The label IS the contract and as a huge fan of the Glendronach product I concur with Perth, Glendronach will be bought again when the Non Chill Filtered statement is printed on The Contract.
I agree for 100%!! Additional remark: In the EU we have a so called „labelling obligation“. In other words it is mandatory to print on the label „E 150“ in case they use „caramel“ for colouration.
Hats off to you Ralfy on the professional, factual, polite and courteous manner by which you responded to Glendronach's communication albeit it seems they only confirmed everything you had previously said and there were no actual inaccuracies ... NONE! Dear Glendronach, first of all I commend you for addressing this matter in a polite way and for following up on what Ralfy has previously said on his video about the change in direction you have sadly decided to take. Might I state however, your communications only reinforced what Ralfy had said and there were no inaccuracies. What made us love your range of single malts were the fact they were non-chill filtered and natural colour with no additives and that is what made them so delicious. That and the glowing reviews by Ralfy and other whisky reviewers who like us all share the same ideas and principles and are disheartened by the fact you have now taken this decision and following the path of most other distilleries run by conglomerates unlike the privately owned and independently run distilleries. Us fans of Glendronach like Ralfy are also of the opinion Chill Filtration, reducing ABV % and the possibility of added colouring will dilute the quality. We know this due to tasting hundreds of single malts and seeing other brands follow this direction which inevitably leads us to abandoning them as the chill filtered stuff always pales in comparison to the previous unadulterated versions. There are also a lot of alternatives around that do preserve integrity in their releases by not following this path. We hope to see you reverse this decision and continue the previous manner of integrity bottlings by having: 1. No colour additives, 2. No chill filtration, 3. An ABV of 46% and higher and 4. Using the highest quality casks possible to mature your distillate in. Kind Regards, James
I could not agree more. Neither could I get these points across in a better way. I don't just like to enjoy a drink. I am most happy if the dram lets you get a taste of the love, the dedication, the honesty and the integrity of the distillery and their staff which is represented by the quality of the product. Colouration and chill filtration are two examples of heading for the opposite direction.
As a fan of this channel, and being the exact kind of customer GlenDronach should want to keep happy, the kind who spends thousands of dollars a year on high-quality Scotch and other spirits, I would strongly suggest that they listen to us and the advice offered here, and continue to provide us the kind of products which we want to purchase over-and-over again, and which allow us to continue to justify the ever-increasing prices of these bottles.
Non-chill filtration is a selling point for a reason. Even brands who chill-filter there official releases will often release special "non-chill" editions, precisely because they *know* that it is a MORE DESIRABLE presentation!
Hi Ralfy. Nice to see that you're not intimidated by this situation and that you calmly and clearly presented your side of the story. It's always better to take the high ground as you do and deal with things as they come.
Here’s a little ditty for the poetically minded: There once was a scotch called Glendronach That was nectar designed for a monarch, But one day in a coma They chillfiltered its aroma, And set all its fans running from it! Cheers.
Come on Glendronach, please listen to the overwhelming feedback of the fans and the reviewers such as Ralfy and reverse the decision to chill filter your wonderful whisky.
Some person in your team has decided to chill filter.Change for the sake of change is never a smart move. I only drink un-chillfiltered natural colour Scotch Whisky. If you go ahead with chill filtration I will not buy your product it is as simple as that. Thank you Ralfy for helping to keep the "bastards" honest.
I’ve grown to not care about age statements. Laphroaig Lore, Ardbeg Uigeadail, Arran Quarter or Sherry Cask just from the top of my head / shelf are great examples of exceptional quality malts without age statements. :)
@@SniperMayer I don't necessarily care about age. But I have come to learn that it's a very good indication of if company is being shady or not. If they are adding a couple percent then they are probably doing everything else in there power to make the best product they can. It goes the other way to. Under 40. Huge red flag. You know they are cutting corners everywhere possible
@@CouchCommander5000 i totally agree & prefer transparrency, no matter what it is - i can handle the truth !! :). The drams highlighted by SniperMayer i would agree with are all drinks i like, but it takes time to trust a distilliery, and i buy these NAS because i do so. GL
Dear Ralfy, thanks for your efforts in this case, really appreciated ! Dear Glendronach representatives, there are many reasons, why your brand has been my favourite on the single malt market for close to 20 years now, please consider to keep up the quality that has managed to convice so many of us in the past ! Yes, we had to take price increases in the past years, but still the products from your label were well worth the price....if the quality drops, some of your dedicated customers sure will walk away and the magic that surrounds your label soon will fade away. Best regards from Germany !
As far as i understand the video GD still doenst chill filter its whiskys. They decided to not put the information on the lable and ralfy criticises that if its not on the lable it doesnt count. Well he counts the letter from GD as official. But the problem is that they can chill filter now if they want, because its off the lable. I higly doubt that marketing decision. Put Information on the lable an be transperent.
@@BiBaBeluBaB Well, they did not refute Ralfy's claim that they had started chill-filtering their whisky, and given they've removed it from the label, unless they state otherwise I think it's fair to assume they are doing it.
Glendronach, I am a resident of Texas and discovered your whisky purely by accident several years ago. A close friend of mine was celebrating the birth of his first child, and had a bottle of Glendronach 18 yr Allardice that he had purchased from a previous trip to Scotland. He shared a dram with me and I was simply blown away by the quality of the whisky! Since then, I have become a huge fan of Glendronach and have recommended your products to numerous folks. Ralfy has taught me nearly everything I know about single malt Scotch, and I have always admired Glendronach's commitment to quality by bottling un-chill filtered and naturally colored whisky, at least until I saw your recent press release. If you continue to produce bottles by the previous standard, you will have a loyal lifelong customer in me. However, if you choose to go down the path of chill filtration and/or using artificial coloring, I cannot in good conscience recommend your products to friends any longer.....particularly when so many of your competitors are producing outstanding quality integrity bottlings of whisky without these overly commercial-styled techniques. I truly hope to see the words "Non-Chill Filtered" on every bottle of Glendronach moving into the future. As long as that is the case, there will always be multiple bottles in my cabinet.
Loud applause!! Glendronach brought themselves in this difficult situation. They can turn it either to the good or to the worse. No between. Well done Ralphy!
Glendronach and other Whiskey companies need to know that those of us that fellow Ralfy really influence a lot of whisk(e)y drinkers. My friends know that I'm the Scotch Nerd and they come to me for advice, like I'm sure a lot of others here in the comments friends do the same. Our opinions matter more then they think. Between the Whisky Channels on UA-cam and those of us that fellow them religiously we move the Whiskey Industry. Keep us happy...
Well said Ralfy. When I introduced my 2 grown up sons to the world of malt whisky it was the Glendronach range that got them hooked. We regularly enjoy a Glendronach together. But after this decision my 2 sons both said they are looking forward to choosing a Glendronach replacement with me. Enough said
I think it is safe to say most of us here look for 46%, non-chill filtered and no e150a. When we see distilleries committed to those principles it makes it easier to support them with our purchases. When we see a distillery that leaves any of those qualities ambiguous it makes it easier to move on to someone that doesn't. Well said and well done, Ralfy.
One of the strongest, most honest comments of any issue in any industry I've heared in years! Really, really valuable work! This only can happen, if a Independent commentator knows his stuff and the problems regarding it. Touché, Ralfy!
Nicely done, Ralfy - thanks and cheers! Glendronach: Your single malts have been among my favourites for years now. PLEASE don't start chill filtering your otherwise excellent whiskies! You are obviously free to do so, but if you do, I will take my business to better distilleries and presentations in the future.
Genius! Always get it in writing when they want to “talk” or record the conversation. I think this video is more of a clarification than a correction. I visited the distillery in July 2019 and brought home a hand filled cask strength non-chillfiltered natural color bottle. It’s the only whisky I’ve ever given 100 points.
I'm from Germany and bought the 18yr and 21yr old Glendronach multiple times in the last years. I'm not a collector of Whisky. I buy the bottles to enjoy them with friends and family or have a dram in the evening at home. The bottlings of the 18yr and 21yr old have the quality and taste I'm looking for in a Whisky. If this changes I unfortunately have to say, that I will no longer put them on my shelf. Thank you Ralfy for all the effort and passion you put into your videos! Cheers
Thanks for sharing this with us. Made for every interesting content. It seems obvious to me that Glendronach wants to break into large markets where chill filtered whisky is preferred. Its unfortunate to people who liked their old way of bottling, but Glendronach is out to make money and appeal to the mass market... on to the next distillery.
Glenallachie is making a really good job but if i have to choose,edradour handles the sherry better than anyone,Caledonia and the natural sherry cask 2006/2008 are so good,as good as the 18 allardice is IMHO,Cheers Jeremy!
@@titanmalt5509 Having a dram of the Caledonia 12 right now! But add Tamdhu to that list. Really good stuff. I think in a few years they'll be the next GlenDronach.
Tamdu is a good shout, interestingly same ownership as Glengoyne which also doesnt do a bad job with sherry and seems a perfect candidate for integrity presentation to go to the next level.....they might see an opportunity here, could be interesting
Thank you Ralfy! I always appreciate your candor on whisky. You are truly an independent voice that helps me make educated decisions. With that said. I am a massive fan of Glendronach. I have enjoyed their products over the years very much. I feel like Glendronach 18 and 15 are my two favorite whisky's I have tried. With that said, you can definitely see the difference between the older bottlings and the newer ones. This is with no insult to the new crew creating Glendronach. I have the newer bottling as well and still enjoy it. However, it is fairly easy to understand that some of the changes they are planning are not a great idea. I have already seen the Glendronach 12 quality going downward to where I question having it around at all. This used to be a must-have for me at all times and was one way I introduced new people to amazing single malts. I am sad to see this happening as I would always believe that Glendronach as a superior product to Macallan. At this time, I cannot say this with good faith anymore. It is not to say the product isn't good, but it is not worth the, must buy it again immediately when the bottle is finished. Before the past year, I always have had a bottle of the 12, 15 and 18 on hand at all times. Going forward, I might keep the 15 on hand, but having all three around is no longer necessary as there are other better products out there that believe in tradition and keeping their quality standards. Cheers to all the Malt Mates!
Fantastic video, Ralfy. Open, honest and genuine consideration of all points raised. Especially appreciate the encouragement to listen to us dedicated enthusiasts who have the choice where we put our money.
While I haven’t been old enough to sample whiskeys for more than 5 years, I do believe I have gained sufficient knowledge to reply to a video such as this. I have a fairly large collection of single malts from around the world, and my all time favorite bottle of whiskey I have, and one I only bring out for the most special occasions and the best friends, is a bottle of 1996 Glendronach single cask. It was a birthday present from my uncle as it was distilled the year I was born. From my first dram, I was absolutely hooked on glendronach and bought a case of the 12 year, and five of the 15 and 18s because they were just so fine. I have nearly ran out of these, and realized it the day Ralfy’s video was uploaded and I was absolutely crushed. I have personally used your whiskeys as a bridge for people to get into scotch, or even just whiskeys in general. It’s with the heaviest of hearts, but I will not buy another bottle of these whiskeys if they are chill filtered or the proof gets reduced. I am able to find all of those boxes ticked with other distilleries, but was hanging on to Glendronach as it was the whiskey that started it all for me. Wish you all the best, Michael
Well done, sir! Glad to hear you're sticking to your guns and taking the high road. Being a massive Glendronach fan over many years, this change in direction breaks my heart. Unfortunately, I will not be buying any more products until the distillery reverts back to integrity bottlings (non-chill filtration, no colour-added, and ABV above 43%). With ever-increasing prices, we whisky aficionados will find other places to park our hard-earned money.
It takes years to build a good reputation and mere minutes to destroy it. Thanks Glendronach for all the exceptional malt moments. They will be missed.
I’m sure it’ll make a great base for barbecue sauce...lol...amazing how one man in a stone house on an island can have such an impact. Well done reminding corporates of the value of their customers - we do have many options.
Thankyou Ralfy for keeping us informed and we need to the distillery’s we love in check . I spend thousands on scotch and quality is #1 to me . Well done 👍🏻
Glendronach 18 Allardice was my first Scotch and will always remember the excitement of my wife finding a bottle on one of her trips. Please Brown Foreman do not change a thing since it is perfect in its current presentation. And a big thank you to you Rallfy for bringing this to the attention of those enjoy Single Malt Scotch.
I don’t usually leave comments on social media but after seeing this video (hats off to you Ralfy for rooting for us) I’m must admit that it’s perhaps the best opportunity to communicate my thoughts regarding this. Having had a bottle of Glendronach The Revival 15 years old I can genuinely say that’s it’s one of the BEST single malts I’ve ever had....and as whisky collector / enthusiast I have had some extraordinary ones. Yet, when it came to putting the cork back on after I finally finished that bottle I was genuinely grateful and sad at the same time. Grateful for having the amazing opportunity to experience a QUALITY single malt and sad that the bottle was finished. It’s a lasting impression which I remember every time I see a bottle of Glendronach at the liquor store. Those moments mean something it’s part of our memories for life. At the end of the day Glendronach it’s your decision, to do what you think is best. So I really do hope you read these comments ALL OF THEM because as Ralfy mentioned you will NOT obtain better information anywhere else. I trust you use this not just as feedback but genuine advice. But for now, all I hope for is that one day I will see that beautiful and elegant 15 year old Revival single on the shelf with all its bells and whistles. Anthony S.
Thank you Ralfy for addressing this and keeping it at the forefront of out thoughts! I still don't understand how Rachel Barrie went on Whiskycast and said nothing had changed.
Thank you Ralfy, to GD, I have a personal collection of dozens of GD bottles and enjoy them as a highlight of my Whisky journey. I have shared and recommended GD as the finest, examples of the heavily sherried category bar none. My friends and I have recognized the recent changes and are appalled at what amounts to a betrayal of customer trust and have stopped buying or recommending anything from GD. Nothing GD can say or promise will change this unless the bottle label once again informs us that the contents within are unmolested, and naturally presented.
I have some 50 odd bottles of Glendronach (various releases) and they will be the last I purchase unless I either come across older bottling’s or Glendronach reverses this unfortunate decision. The whole reason I was buying Glendronach was because it was excellent whisky that “checked all the boxes”. Without all the boxes checked I’ll pursue looking at other whisky brands and we all know there’s plenty of them - Ralfy named some proven alternatives. Keep up the good work Ralfy. This video and all that preceded it is proof that you and the whisky community makes a difference!
Thank you Ralfy for your effort in showing the industry that nothing else matters than real quality. Glendronach will soon realize that their plans won't work. So, Glendronach, step aside, take a look at all these comments and don't change your policy. Macallan once tried to and look at their reputation today. I'm a huge Single Malt Enthusiast for about 25 years now and only, ONLY, enjoy non-filtered, non-coloured whiskies with at least 43%Vol.
I used to love Glendronahch for what it was (the impeccable presentation) as a wonderful distillery producing wonderful expressions. This change in the chill-filtration policy is going to stop me from buying and eventually disconnect me from them. There is always more whisky. I'm glad that there are more and more distilleries that won't fall into this rabbit hole. Great video Ralfy. Thank you for the heads-up.
Brilliant, Ralfy, well done...and I share your doubts (for "stability" for instance). It is important also for the brands to answer, so I'm glad they did too. Looking forward to see what's next about this in your future videos...
Reflecting upon Ralfy's comments, one wonders if they meant consistency rather than stability. Those terms are rather interchangeable but are open to slightly different interpretations as seen here. As other distillers don't, (as per examples mentioned) then perhaps they are seeking a particular profile that such methods can more consistently produce. If so, then perhaps then would explain this in future communications to Ralfy.
@@MistakeNotMy I think you're right, those terms are ambiguous & similar...some companies did solve the E150a problem by selecting naturally darker casks or (what I suspect with the use of that new sneaky expression "cask imparted color" I mentioned in a video about a new Benriach) more wood tech, such as more charring, more wine cask using, etc...Now I really don't see any credible reason to remove chill filtration if speaking of "consistency" or "stability". The probable truth about it is that, at least for some references, some huge markets (Asia, and China to be more precise) don't wanna hear about chill filtered & uncoloured whiskies...This discussion might go further than Brown-Forman thought, but we'll see
After all of the "non-chill on the label" hype first took off, I went out and immediately bought a bottle, having realized I hadn't tried one before and it may be my last chance. I enjoyed it so much I convinced my brother to buy one as well. Im glad I did, and that I was able to experience it in its current presentation. I have to say that im disappointed to have discovered this so late in my whiskey drinking career, and while still possibly an "integrity" bottling for the time being, as someone currently getting their masters in marketing -- changes like this are never made without reason. I think your prediction of GD going the direction of macallan or glenfidich -- 40%, filtered, a duty-free name brand offering made to be an even more 'accessible' birthday-present-scotch is right on the nose.
A lot of people are buying GlenDronach now... So much so that I can't find any bottles. Everyone is stacking up on the old bottles. I think this might have been part of the reason for the switch. Too bad, I was not able to taste this whisky that was such a big sensation here on youtube. Soo many good reviews. (Notice the past tense.) I was ready to spend a lot of money for it.
I am probably one of your newest listeners, just over a year now. The 876 extras is one of my top episodes. When I purchase my single malt with my hard earned money I want the best I can afford! And I want every bit of flavor that comes from that spirit and cask . I don’t want anything taken away or anything added. Bravo Ralfy and thank you!
Thank You Ralfy! I love watching your videos. I always have an open bottle of Glendronach, I love the taste and the quality of It. If Brown Forman alters the process and lowers the quality, I might sadly replace Glendronach with a different single malt.
The mark of a superior product is integrity, quality, transparency, and authenticity. Ralfy, this video (like all your others) has these qualities in spades. Thank you for being a voice for the whisky drinker, and for providing a valuable perspective on my whisky journey. GlenDronach, please listen you your loyal customers leaving comments on this video. I do hope you reverse your decision to keep the integrity and quality of your product high. Whether or not you chill-filter your product you should state so on the label for transparency. I was very pleased to hear from a representative of the company that the product is indeed natural color, but you should state so on the label. The label is the contract. State clearly and with pride the quality of your product! I look forward to a follow up on the conversation between Ralfy and GlenDronach. It is so refreshing to hear from a distillery on these matters. I hope that this communication continues from GlenDronach and other distilleries as well! Well done Ralfy, and well done GlenDronach!
Thanks for this Extras review Ralfy. Honest and clear information as always, just trying to open the eyes of the big guys for all us Malt Mates out here who know and appreciate a good dram when we see/smell and taste one. Non-chill filtered. Natural colour. ABV 43% and above. Age statement. Always the best place to start.
I bought my Glendronach 18 year old from Amazon 2020...the other day I received a request from Amazon to answer the question they had from a perspective customer. The question was is the Glendronach 18 which you bought a)chill filtered and b) what ABV is it? (They also raised a good point as to which batch it was....there are three different codes on the bottle & box) Now all the above may not be unremarkable....but in the light of this Extras 876 and the points raised...it shows a concern from a prospective customer as to the stability & future of Glendronach’s products.
Thank you Ralfy for another high quality vlog. Glendronach has been one of my top 5 favorite malts. Glendronach has always been the malt with the extra "omf". Now, the good thing is that we have many other great malts to choose from. Slainte !
Dear Rachel Berry, recently had the opportunity to try a Glendronach Peated dram. It was a great experience and was happy to note it came with a bin that said the whisky was Non Chill Filtered. I am very hesitant to try future Glendronach whiskies that come with No statement of Non Chill Filtering either on the bin or the bottle, because it may possibly diminish my previous delightful experience. Therefore I’m sad to say I’m also hesitant to Purchase any future releases unless your policy about this subject will be reversed. With kind regards, and still holding fond memories of yesteryear Glendronachs.
Ralfy, you've done an excellent and very transparent job of bringing a producer into closer contact with its customers. Well done. As you've often mentioned in the past, the label on the bottle represents the contract between that producer and the buyer of the bottle. When it says "Non-chill filtered" that is a verifiable legal claim and a genuine bond with the customer's sense of goodwill. Break it at your peril! To Glendronach's PR dept and its board of directors I's just like to say this: I have 7 or 8 bottles of your product on my shelves in my private bar. I imagine they'll last me for about 5 years or so. After that, if your product has "unchillfiltered" on the label, I'll consider buying some replacements. If, however, you change the contract, then GlenDronach will disappear completely from future purchases. Any company in this business should be aware of the multi-faceted nature of the whisky market at present. We, as customers, have a panalopy of choices which can immediately replace those single malts which simply don't live up to expectations. So, Brown Foreman, do the right thing by those who've shown brand loyalty over an extended period and drop any notion of reintroducing the chill filtering process. I'll be watching avidly for the next installment on this little saga. Well done, Ralfy! Cheers.
Superb video Ralfy...well thought out and sincerely presented. I absolutely love just about everything that Glendronach does, and I only hope that their motivation in whatever they do is directed towards maintaining their position as probably the single best whisky producer out there.
Keep up the great work Ralfy! This Whisky has become a favorite of mine and at its price point is indeed a competitor for one of the best. It is truly an outstanding dram. Glendronach reaching out, responding etc. Shows that they care about their product and is reputation. That said if you reach out, communicate, then fail to listen to your consumers it is all for not.
went back to your review 872, already seen it. Must admit I loved your "rant", forgetting the names, even the second time. So honest, nothing like you would get from the "communication team". This PR, politic, BS is every where these days. So often we don't see through it. I find I cannot even watch the news on TV these days, I spend more time here on you tube these days. Please, please keep your work going.
You are spot on Ralfy. I saw your video some time ago and saw no stepping over the line in your commentary on a lack of the key statements on GD labels. I would interpret it the same way.
Thank you for the update and the 'clarity'. If I have it right, everything will stay the same but they are adding a cost to the process for a perceived problem that is questionable at best. Okay.
Glendronach, Non-chill filtration is an absolute for this whisky consumer. I also run whisky tastings have have a number of real-world followers. Personally, I am less concerned than Ralfy is by the addition of colourings. It won’t stop me buying a whisky, like chill filtration will, but it does nothing for me. I prefer natural. In my opinion Glendronach was becoming one of the best. That has stalled at present but I know these things come and go. For example talisker and ardbeg have both had dives for a time. I am hoping Glen Dronach reclaims the path you were on. I suspect one factor in your decision may have been the availability of good casks. You managed a couple of great years a while ago, and haven’t quite reached that quality since. I appreciate great casks are rarer now. I wish you all the best for the future from someone who wants to drink and promote Glen Dronach at its best again one day.
Thanks for the video Ralfy. To Glendronach. I have been a fan of your single malts for some time. Mostly the 15, 18 and cask strength offerings. I always have a bottle of Glendronach open and always have a couple of unopened bottles ready to replace the open bottle when it is emptied. I buy whisky every month. And almost exclusively only buy whisky that is natural colour, unchillfiltered and at least 46% abv. I will no longer be buying Glendronach until you reverse your decision to chill filter your whiskies. The money I would have spent on Glendronach whiskies will be spent elsewhere. I'm sure you do not have customers telling you they won't buy your products unless you chill filter. But you do have many customers, people who already spend their money on your products telling you they will no longer buy Glendronach until you reverse the decision to introduce chill filtration to your products. So I would urge you to listen to your customers and reconsider the decision to chill filter your single malts.
Ralfy, you are the supreme Malt Mentor. Thank you for educating me in a most entertaining manner on all things Scotch whisky. I sincerely hope the corporate powers do not threaten your expression of insightful opinions which enable me to make better choices when I am confronted by so many competing brands at the liquor store.
Hello Ralfy, I recently attended a tasting of some Brown Forman whiskies (Glendronach and Benriach) here in San Francisco. I know the local rep, a very knowledgeable Scots lad, and ask him about all this. He seemed a bit disappointed in it, but admitted that the whisky is now chill filtered. It was his understanding that the reason this was now happening was (at least partly) due to the fact that an Asian distributor who has been a major customer was in the habit of storing the whisky in warehouses that were not climate-controlled and it would often bake during hot summers. Evidently the distributor was constantly trying to return product because it had gone off. I guess they decided that rather than trying to convince someone on the other side of the planet to properly handle the product, it was easier to do what they could on their end. Consumers in Asia likely purchase far more of their whisky than a handful of us whisky anoraks, so guess who gets catered to! Cheers!
. . . So, the 'Asian Importer' knows so little about whisky, that they cook the cases in hot warehouses, and then claim it has 'gone off'. I smell Bullshit. Patronising, condescending Bullshit. Sounds like a P.R. jobs-worth dreamed up that one.
@@thewhiskybothy Just passing on what I heard from their rep. He strikes me as an honest guy who is passionate about whisky, and not a corporate shill. Don't think he would be knowingly passing on BS that was concocted by a marketing department. At any rate, it did motivate me to find a bit of the old-style 12 and stock up. After that, time to keep up the hunt for something new.
@@jessefisher819 . . . I totally agree with you, he's a decent guy doing his job, but unfortunately his bosses are giving him a dodgy script. When I last heard this story, the asian importers apparently poured all the whisky into the river because it was 'faulty' then smashed the bottles !!!
@@thewhiskybothy That certainly sounds like a bit of "dramatic embellishment!" But I agree, it certainly could be a script handed down to the field reps for use when they get needled on the subject. After all, it is always helpful to be able to shift the blame to a third party for a potentially unpopular decision. But then, nothing in life stays the same for long, including our favorite drams. When one of mine takes a dive I just try to look at is as motivation to search for a replacement. Glendronach was my Macallan replacement, time to get to work again!
Thank you Ralfy for a great video, and for a powerful message. And thank you for the caliber of your integrity. It is devastating that such a superb distillery goes down that road. I will not purchase a chill-filtered Glendronach. Several weeks ago, I wrote to the distillery, and got a standard PR reply. They had the audacity to write that chill filtration will enhance the product's quality. I will not buy Glendronach anymore. There are many great options, like Glenallachie.
Thank you for the excellent analysis, Ralfy! Glendronach is a favorite distillery of mine and it was disappointing to learn of the planned backslide in quality in terms of chill-filtration of this product. I cannot see myself purchasing a chillfiltered version. Living in the national capital area, these newer non-integrity bottlings will be moldering on store shelves all over DC, MD, and VA as informed customers move towards other options.
Well done ralfy expertly handled, really appreciate the transparency. As someone who e mailed glendronach personally, it’s interesting to see how they reply to a public figure with influence rather than just the public. Thanks for giving us a voice in this ralfy. A point I would like address with them is if as a company you have a set standard you don’t need “flexibility” your product meets the standard or it does not, simple.
Agreed. This isn't a marriage, this is the marketplace. If one has been loyal to a high-quality product for a long time, then that product quality takes a dive, then walk away. Exactly like you said, plenty of other great whiskeys out there, all one has to do is go through Ralfy's channel to find more than enough (Arran, Tomatin, etc).
As a Brown Foreman shareholder (BF-A), I can confirm it's not a "family controlled" business like Glenfraclas is. I honestly couldn't care less either way - as long as they keep doing what they're doing. I don't buy Scotch, Rum or [obviously] Bourbon with added color, so I like their adherence to that natural color policy. I also happen to love the whisky itself; at least the 12, 15 and 21 year. I'm sure if I ever find a bottle of the 18 year, I'll love that too.
Honestly I’ve not enjoyed a ralfy review like I did this one in some time. Glendronach is a very respected name in single malt whisky. I would always appreciate the transparency and accuracy on their labels and in their products. When I’m educating newly interested whisky drinkers, these details are important and they are taught to look for them. Glendronach you would do well to keep the trust of your loyal customers because these values and ideals are passed on to future generations and customers to come. Well done ralfy.
I, and many members of the Facebook Scotch Addicts group, have contacted Glendronach directly, expressing our concerns that they will chill-filter their whisky. I was so worried about that back when Brown-Forman acquire GD, Glenglassaugh, and BenRiach. They seem to waffle on that, with their statement about keeping their options open for improving "stability" of their product. I want to see on the packaging if it IS or IS NOT chill-filtered, rather than wondering from bottle to bottle what is what??? Whisky prices have exploded; I am looking to distillers to have their quality keep pace!! I'll be looking to Billy Walker at GlenAllechie, or Springbank, Bruichladdich and others who take Scotch traditions seriously. Thanks Ralfie! You're The Man!
I wonder, from a PR perspective, why they flapped like wet hens ? You gave a balanced, measured and overall positive overview. And your response was equally measured. I got curious and looked at the Companies House filing for Glendronach and Benriach. And I think anyone looking at the Benriach filing will see for themselves. Alternatively they had hoped you would take to brandishing the water spoon and gesticulating wildly at the camera. Salvador Dali didn't read his reviews. He weighed them. Top notch as always.
Well said Ralfy and Good on Glendronach for watching ralfy reviews and can I say I’m unstable and that how I like my whisky unstable and Un chill filtered
So much for the "craft-presentation" 🤣 Fortunately, there's a lot of worth to buy whiskies elsewhere: 1. Single Casks (does GlenDronach even remember what it means?) 2. Non chill filtered - craft presented whiskies. Thank you Ralfy for that great video. I wrote plenty of The GlenDronach reviews. Now I bought a bottle of a new Revival (2021) to compare them with a bit older edition. But it's going to be an experiment. I won't buy GlenDronach if it won't be un-chill filtered for me to sip.
I work in retail and wholesale for wines and spirits and have done for 6 years now. We are a small independent and people come to us for our knowledge, experience and recommendations. (Ralfy has really helped on the knowledge part and in fueling my passion over the years). More and more people are asking us specifically for non-chillfiltered and naturally coloured products. (Plus non sugared rums and wines with more natural presentation) Our website works on a tag system where we tag every product that says it is natural colour or non-chillfiltered. For us this is is real selling point and it does mean the difference in a lot of cases to whether a bottle sells or goes back on the shelf. For us, the move towards chill-filtration is a step backwards. We will still be selling the new presentation when it comes through but the tag will have to be removed from the website and in store the whisky will lose part of its sales pitch and potentially physical sales because of that.
Ralfy, the primary objective of a corporation in the United States is to maximize shareholder wealth in the long-run. Voting rights ABSOLUTELY matter. Of course this can be open to interpretation. One might argue that chill filtration could have a positive or negative impact on the bottom line. That said, the focus of BF and indeed any publicly traded company is to make steps to put more money in the pockets of their shareholders. Marketing, product quality, PR, all of these things are tools in their tool belt but they’re under a great deal of pressure to produce quarterly results. I’m a huge Glendronach fan; I have a dozen expressions, most of which have Billy Walker on the tube. The Glendronach communication team, in my opinion, should be focusing more on educating uninformed consumers on why a NCF and natural colored product means a better and higher quality whisky experience. Instead, they’ve chosen to use their resources to spin facts to justify their narrative, which all comes down to $ and little else.
Thank you Ralfy, for this valuable sharing of information. Also to Glendronach for caring enough. I will surely share some of this info in my channel as well. Cheers.
No big problem here GlenDronach if clarity is what you're after; State it on the label if: If your whisky has colour added. If your whisky doesn't have colour added. If your whisky chilfiltered, partially chilfiltered, or unchilfiltered. Clarity cuts both ways and helps us all make the right purchasing decisions. Excellent extras information Ralfy.
Quote: They have asked me very civilly and "professionally".... Then as Ralfy reads the first email... at 4:50 there are words missing... and again at the end of the email. Hmm as I watched my thoughts were "they sure know how to make whisky but the professionalism of the PR people leaves a bit to be desired." As usual, Ralfy displays himself to be a very knowlegable and caring person in this update. Will be watching with interest to see what develops.
Great insights, ralfy. Thanks for being the correspondent and voice of the people. Definitely want to see un-chill filtered and natural colour right on the label. Public stocks while only the family votes is fine, BUT it means the ethic of the company could change at any moment.
Well said Ralfy! If Field & Fawcett still have a bottle of the Glendronnach peated at £39.99 this Friday I will buy it with confidence. I got a bottle about 16 months ago from the Whisky shop in Cried on my travels. It was so lovely, my wife and I had consumed it after a few months. I have looked for it since, know I've seen it at my named York store. (F & F are outstanding wine and spirit stockists). Nick from York
Ralfy, this is simply top class stuff. I could rage on telling you what I liked, but that would take me at least 24:51 minutes to complete ;-). Hats off!
The label is the contract! I will buy GlenDronach again when it clearly says on the bottle: "Non-chill filtered, natural colour."
👍
Natural colour can be very misleading surely it should say no added colour?
The label IS the contract and as a huge fan of the Glendronach product I concur with Perth, Glendronach will be bought again when the Non Chill Filtered statement is printed on The Contract.
This exactly!
I agree for 100%!! Additional remark: In the EU we have a so called „labelling obligation“. In other words it is mandatory to print on the label „E 150“ in case they use „caramel“ for colouration.
You chill filter your whisky I chill filter my money, just to keep stability of my purchase choices.
🤣🤣
Spot on
lmao so true
👍🏻👍🏻
Poetic Justice! 🤣🙌✨
Hats off to you Ralfy on the professional, factual, polite and courteous manner by which you responded to Glendronach's communication albeit it seems they only confirmed everything you had previously said and there were no actual inaccuracies ... NONE!
Dear Glendronach, first of all I commend you for addressing this matter in a polite way and for following up on what Ralfy has previously said on his video about the change in direction you have sadly decided to take. Might I state however, your communications only reinforced what Ralfy had said and there were no inaccuracies.
What made us love your range of single malts were the fact they were non-chill filtered and natural colour with no additives and that is what made them so delicious. That and the glowing reviews by Ralfy and other whisky reviewers who like us all share the same ideas and principles and are disheartened by the fact you have now taken this decision and following the path of most other distilleries run by conglomerates unlike the privately owned and independently run distilleries.
Us fans of Glendronach like Ralfy are also of the opinion Chill Filtration, reducing ABV % and the possibility of added colouring will dilute the quality. We know this due to tasting hundreds of single malts and seeing other brands follow this direction which inevitably leads us to abandoning them as the chill filtered stuff always pales in comparison to the previous unadulterated versions. There are also a lot of alternatives around that do preserve integrity in their releases by not following this path.
We hope to see you reverse this decision and continue the previous manner of integrity bottlings by having:
1. No colour additives, 2. No chill filtration, 3. An ABV of 46% and higher and 4. Using the highest quality casks possible to mature your distillate in.
Kind Regards,
James
Very well put James. Hopefully Glendronach is taking notes!
The non chill filtered stuff always pales in comparison to the previous unadulterated versions?????? Typo?
@@jackbackband7733 You are absolutely correct Typo indeed. Thank you for pointing that out, I have now corrected it mate.
@@jameseverett9035 That was quick!!!
I could not agree more. Neither could I get these points across in a better way. I don't just like to enjoy a drink. I am most happy if the dram lets you get a taste of the love, the dedication, the honesty and the integrity of the distillery and their staff which is represented by the quality of the product. Colouration and chill filtration are two examples of heading for the opposite direction.
As a fan of this channel, and being the exact kind of customer GlenDronach should want to keep happy, the kind who spends thousands of dollars a year on high-quality Scotch and other spirits, I would strongly suggest that they listen to us and the advice offered here, and continue to provide us the kind of products which we want to purchase over-and-over again, and which allow us to continue to justify the ever-increasing prices of these bottles.
100%
Cash is King my friend. I'm not expecting them to be as good as it was under Billy's ownership.
Well said.
I fully agree!
Non-chill filtration is a selling point for a reason. Even brands who chill-filter there official releases will often release special "non-chill" editions, precisely because they *know* that it is a MORE DESIRABLE presentation!
Hi Ralfy. Nice to see that you're not intimidated by this situation and that you calmly and clearly presented your side of the story. It's always better to take the high ground as you do and deal with things as they come.
Here’s a little ditty for the poetically minded:
There once was a scotch called Glendronach
That was nectar designed for a monarch,
But one day in a coma
They chillfiltered its aroma,
And set all its fans running from it!
Cheers.
😢the sad truth! And it hurts
Come on Glendronach, please listen to the overwhelming feedback of the fans and the reviewers such as Ralfy and reverse the decision to chill filter your wonderful whisky.
Yeah they won’t listen it’s an American corporation that prioritises profit over quality
Some person in your team has decided to chill filter.Change for the sake of change is never a smart move. I only drink un-chillfiltered natural colour Scotch Whisky. If you go ahead with chill filtration I will not buy your product it is as simple as that. Thank you Ralfy for helping to keep the "bastards" honest.
I'm no expert. But I'll take non chill filtered, high ABV, an age statement, and no color added every time.
are you sure you are no expert lol? you know the difference & hit all the main points that us self respecting whisky lovers know and want. GL
I’ve grown to not care about age statements. Laphroaig Lore, Ardbeg Uigeadail, Arran Quarter or Sherry Cask just from the top of my head / shelf are great examples of exceptional quality malts without age statements. :)
@@SniperMayer I don't necessarily care about age. But I have come to learn that it's a very good indication of if company is being shady or not. If they are adding a couple percent then they are probably doing everything else in there power to make the best product they can. It goes the other way to. Under 40. Huge red flag. You know they are cutting corners everywhere possible
@@SniperMayer My Uigeadail has an age statement? 54.2%
@@CouchCommander5000 i totally agree & prefer transparrency, no matter what it is - i can handle the truth !! :). The drams highlighted by SniperMayer i would agree with are all drinks i like, but it takes time to trust a distilliery, and i buy these NAS because i do so. GL
Dear Ralfy, thanks for your efforts in this case, really appreciated !
Dear Glendronach representatives,
there are many reasons, why your brand has been my favourite on the single malt market for close to 20 years now, please consider to keep up the quality that has managed to convice so many of us in the past !
Yes, we had to take price increases in the past years, but still the products from your label were well worth the price....if the quality drops, some of your dedicated customers sure will walk away and the magic that surrounds your label soon will fade away.
Best regards from Germany !
Love this Ralfy. Keep these distilleries in check.
Thank you, Glendronach and Ralfy, for providing this exchange. Now, please reverse this terrible decision to chill filter your spirits.
As far as i understand the video GD still doenst chill filter its whiskys. They decided to not put the information on the lable and ralfy criticises that if its not on the lable it doesnt count. Well he counts the letter from GD as official. But the problem is that they can chill filter now if they want, because its off the lable.
I higly doubt that marketing decision. Put Information on the lable an be transperent.
@@BiBaBeluBaB Well, they did not refute Ralfy's claim that they had started chill-filtering their whisky, and given they've removed it from the label, unless they state otherwise I think it's fair to assume they are doing it.
@@MaltMuserWhisky ah ok. that make sense
Loved the video. Well done for sticking to your principles!
Glendronach, I am a resident of Texas and discovered your whisky purely by accident several years ago. A close friend of mine was celebrating the birth of his first child, and had a bottle of Glendronach 18 yr Allardice that he had purchased from a previous trip to Scotland. He shared a dram with me and I was simply blown away by the quality of the whisky! Since then, I have become a huge fan of Glendronach and have recommended your products to numerous folks. Ralfy has taught me nearly everything I know about single malt Scotch, and I have always admired Glendronach's commitment to quality by bottling un-chill filtered and naturally colored whisky, at least until I saw your recent press release. If you continue to produce bottles by the previous standard, you will have a loyal lifelong customer in me. However, if you choose to go down the path of chill filtration and/or using artificial coloring, I cannot in good conscience recommend your products to friends any longer.....particularly when so many of your competitors are producing outstanding quality integrity bottlings of whisky without these overly commercial-styled techniques. I truly hope to see the words "Non-Chill Filtered" on every bottle of Glendronach moving into the future. As long as that is the case, there will always be multiple bottles in my cabinet.
Thanks for going to bat for the little guy. You’re a gentleman and a scholar. Cheers.
Loud applause!! Glendronach brought themselves in this difficult situation. They can turn it either to the good or to the worse. No between. Well done Ralphy!
Glendronach and other Whiskey companies need to know that those of us that fellow Ralfy really influence a lot of whisk(e)y drinkers. My friends know that I'm the Scotch Nerd and they come to me for advice, like I'm sure a lot of others here in the comments friends do the same. Our opinions matter more then they think. Between the Whisky Channels on UA-cam and those of us that fellow them religiously we move the Whiskey Industry. Keep us happy...
Well said Ralfy. When I introduced my 2 grown up sons to the world of malt whisky it was the Glendronach range that got them hooked. We regularly enjoy a Glendronach together. But after this decision my 2 sons both said they are looking forward to choosing a Glendronach replacement with me. Enough said
I think it is safe to say most of us here look for 46%, non-chill filtered and no e150a. When we see distilleries committed to those principles it makes it easier to support them with our purchases. When we see a distillery that leaves any of those qualities ambiguous it makes it easier to move on to someone that doesn't. Well said and well done, Ralfy.
Well said Ralfy.
One of the strongest, most honest comments of any issue in any industry I've heared in years! Really, really valuable work! This only can happen, if a Independent commentator knows his stuff and the problems regarding it. Touché, Ralfy!
. . . just doing my bit for quality malt-moments !
Non chill filtered, natural color are the only single malts I’m buying. It’s quality, all the way.
Nicely done, Ralfy - thanks and cheers!
Glendronach: Your single malts have been among my favourites for years now. PLEASE don't start chill filtering your otherwise excellent whiskies! You are obviously free to do so, but if you do, I will take my business to better distilleries and presentations in the future.
Genius! Always get it in writing when they want to “talk” or record the conversation. I think this video is more of a clarification than a correction. I visited the distillery in July 2019 and brought home a hand filled cask strength non-chillfiltered natural color bottle. It’s the only whisky I’ve ever given 100 points.
This is a story about who your audience is; and reaching them where they are at.
I'm from Germany and bought the 18yr and 21yr old Glendronach multiple times in the last years. I'm not a collector of Whisky. I buy the bottles to enjoy them with friends and family or have a dram in the evening at home. The bottlings of the 18yr and 21yr old have the quality and taste I'm looking for in a Whisky. If this changes I unfortunately have to say, that I will no longer put them on my shelf.
Thank you Ralfy for all the effort and passion you put into your videos!
Cheers
Thanks for sharing this with us. Made for every interesting content. It seems obvious to me that Glendronach wants to break into large markets where chill filtered whisky is preferred. Its unfortunate to people who liked their old way of bottling, but Glendronach is out to make money and appeal to the mass market... on to the next distillery.
Glenallachie is making a really good job but if i have to choose,edradour handles the sherry better than anyone,Caledonia and the natural sherry cask 2006/2008 are so good,as good as the 18 allardice is IMHO,Cheers Jeremy!
@@titanmalt5509 Having a dram of the Caledonia 12 right now! But add Tamdhu to that list. Really good stuff. I think in a few years they'll be the next GlenDronach.
@@TasmaniaIsAHole Mark your words,having an arran sherry casks dram right now,cheers!
Well said!
Tamdu is a good shout, interestingly same ownership as Glengoyne which also doesnt do a bad job with sherry and seems a perfect candidate for integrity presentation to go to the next level.....they might see an opportunity here, could be interesting
Thank you Ralfy! I always appreciate your candor on whisky. You are truly an independent voice that helps me make educated decisions. With that said. I am a massive fan of Glendronach. I have enjoyed their products over the years very much. I feel like Glendronach 18 and 15 are my two favorite whisky's I have tried. With that said, you can definitely see the difference between the older bottlings and the newer ones. This is with no insult to the new crew creating Glendronach. I have the newer bottling as well and still enjoy it. However, it is fairly easy to understand that some of the changes they are planning are not a great idea. I have already seen the Glendronach 12 quality going downward to where I question having it around at all. This used to be a must-have for me at all times and was one way I introduced new people to amazing single malts. I am sad to see this happening as I would always believe that Glendronach as a superior product to Macallan. At this time, I cannot say this with good faith anymore. It is not to say the product isn't good, but it is not worth the, must buy it again immediately when the bottle is finished. Before the past year, I always have had a bottle of the 12, 15 and 18 on hand at all times. Going forward, I might keep the 15 on hand, but having all three around is no longer necessary as there are other better products out there that believe in tradition and keeping their quality standards. Cheers to all the Malt Mates!
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Great Whisky review and outstanding education of what we are experiencing in single malts now and in the future-cheers
Fantastic video, Ralfy. Open, honest and genuine consideration of all points raised. Especially appreciate the encouragement to listen to us dedicated enthusiasts who have the choice where we put our money.
While I haven’t been old enough to sample whiskeys for more than 5 years, I do believe I have gained sufficient knowledge to reply to a video such as this. I have a fairly large collection of single malts from around the world, and my all time favorite bottle of whiskey I have, and one I only bring out for the most special occasions and the best friends, is a bottle of 1996 Glendronach single cask. It was a birthday present from my uncle as it was distilled the year I was born.
From my first dram, I was absolutely hooked on glendronach and bought a case of the 12 year, and five of the 15 and 18s because they were just so fine. I have nearly ran out of these, and realized it the day Ralfy’s video was uploaded and I was absolutely crushed. I have personally used your whiskeys as a bridge for people to get into scotch, or even just whiskeys in general.
It’s with the heaviest of hearts, but I will not buy another bottle of these whiskeys if they are chill filtered or the proof gets reduced. I am able to find all of those boxes ticked with other distilleries, but was hanging on to Glendronach as it was the whiskey that started it all for me.
Wish you all the best,
Michael
Ralphy is the GOAT! no chill filter or no buy whisky
Well done, sir! Glad to hear you're sticking to your guns and taking the high road. Being a massive Glendronach fan over many years, this change in direction breaks my heart. Unfortunately, I will not be buying any more products until the distillery reverts back to integrity bottlings (non-chill filtration, no colour-added, and ABV above 43%). With ever-increasing prices, we whisky aficionados will find other places to park our hard-earned money.
It takes years to build a good reputation and mere minutes to destroy it. Thanks Glendronach for all the exceptional malt moments. They will be missed.
Ralfy- Best to settle in with a dram and get comfy.
Me- Well it's 2:30 if the afternoon, but I do value your opinion *cork popping sound*
It's Malt'o'clock somewhere in the world. You're just honoring that particular place right now.
I’m sure it’ll make a great base for barbecue sauce...lol...amazing how one man in a stone house on an island can have such an impact. Well done reminding corporates of the value of their customers - we do have many options.
"I don't think Springbank, and Bruichladdich, and Ardbeg, and Bunnahabhain have issues with 'stability'."
GET 'EM RALFY
go! go! Go!
Thankyou Ralfy for keeping us informed and we need to the distillery’s we love in check . I spend thousands on scotch and quality is #1 to me . Well done 👍🏻
Glendronach 18 Allardice was my first Scotch and will always remember the excitement of my wife finding a bottle on one of her trips. Please Brown Foreman do not change a thing since it is perfect in its current presentation. And a big thank you to you Rallfy for bringing this to the attention of those enjoy Single Malt Scotch.
I don’t usually leave comments on social media but after seeing this video (hats off to you Ralfy for rooting for us) I’m must admit that it’s perhaps the best opportunity to communicate my thoughts regarding this. Having had a bottle of Glendronach The Revival 15 years old I can genuinely say that’s it’s one of the BEST single malts I’ve ever had....and as whisky collector / enthusiast I have had some extraordinary ones. Yet, when it came to putting the cork back on after I finally finished that bottle I was genuinely grateful and sad at the same time. Grateful for having the amazing opportunity to experience a QUALITY single malt and sad that the bottle was finished. It’s a lasting impression which I remember every time I see a bottle of Glendronach at the liquor store. Those moments mean something it’s part of our memories for life. At the end of the day Glendronach it’s your decision, to do what you think is best. So I really do hope you read these comments ALL OF THEM because as Ralfy mentioned you will NOT obtain better information anywhere else. I trust you use this not just as feedback but genuine advice. But for now, all I hope for is that one day I will see that beautiful and elegant 15 year old Revival single on the shelf with all its bells and whistles. Anthony S.
Thank you Ralfy for addressing this and keeping it at the forefront of out thoughts! I still don't understand how Rachel Barrie went on Whiskycast and said nothing had changed.
Thank you Ralfy, to GD, I have a personal collection of dozens of GD bottles and enjoy them as a highlight of my Whisky journey. I have shared and recommended GD as the finest, examples of the heavily sherried category bar none. My friends and I have recognized the recent changes and are appalled at what amounts to a betrayal of customer trust and have stopped buying or recommending anything from GD. Nothing GD can say or promise will change this unless the bottle label once again informs us that the contents within are unmolested, and naturally presented.
All I ever want from Any brand is transparency. That's it. Love ya, Ralfy!
Fantastic work, Ralfy! Thanks for helping shed some light on this GlenDronach issue.
Fantastic as always Ralfy. Clear and concise and so much passion. Glendronach you need to listen to your customers
Thank You Ralfy!
Very sad story. Good Luck to GlenDronach!!!
I have some 50 odd bottles of Glendronach (various releases) and they will be the last I purchase unless I either come across older bottling’s or Glendronach reverses this unfortunate decision. The whole reason I was buying Glendronach was because it was excellent whisky that “checked all the boxes”. Without all the boxes checked I’ll pursue looking at other whisky brands and we all know there’s plenty of them - Ralfy named some proven alternatives. Keep up the good work Ralfy. This video and all that preceded it is proof that you and the whisky community makes a difference!
Thank you Ralfy for your effort in showing the industry that nothing else matters than real quality. Glendronach will soon realize that their plans won't work.
So, Glendronach, step aside, take a look at all these comments and don't change your policy. Macallan once tried to and look at their reputation today.
I'm a huge Single Malt Enthusiast for about 25 years now and only, ONLY, enjoy non-filtered, non-coloured whiskies with at least 43%Vol.
I used to love Glendronahch for what it was (the impeccable presentation) as a wonderful distillery producing wonderful expressions. This change in the chill-filtration policy is going to stop me from buying and eventually disconnect me from them. There is always more whisky. I'm glad that there are more and more distilleries that won't fall into this rabbit hole. Great video Ralfy. Thank you for the heads-up.
Brilliant, Ralfy, well done...and I share your doubts (for "stability" for instance). It is important also for the brands to answer, so I'm glad they did too. Looking forward to see what's next about this in your future videos...
Reflecting upon Ralfy's comments, one wonders if they meant consistency rather than stability. Those terms are rather interchangeable but are open to slightly different interpretations as seen here. As other distillers don't, (as per examples mentioned) then perhaps they are seeking a particular profile that such methods can more consistently produce. If so, then perhaps then would explain this in future communications to Ralfy.
@@MistakeNotMy I think you're right, those terms are ambiguous & similar...some companies did solve the E150a problem by selecting naturally darker casks or (what I suspect with the use of that new sneaky expression "cask imparted color" I mentioned in a video about a new Benriach) more wood tech, such as more charring, more wine cask using, etc...Now I really don't see any credible reason to remove chill filtration if speaking of "consistency" or "stability". The probable truth about it is that, at least for some references, some huge markets (Asia, and China to be more precise) don't wanna hear about chill filtered & uncoloured whiskies...This discussion might go further than Brown-Forman thought, but we'll see
After all of the "non-chill on the label" hype first took off, I went out and immediately bought a bottle, having realized I hadn't tried one before and it may be my last chance. I enjoyed it so much I convinced my brother to buy one as well. Im glad I did, and that I was able to experience it in its current presentation. I have to say that im disappointed to have discovered this so late in my whiskey drinking career, and while still possibly an "integrity" bottling for the time being, as someone currently getting their masters in marketing -- changes like this are never made without reason. I think your prediction of GD going the direction of macallan or glenfidich -- 40%, filtered, a duty-free name brand offering made to be an even more 'accessible' birthday-present-scotch is right on the nose.
A lot of people are buying GlenDronach now... So much so that I can't find any bottles. Everyone is stacking up on the old bottles. I think this might have been part of the reason for the switch. Too bad, I was not able to taste this whisky that was such a big sensation here on youtube. Soo many good reviews. (Notice the past tense.) I was ready to spend a lot of money for it.
I am probably one of your newest listeners, just over a year now. The 876 extras is one of my top episodes. When I purchase my single malt with my hard earned money I want the best I can afford! And I want every bit of flavor that comes from that spirit and cask . I don’t want anything taken away or anything added. Bravo Ralfy and thank you!
I buy quality and value; no compromise. I will pay the price. I am in awe of excellence, not (prior) fame.
Thank You Ralfy! I love watching your videos. I always have an open bottle of Glendronach, I love the taste and the quality of It. If Brown Forman alters the process and lowers the quality, I might sadly replace Glendronach with a different single malt.
The mark of a superior product is integrity, quality, transparency, and authenticity.
Ralfy, this video (like all your others) has these qualities in spades. Thank you for being a voice for the whisky drinker, and for providing a valuable perspective on my whisky journey.
GlenDronach, please listen you your loyal customers leaving comments on this video. I do hope you reverse your decision to keep the integrity and quality of your product high. Whether or not you chill-filter your product you should state so on the label for transparency. I was very pleased to hear from a representative of the company that the product is indeed natural color, but you should state so on the label. The label is the contract. State clearly and with pride the quality of your product!
I look forward to a follow up on the conversation between Ralfy and GlenDronach. It is so refreshing to hear from a distillery on these matters. I hope that this communication continues from GlenDronach and other distilleries as well! Well done Ralfy, and well done GlenDronach!
Thanks for this Extras review Ralfy.
Honest and clear information as always, just trying to open the eyes of the big guys for all us Malt Mates out here who know and appreciate a good dram when we see/smell and taste one.
Non-chill filtered.
Natural colour.
ABV 43% and above.
Age statement.
Always the best place to start.
I bought my Glendronach 18 year old from Amazon 2020...the other day I received a request from Amazon to answer the question they had from a perspective customer. The question was is the Glendronach 18 which you bought a)chill filtered and b) what ABV is it? (They also raised a good point as to which batch it was....there are three different codes on the bottle & box)
Now all the above may not be unremarkable....but in the light of this Extras 876 and the points raised...it shows a concern from a prospective customer as to the stability & future of Glendronach’s products.
Thanks for another excellent video, hopefully they take notice 👌
BRAVO! Bravo, Ralfy. Tell 'em, son!
Thank you Ralfy for another high quality vlog. Glendronach has been one of my top 5 favorite malts. Glendronach has always been the malt with the extra "omf". Now, the good thing is that we have many other great malts to choose from. Slainte !
Dear Rachel Berry, recently had the opportunity to try a Glendronach Peated dram.
It was a great experience and was happy to note it came with a bin that said the whisky was Non Chill Filtered.
I am very hesitant to try future Glendronach whiskies that come with No statement of Non Chill Filtering either on the bin or the bottle,
because it may possibly diminish my previous delightful experience.
Therefore I’m sad to say I’m also hesitant to Purchase any future releases unless your policy about this subject will be reversed.
With kind regards, and still holding fond memories of yesteryear Glendronachs.
Ralfy, you've done an excellent and very transparent job of bringing a producer into closer contact with its customers. Well done. As you've often mentioned in the past, the label on the bottle represents the contract between that producer and the buyer of the bottle. When it says "Non-chill filtered" that is a verifiable legal claim and a genuine bond with the customer's sense of goodwill. Break it at your peril!
To Glendronach's PR dept and its board of directors I's just like to say this: I have 7 or 8 bottles of your product on my shelves in my private bar. I imagine they'll last me for about 5 years or so. After that, if your product has "unchillfiltered" on the label, I'll consider buying some replacements. If, however, you change the contract, then GlenDronach will disappear completely from future purchases. Any company in this business should be aware of the multi-faceted nature of the whisky market at present. We, as customers, have a panalopy of choices which can immediately replace those single malts which simply don't live up to expectations.
So, Brown Foreman, do the right thing by those who've shown brand loyalty over an extended period and drop any notion of reintroducing the chill filtering process.
I'll be watching avidly for the next installment on this little saga.
Well done, Ralfy!
Cheers.
Superb video Ralfy...well thought out and sincerely presented. I absolutely love just about everything that Glendronach does, and I only hope that their motivation in whatever they do is directed towards maintaining their position as probably the single best whisky producer out there.
Thanks for watching and being an active subscriber you have been selected for today's giveaway 🎉
"...there's a shakedown coming and you are either in the Quality market or in the discount market" (21:50) -- Ralfy you speak the Truth - cheers!
Keep up the great work Ralfy!
This Whisky has become a favorite of mine and at its price point is indeed a competitor for one of the best. It is truly an outstanding dram.
Glendronach reaching out, responding etc. Shows that they care about their product and is reputation. That said if you reach out, communicate, then fail to listen to your consumers it is all for not.
went back to your review 872, already seen it. Must admit I loved your "rant", forgetting the names, even the second time. So honest, nothing like you would get from the "communication team". This PR, politic, BS is every where these days. So often we don't see through it. I find I cannot even watch the news on TV these days, I spend more time here on you tube these days. Please, please keep your work going.
You are spot on Ralfy. I saw your video some time ago and saw no stepping over the line in your commentary on a lack of the key statements on GD labels. I would interpret it the same way.
Great to be in contact with a distiller via you. Compliment to GlenDronach to be in touch and compliments to you, Ralfy for sharing your opinion.
Your 872 video had me thinking this was just a storm in a teacup, but now I see a decanter in a tempest.
Hurrah, Ralfy is leading the charge! The charge of the MALT brigade! Right behind you, malt-mate! NO TO CHILL FILTRATION!!! 🛑 👎🙅♂️
You cannot ask for a fairer outcome than what Ralphy offers here. He’s objective about something as subjective as whisky. Fantastic.
Thank you for the update and the 'clarity'. If I have it right, everything will stay the same but they are adding a cost to the process for a perceived problem that is questionable at best. Okay.
Glendronach, Non-chill filtration is an absolute for this whisky consumer. I also run whisky tastings have have a number of real-world followers. Personally, I am less concerned than Ralfy is by the addition of colourings. It won’t stop me buying a whisky, like chill filtration will, but it does nothing for me. I prefer natural. In my opinion Glendronach was becoming one of the best. That has stalled at present but I know these things come and go. For example talisker and ardbeg have both had dives for a time. I am hoping Glen Dronach reclaims the path you were on. I suspect one factor in your decision may have been the availability of good casks. You managed a couple of great years a while ago, and haven’t quite reached that quality since. I appreciate great casks are rarer now. I wish you all the best for the future from someone who wants to drink and promote Glen Dronach at its best again one day.
Well done Ralfy. Excellent response to Glendronnach.
Thanks for the video Ralfy.
To Glendronach. I have been a fan of your single malts for some time. Mostly the 15, 18 and cask strength offerings. I always have a bottle of Glendronach open and always have a couple of unopened bottles ready to replace the open bottle when it is emptied.
I buy whisky every month. And almost exclusively only buy whisky that is natural colour, unchillfiltered and at least 46% abv. I will no longer be buying Glendronach until you reverse your decision to chill filter your whiskies.
The money I would have spent on Glendronach whiskies will be spent elsewhere.
I'm sure you do not have customers telling you they won't buy your products unless you chill filter. But you do have many customers, people who already spend their money on your products telling you they will no longer buy Glendronach until you reverse the decision to introduce chill filtration to your products. So I would urge you to listen to your customers and reconsider the decision to chill filter your single malts.
Ralfy, you are the supreme Malt Mentor. Thank you for educating me in a most entertaining manner on all things Scotch whisky. I sincerely hope the corporate powers do not threaten your expression of insightful opinions which enable me to make better choices when I am confronted by so many competing brands at the liquor store.
Hello Ralfy, I recently attended a tasting of some Brown Forman whiskies (Glendronach and Benriach) here in San Francisco. I know the local rep, a very knowledgeable Scots lad, and ask him about all this. He seemed a bit disappointed in it, but admitted that the whisky is now chill filtered. It was his understanding that the reason this was now happening was (at least partly) due to the fact that an Asian distributor who has been a major customer was in the habit of storing the whisky in warehouses that were not climate-controlled and it would often bake during hot summers. Evidently the distributor was constantly trying to return product because it had gone off. I guess they decided that rather than trying to convince someone on the other side of the planet to properly handle the product, it was easier to do what they could on their end. Consumers in Asia likely purchase far more of their whisky than a handful of us whisky anoraks, so guess who gets catered to! Cheers!
. . . So, the 'Asian Importer' knows so little about whisky, that they cook the cases in hot warehouses, and then claim it has 'gone off'. I smell Bullshit. Patronising, condescending Bullshit. Sounds like a P.R. jobs-worth dreamed up that one.
@@thewhiskybothy Just passing on what I heard from their rep. He strikes me as an honest guy who is passionate about whisky, and not a corporate shill. Don't think he would be knowingly passing on BS that was concocted by a marketing department. At any rate, it did motivate me to find a bit of the old-style 12 and stock up. After that, time to keep up the hunt for something new.
@@jessefisher819 . . . I totally agree with you, he's a decent guy doing his job, but unfortunately his bosses are giving him a dodgy script. When I last heard this story, the asian importers apparently poured all the whisky into the river because it was 'faulty' then smashed the bottles !!!
@@thewhiskybothy That certainly sounds like a bit of "dramatic embellishment!" But I agree, it certainly could be a script handed down to the field reps for use when they get needled on the subject. After all, it is always helpful to be able to shift the blame to a third party for a potentially unpopular decision. But then, nothing in life stays the same for long, including our favorite drams. When one of mine takes a dive I just try to look at is as motivation to search for a replacement. Glendronach was my Macallan replacement, time to get to work again!
Thank you Ralfy for a great video, and for a powerful message. And thank you for the caliber of your integrity. It is devastating that such a superb distillery goes down that road. I will not purchase a chill-filtered Glendronach. Several weeks ago, I wrote to the distillery, and got a standard PR reply. They had the audacity to write that chill filtration will enhance the product's quality. I will not buy Glendronach anymore. There are many great options, like Glenallachie.
Thank you for the excellent analysis, Ralfy! Glendronach is a favorite distillery of mine and it was disappointing to learn of the planned backslide in quality in terms of chill-filtration of this product. I cannot see myself purchasing a chillfiltered version. Living in the national capital area, these newer non-integrity bottlings will be moldering on store shelves all over DC, MD, and VA as informed customers move towards other options.
Well done ralfy. Few could have handled this as well as you and have had such an outcome. Our voices do count!! Cheers
Well done ralfy expertly handled, really appreciate the transparency. As someone who e mailed glendronach personally, it’s interesting to see how they reply to a public figure with influence rather than just the public. Thanks for giving us a voice in this ralfy. A point I would like address with them is if as a company you have a set standard you don’t need “flexibility” your product meets the standard or it does not, simple.
. . . all part of my job in sharing the malt-moments !
As long as the non chill filtration sign is missing I will avoid any Glendronach purchases, plenty of great integrity distilleries to invest in.
Agreed. This isn't a marriage, this is the marketplace. If one has been loyal to a high-quality product for a long time, then that product quality takes a dive, then walk away. Exactly like you said, plenty of other great whiskeys out there, all one has to do is go through Ralfy's channel to find more than enough (Arran, Tomatin, etc).
As a Brown Foreman shareholder (BF-A), I can confirm it's not a "family controlled" business like Glenfraclas is. I honestly couldn't care less either way - as long as they keep doing what they're doing. I don't buy Scotch, Rum or [obviously] Bourbon with added color, so I like their adherence to that natural color policy. I also happen to love the whisky itself; at least the 12, 15 and 21 year. I'm sure if I ever find a bottle of the 18 year, I'll love that too.
Dear GlenDronach,
PLEASE bring back NON-CHILL FILTERED whisky! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!
Honestly I’ve not enjoyed a ralfy review like I did this one in some time.
Glendronach is a very respected name in single malt whisky. I would always appreciate the transparency and accuracy on their labels and in their products.
When I’m educating newly interested whisky drinkers, these details are important and they are taught to look for them.
Glendronach you would do well to keep the trust of your loyal customers because these values and ideals are passed on to future generations and customers to come.
Well done ralfy.
I, and many members of the Facebook Scotch Addicts group, have contacted Glendronach directly, expressing our concerns that they will chill-filter their whisky. I was so worried about that back when Brown-Forman acquire GD, Glenglassaugh, and BenRiach. They seem to waffle on that, with their statement about keeping their options open for improving "stability" of their product. I want to see on the packaging if it IS or IS NOT chill-filtered, rather than wondering from bottle to bottle what is what??? Whisky prices have exploded; I am looking to distillers to have their quality keep pace!! I'll be looking to Billy Walker at GlenAllechie, or Springbank, Bruichladdich and others who take Scotch traditions seriously. Thanks Ralfie! You're The Man!
Good work sir. Have bought several bottles of Malt since the last video, none of which were Glendronach, despite my love for it previously.
I wonder, from a PR perspective, why they flapped like wet hens ? You gave a balanced, measured and overall positive overview. And your response was equally measured. I got curious and looked at the Companies House filing for Glendronach and Benriach. And I think anyone looking at the Benriach filing will see for themselves. Alternatively they had hoped you would take to brandishing the water spoon and gesticulating wildly at the camera. Salvador Dali didn't read his reviews. He weighed them. Top notch as always.
Well said Ralfy and Good on Glendronach for watching ralfy reviews and can I say I’m unstable and that how I like my whisky unstable and Un chill filtered
Thank you Ralfy for providing the important information. Your channel is like a whick(e)y Bible!!! Thank you for your effort!
Already emailed B-F to politely but firmly continue the devotion to quality. Sometimes, matters are just that important.
So much for the "craft-presentation" 🤣
Fortunately, there's a lot of worth to buy whiskies elsewhere:
1. Single Casks (does GlenDronach even remember what it means?)
2. Non chill filtered - craft presented whiskies.
Thank you Ralfy for that great video. I wrote plenty of The GlenDronach reviews. Now I bought a bottle of a new Revival (2021) to compare them with a bit older edition. But it's going to be an experiment. I won't buy GlenDronach if it won't be un-chill filtered for me to sip.
I work in retail and wholesale for wines and spirits and have done for 6 years now. We are a small independent and people come to us for our knowledge, experience and recommendations. (Ralfy has really helped on the knowledge part and in fueling my passion over the years).
More and more people are asking us specifically for non-chillfiltered and naturally coloured products. (Plus non sugared rums and wines with more natural presentation) Our website works on a tag system where we tag every product that says it is natural colour or non-chillfiltered. For us this is is real selling point and it does mean the difference in a lot of cases to whether a bottle sells or goes back on the shelf.
For us, the move towards chill-filtration is a step backwards. We will still be selling the new presentation when it comes through but the tag will have to be removed from the website and in store the whisky will lose part of its sales pitch and potentially physical sales because of that.
Ralfy - very well articulated and as clear as a chill filtered whisky 😁
Ralfy, the primary objective of a corporation in the United States is to maximize shareholder wealth in the long-run. Voting rights ABSOLUTELY matter. Of course this can be open to interpretation. One might argue that chill filtration could have a positive or negative impact on the bottom line. That said, the focus of BF and indeed any publicly traded company is to make steps to put more money in the pockets of their shareholders. Marketing, product quality, PR, all of these things are tools in their tool belt but they’re under a great deal of pressure to produce quarterly results.
I’m a huge Glendronach fan; I have a dozen expressions, most of which have Billy Walker on the tube. The Glendronach communication team, in my opinion, should be focusing more on educating uninformed consumers on why a NCF and natural colored product means a better and higher quality whisky experience. Instead, they’ve chosen to use their resources to spin facts to justify their narrative, which all comes down to $ and little else.
Thank you Ralfy, for this valuable sharing of information. Also to Glendronach for caring enough. I will surely share some of this info in my channel as well. Cheers.
No big problem here GlenDronach if clarity is what you're after; State it on the label if:
If your whisky has colour added.
If your whisky doesn't have colour added.
If your whisky chilfiltered, partially chilfiltered, or unchilfiltered.
Clarity cuts both ways and helps us all make the right purchasing decisions.
Excellent extras information Ralfy.
I love "stability" too and this is why I'm looking for some non-chill filtered Glendronach bottles to get before the change!
Quote: They have asked me very civilly and "professionally"....
Then as Ralfy reads the first email... at 4:50 there are words missing... and again at the end of the email.
Hmm as I watched my thoughts were "they sure know how to make whisky but the professionalism of the PR people leaves a bit to be desired."
As usual, Ralfy displays himself to be a very knowlegable and caring person in this update.
Will be watching with interest to see what develops.
Great insights, ralfy. Thanks for being the correspondent and voice of the people. Definitely want to see un-chill filtered and natural colour right on the label.
Public stocks while only the family votes is fine, BUT it means the ethic of the company could change at any moment.
Well said Ralfy! If Field & Fawcett still have a bottle of the Glendronnach peated at £39.99 this Friday I will buy it with confidence. I got a bottle about 16 months ago from the Whisky shop in Cried on my travels. It was so lovely, my wife and I had consumed it after a few months. I have looked for it since, know I've seen it at my named York store. (F & F are outstanding wine and spirit stockists).
Nick from York
Ralfy, this is simply top class stuff. I could rage on telling you what I liked, but that would take me at least 24:51 minutes to complete ;-). Hats off!