock would'nt last forever, the change in casks from just oloroso, along with chill filtering, ridiculous price rises and BS corporate statements just take away not add. GL
I opened a new Glendronach 12 (2021) chill filtered and it is not the same taste anymore, something is missing in the smell and the taste, but still a good whisky though! I bought a number of non chill filtered bottles 12 year, hope the are good as they used to be.
Thank you Ralphy. Always enjoy your reviews and this was particularly interesting as this is a long standing favourite. Keep up the good work. Best wishes
Excellent stuff! I'm glad i had the opportunity to buy two bottles for 60€ each.
Well Ralfy, I first tried this about 8 yrs ago, and loved it, just before they ran out, and have been waiting for it to be re-released. I just received my latest bottle last week ...a very timely review Sir! It's still a fantastic Dram in my oppinion.
Thanks for your work,
Gregg.
Another main difference between the new and old 15 - the old was 100% Oloroso matured, this one is a mix of Oloroso and PX, and kudos to Glendronach really for mentioning it on the label, leaving no doubt that this is a different whisky.
A good and very competent single malt whisky = 84 marks in Ralfy's. Did I also hear integrity malt mention?
Having followed Ralfy's videos for more than a couple of years, this is what I could summarize for me: a single malt scotch which scores 84 and up are highly respectable whiskies, especially it's a safe guide for whisky newbies looking for a good and very competent bottle in a commercial ocean of whiskies. You won't go wrong. Thanks for another great review, Ralfy.
I saw on mass of 334 people’s review in one whisky blog it was rated 4.4/5 and got a bottle of it . it is delicious. U don’t always need to listen to ralfy’s review . His palate changes time to time n yes scores as well.
Glendronach has always been a great distillery even before Billy Walker. The questions for Glendronach and tasters are now Brown-Forman and Rachel Barrie
Barrie has 30 years experience (with stalwarts like Glenmorangie and Ardbeg) and a PhD in Chemistry to boot. She's got the experience to guide Glendronach and BenRiach. I think it was a very good choice by Brown-Forman. What really terrifies me is when the marketing and branding department gets their hands on the dram, I'm thinking of the Game of Thrones tie in bottlings.
@@jasonstraight3338 Rachel Barrie's experience doesn't make her either a company first or a rouge personally. Rachel continued Bowmore's Dissociation from Jim McEwan. Bowmore's reputation has been hurt ever since
I'd take Glendronach over Macallan even if the Macallan cost less than the Glendronach.
All day, bummer to hear it’s not what it once was. But that’s life
It's an integrity malt for a reason. Remember to buy integrity. The producers will notice the trend when we sent a strong message of what we want.👍🏽
Macallan is like Blue Label. These are the ones you bring out to people you want to impress and NOT for folks that really know what a serious malt is.
@@valenzuelaeph Yeah or Ardbeg if you know they like peated.
Yes Sir, all day everyday!!!
Ralfy, you are amazing. Thank you for the reviews. I would really like you to review the glendronach 18 allardice. Unlike the 15 revival (which is now really 15 years old), the 18 Allardice should be closer to 24 years old (for the 2019 version).
I think the 18 yr old is very nice. I would also like to hear Ralfy's comments.
I've been waiting for this review before grabbing a bottle and I most definitley will grab one now. The original 15yo revival is among my all time favourite whiskeys and I'm lucky to have one in my collection waiting for that special occation!
I was shocked when I drove up to GlenDronach and they had an American flag flying. That's when I learned it was now a Brown-Forman company, joining Jack Daniel's and Old Forester. But I get a sense they like what they've purchased and their not going to mess with it. In fact, I heard the master distiller say she was going to stick to Sherry casks and step away from some of the experiments like peated GlenDronach.
Her name is Rachel 😋👍🏽
I really enjoyed the peated Glendronach
This didn't age well. They are now chilled filtering GlenDronach.
@@matthewmorin7016 Sadly. Let's hope the backlash makes them reconsider.
Ralfy, I bought the new Glendronach 15 Revival, tried it a few times and decided it taste better when it mixed with the 18 Allardice.
Glad to catch up again on your channel Ralfy. I squirreled away a full case of the old Revival (19 yrs according to the bottling number), and will enjoy it ... slowly.
Still have a couple of those first-run bottles sitting in my cabinet!
Yes!! Good choice Ralfy, can't wait to hear your thoughts on this.
When you talk about casks and changing owners you can be dealing with a real craps shoot on taste and character. So when you find your single malt that is near perfect you better buy an extra bottle or two cause tomorrow is not promised
Great review Ralfy, problem in Canada right now is there is an issue with the Old distributor, so we can not get any Glendronach's until the new distributor officially takes over, where I live in BC guy's are buying up anything with Dronach on the label, even the 8 yr. old Hielan is flying off the shelf, as it's going to be a while before we see any new stock, and the Distillery is staying out of the issue.
When your wife asks how the meal tasted, dont say "competent"😅
I just ordered your book. Can't wait for the delivery! I'll have to read it with a dram near by.
I bought one of these 2 days ago after watching your previous review and wishing there was a more up-to-date one available! Cheers :-)
Glendronach 15 is one of my favourite sherry matured whiskies ! ☺️
This was an 8/10 for me. Really good. The earlier 15 ( all oloroso) was a 9/10. Still one of my favorite standard releases by any distillery.
Crazy malt mark. Still the best 15 year old sherry cask out there at the price.
Hi ralfy
I have watched both of your glendronach 15,reviews and I think you missed the mark on this bottle, I don't have any knowledge of the past 15, but I bought 3 bottles of the 2017 release and it is superb to anything I have in my 100 + bottles, and you gave a 84 point on this bottle, sorry 😞 ralfy it is a 91 all day long, I have never had a problem with giving glendronach whiskey a 90 or less, I hope you give this bottle time and re review, I still love 💘 your blog, so have a great day my friend, and cheers to a long life !!!
Yes sir
I did a blend on Glenfarclas 250ml of 105 60% and 100ml of the 21yr 43% and did let it stay 4-5 weeks in the bottle tok one dram and it whas still figthing eachother and let it stay 2 more weeks with some air in it and now i whas reely impressed. Far better then the other stuff i tryed at the price. I had some family cask 1966,1971,1983,1993,2001 and whas not that impressed price/qualety ratio. Try the mix impressive stuff
i bought a bottle in 2019 and loved it.
A couple weeks ago I did a video about the Glendronach 15YO Revival and within a couple days recorded another one about the new Glenallachie 15YO. They are SO very similar whiskies, both 46%, non-chill-filtered, natural colour, both finished in oloroso and PX, but I think Rachel's blend tickled my fancy a little bit more than Billy's. Glendronach is that tad more sweet, tad less oaky, tad less dry-wine-like and tad more accessible and easy going.
KNUR Konesur Agree, i stashed my Glenallachie 15 after some nosing and tasting, honestly I was a little disappointed with that one (bitter’ish notes and less taste/nose). Perhaps it will open up in storage, now that it has been opened.
I really don't understand the low score for this Glendronach 15, it's a fantastic dram, and knocks the Glenallachie 15 for six.
Is there a chance you could do an extras about warehouse conditions? I've been making my own blends and I like to store them for tomorrow, or next year or so, with some baked or fire hardened oak sticks, and I was wondering how you would suggest I store them.
I am a little surprised by the lower score for such a fabulous whisky. I think we all agree the old 15 was magic in the bottle since it truly much older than 15. It is not a fair comparison. I also believe it is true the cost of sherry casks and limited availability is definitely impacted whiskies quality compared to those of yesteryear. But that score...an 84 for an integrity malt? Perhaps you don't like the PX influence whereas the old version was all oloroso? When I look at contemporary sherry bombs this stuff is just stellar. Sure the current 18 Allardice is crazy good, but that whisky is also much older than 18 too.I would give this an 88 to 89 on your scale. This whisky is very rich and deep. Your review seem more of an indictment of the current barrel economy than the actual juice, however I am sure older versions of many whiskies are just better, and if that is the scale you are using I understand it a bit more.
Everwind I agree, this was surprising.
Agree. 84 seems low for a whisky that won Best In Show at the 2020 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. I've never had the pleasure of tasting the earlier 15 Revival bottling, but I'm tasting my way through this whisky and it's very enjoyable. Love Ralfy's reviews but sense there might be a bit of nostalgia / declinism baked into this rating.
I thought at least 86, 87. I have not had it yet. Prices around me range from 80-120. At the higher end of that I’d rather try something else. Mind you I’ve stashed 4 bottles of the older style, having finished off one. I’m curious but it can wait. Again he gave an excuse as to why modern casks aren’t up to the old standards but that’s a huge drop in scoring. Also the label is exactly the same as the old bottling, he didn’t knock off points on the old one for that. Anyhow. He loved Old pulteney 17. Can’t wait to hear his review of the new version, or rather replacement for that age statement in their core range.
Great video as always Ralfy, Glendro 15 was the first scotch I bought back in 2014 so it will always have a special place in my heart. Glad they brought it back but the 2020 is missing some of the quality from the first release.
I would love for you to expand upon your quip of the 'investable whisky space' changing in the future.....
Terrific job as usual Ralfy. I hope the distillery sees your review. Not that the newer version is bad. I just don’t enjoy it as much as I did the older version. Really it’s seems like 2 different Whisky’s.
Cheers
Hi Ralfy. Ive still got a bottle of the earlier version that I got around 2014(?) Still sitting in my cellar. This one was only matured in olorosso casks. Enjoyed the review (as always ). Cheers.
Bought a bottle back in April as a Lockdown whisky, so in however many years it is that I open it, I can say "when I bought this, almost the entire world was frozen in its tracks". We're now pretty much back to normal in New Zealand, no cases at all, but borders still closed.
I'm looking for a dominant Tobacco nose and finish, but I would like the recommendations to be of a more dry Tobacco rather than sweet Tobacco and the bonus would be an oily finish. So please recommend me some good whisky to try no matter if it's a blend, single malt, or a bourbon.
Disappointed in the malt mark, was hoping it would be higher, but a phenomenal break down Ralfy!
Yup; I have one bottle left of the previous release. No intention of selling it though.
Ralfy, since discovering your channel, I have watched many of your videos. So informative and comfortable to listen to. Having somehow always knowing I would like scotch ( maybe my Scottish/Irish heritage) I finally have been able to sip and enjoy to flavors instead of just shotting down liquor. Guess that comes with age. Look forward to your future posts.
. . . thanks for watching.
I wonder if in twenty or thirty years folk will look back at the wealth of whisky made today and reminisce over how much better it was back then?
Been on the look out, appreciate the re-review. My local retailer only carries the 12 and the 21, and no shipping where I'm located. I'll have to ask if they can special order for me next time I'm in the shop.
For Billy Walker fans, you can still get some Glendronach 18 year olds from 2017/2018, think thats the year he left.
Curious about your opinion, when you get to reviewing the new core range of Old Pulteney.
Got a bottle of the 15yo at Christmas and was a tad disappointed. Still an enjoyable whisky but found I preferred the 12yo. Think I’ll try the Hielan next
I truly wish these whiskies would put all the info on the label. Although most of the time I know whether a malt is an integrity malt, on the odd independent I can forget. And the problem is that with my collection I have a tradition that once the bottle is opened the packaging is chucked. It doesn't matter how fancy, I chuck it, and all the open bottles sit together naked in a dark cool place. I've been doing it for decades. Why do I do it? No clue. But that is why I wish all the relevant info was on the label. LOL. Actually that is all true.
A beautiful dram!
I must be a masochist to keep watching GD 15 reviews that just remind me of what we've lost, it's a sort of reverse nostalgia
Ralfy can be quite "partial" with his scores sometimes...
so how does it compare to the modern Alerdice 18 years that used to beat the 18 year Mccallun by a mile in price and taste
The Allardice wins over the Macallan 18.
Can it compare, the 18 is 23/24 pure Oloroso, the closest would perhaps be the oldest 15 revivals when they were around 20/21. I bought one 18 last year and bought 5 more that I stashed because it was adorable, bottled July/2019. (Knocks the socks off my other sherry whiskies, but it is almost a dram you drink at special occasions, due to the fragrance and intense palate).
Have one of these open and thanks to a great malt mate I also have a 2oz sample of the old oloroso only version. The new one is good but very different from the older one which reminds me a lot of the 18. Very curious what will happen to the 18 going forward ? Will there be PX casks added to the 18 like they have done to all the others ? Time will tell!
I had a dram of the old version, while watching the Video. It's one of my absolut favorites.
Absolut? You don't look like a vodka guy :-O
Be well, Ralfy
I've been watching a long time
I still quite enjoy Glendronach, even the newer releases. I do have a 15 Revival from 2015 that I am holding on to.
Ralfy, you brushed past something very quickly that I'd love to hear more about. You said that the palates in mainland Europe is more refined than ours because of our diet of breakfast cereal. I'd really love to hear more about what you mean by that.
Hi Ralfy.
Old Revival... new Revival,
both great, old better.
In sherry we trust.
*Slàinte*
It's interesting Ralfy that you say this is less complex than it used to be. I had a bottle of this when they brought it out again around Christmas 2018. I'd say to me it seemed more complex than it used to be.
I thought the old Revival whilst a very good whisky was a bit overrated. I thought it was bit cloying and over-sherried. Whereas I found the re-re-released 15 was a bit less sherry forward and had a bit more complexity as a result.
Of course it could just be that it's a good few years and many malts between first bottle and second and my palate is more developed now.
Spot on
Ralfy, I'd love to hear your opinion of last year's Allardice that was reported to be 23yr whisky.
Set the cat amongst the pigeons there Ralfy with that score. Keeping us on our toes.
Happy Malty Monday Dear Sir!
Came back to the 12. Mmm, I like it much more now.
Had this in one of my reviews, but together with the old 15 in comparison. I totally agree with you: the older version imho was so outstanding (as you mentioned due to the older casks they had to use due to period of production stopp). The new one still a good Whisky but somehow modern, arbitrary...?
i started my more "serious" whisky journey after getting one of these older bottles in 2014.... immediately bought a second one back then ^^ ... and now that i also tried the new release my reaction was quite the same: competent malt, but nothing special. sad, that i didn't build a stack of these older releases. they were even cheaper than todays bottles :(
just opened this, it will need a little work but it will be worth it.
Hi Ralfy. Great review, thank you, I have been waiting for this one. I had a "classic" bottle set aside and I have compared them and I agree with your take on the differences. I am curious, though, that the old and new labels look identical to me. Can you see a difference between the new and old bottle labels?
‘New’ version matured in Oloroso and PX casks. ‘Old’ version is just Oloroso. Says so on the label.
Looking forward to the extras!
ive got an old version of this tucked away, for a special occasion.
Great stuff, Ralfy! Your thoughts mirror my own from my review 550 and our scores are in the ballpark. Now the question everybody wants the answer to, Ralfy: How many old Revivals did you buy for your closet(which we haven’t seen for ages btw)?🤣
Cheers🥃🥃🥃🥃
Mark
. . . just a few.
I certainly do find your extras very interesting.
In fact I would say that I like them more than the whiskey reviews themselves. Not that I don't like whiskey reviews, it's just that the extras are very informative and are about more varied subjects.
87 to the Hielan, and 84 to the Revival?
I really quite like the Hielan... but it is no where near as good as the 15. It is a nice table whisky. A daily sipper. My 15 comes out every once in a great while
Ridiculous score. Ralphy is rapidly disappearing up his own arse unfortunately.
What Sherry whiskies do you recommend?
One thing I feel let's this down the branding the font of the brand name. The over busy label. It really let's down the product.
So I guess a review of Glanallachie 15YO is now coming soon? Also 46%, also NCF, also natural colour, also oloroso + PX influence, the new Billy Walker's showcase whisky.
I bought the 10 cs, the 12, the 15 and the 18. In my opinion, the 10 cs batch 3 is best, followed by the 12. The 15 and the 18 were both weak in nose and taste and quite on the bitter/sour end, quite disappointing for what you pay. They need better casks over there or something. IMO they are behind Glendronach in terms of taste and enjoyment in all age groups.
the older batches few years back have older whiskies than the stated age but not the recent batches. Still a good whisky. 84-85 marks, fair.
Are those multi-wall drinking glasses worth the money? Or is it just a gimmick? I keep seeing the adverts. Seemed kind of pricey.
@Ralphy Will your book ever come to kindle? I live far a long, long ways from an English bookstore and have to buy all my books digitally. I've been wanting to read your new book for months now
. . . sorry to say that I had big problems with Amazon accepting my location, so I had to remove the e-book. I hope to try and upload it again at the end of the year.
What is your opinion of Ardbeg "Wee Beastie"
. . . not been able to buy a bottle yet.
Glenfuk🤣🤣🤣
Great review though and I'm away to buy a bottle👌👍🥃
Ralfy, are there any currently available standard expressions from any Scotch distiller that are close to the 2011 Glendronach 15 Revival?
. . . Kilkerran and Springbank
Tamdhu 👍
Ledaig.
You mean in quality of cask/maturation or style? Btw ,why 2011 specifically? 2012-2015 are not much different.
Hey, Ralfy, where can one buy your book online?
Stori poli nosie nosie no shakie shakie #tea spoon 😉 great man all the time you’re delivering u’re journey the way most of us enjoy and the way it should be .... tnx mate
Well, it's a different whisky. Not worse, not better - different. Personally, I like both of them equally, although for different reasons. Interestingly, very few people pick up the subtle peaty component in the nose of the new Revival - it is easily noticeable when you taste the whisky in a cognac snifter.
I wasted a couple of these bad boys, truly remarkable whisky, glad to see it’s back after some years!
It’s not ‘back’ it’s a different composition 😕
I've got a bottle stashed here from 2015. Do I have a different bottling than this one ?
. . . yes, better.
@@thewhiskybothy Yeah I remember buying two of them back in 2015. Drank one, stashed one. The mouthfeel was incredibly creamy.
Hielan 87 points and this 84 points? It's more the other way around. Personally I prefer the 18 by far.
Don’t listen to ralfy’s review every time just see other mass people’s average review and they say 15 is 4.4/5 so go get it .
I kind of understand that score. The Hielan punches above its weight and is a fine 8 year old and far cheaper.
5:25 Was that nearly a Glenfucklas? That's a whisky I would buy! XD
Great video
Thank you =)
Ralfy ! I do not like your 84 mark 😡. But I respect you, so I respect your mark. I’d give it close to 90 and I’d take this any day over the Tamdhu 15. Ps I agree with what you’re saying about comparing to the superlative older revival 15.
Sipping on my 3rd bottle of Glendronach 15 Rachel Barrie...I prefer it over the Billy Walker one...this whisky is sublime
This or Glenfarclas 15?
This. Best 15 year hands down. Beautiful stuff. Ralfy missed the mark. More oak and bitter chocolate doesnt mean better.
In my opinion, you missed the mark on this one, a measly 84 for this kind of whisky?
And you gave Deanston 15 an 86 Integrity malt mark, here you did not even bother to use that card.
Don't be afraid to say what the problem is, because the score reflect that you want to punish Glendronach for doing something.
The whisky is lovely, and there are few to no other 15 year old whiskies at this price point that can touch it in terms of taste and flavor.
Too bad about the old revival, but that is dead and gone. This edition needs to be judged for what it is now, not what it was before (totally different and OLDER than the label, limited edition whisky).
I really feel that the score did not reflect the review here, you seem pissed off about something, but it is not clear what that is.
I agree, 84 points is rather low for Ralfy standards. I don't get it. Whats up Ralfy?
So this new GD 15 yo isnt that great. Only have one bottle of the old stuff left :(
Going to open the first of my 4 bottles of the GlenDronach 15yo Revival this fall. _They're all pre-mothball !_
Isn't Revival originally a post-mothball whisky, hence its name?
@@KNURKonesur Sorry, yes, I should have said more precisely: _"They're all 1st edition and therefore contain pre-mothball whisky !"_
4 bottles would last me a year, watch your liver there. :)
@@helinophoto Read again. It's in the singular 😇
Soteriologist aaaaaaaahhhh now I see it 😂
Glendronach 15 2020..I'm in love...not too much not too little...you are beautiful
how many he gave to an old one?
Somewhere in the 90’s. Also it was his whisky of the year.
Too bad Glendronach 15 is no longer available in the current market, unless if a store/business kept one or two hidden in their stash then you may get your hands on one, but good luck with that😁
Gone. All gone. Missed many opportunities to get them on the cheap. Only once at a total wine, at $100. Could have had a case if I’d driven 400 miles to another store. Another missed chance. Ended up over paying in an auction site. Bought 4, drank one. Back to your point though. Naw, none of the old are left. Collectors made sure of that. Anything’s possible though. With the labels looking the exact same, gotta check the dates on the back.
Who's given a thumbs down for this video? Perhaps they work at Macallan...
I much preferred the older 15 year old to the new one. Sadly the new one is not nearly as nice as the older one.
Sorry Ralfy, but 84 is too less for this whisky, it is one of the best, if not the best 15 years that i ever tasted, just compare it to your other scores.. it should have an 87 or 88 i think
Whisky trick: by "accident" you put a little too much water in your whisky. You have to compensate that with pouring more ... (you get it) ... 🙂 🙂 Just a joke.