ralfy review 849 Extras - GlenDronachology
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- Опубліковано 19 жов 2020
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As a man in my 50s with 50-year-old eyes, and being square in the middle of what I must presume is the target demographic for expensive single malts, I am increasingly frustrated with the microscopic print and illegibility of almost all labeling on these bottles & boxes. Someone needs to take note of that in the industry!
As a man in my 60's ................... couldn't agree more !!!
@@mikeaddison-saipe5820 as a man in my 30s I dont know what you are talking about :D... No actually a good point :)
Yep, I'm sure whisky geeks are now the biggest purchasers by sheer numbers of magnifying glasses! Those dates can be so infuriatingly difficult to read! Cheers.
Buy an Adelphi bottling. From that it can only get better. 🤪
. . . I understand your fustration.
Ralfy, I've been watching your channel for a couple of years, and have loved it all along. But you still amaze me with the quality of the content. I loved watching this one. I felt like I was in the Bothy with you just gettin' the latest lowdown. You seemed empassioned on this subject and it's something that I feel quite passionate about too.
Cheers mate. Keep em' comin'.
That’s how felt, listening to this video!
One of the best whiskies you've put me on to is Arran 10 (and the 14). Really great. Excellent value. I'll lump BenRiach 10, GlenAllachie 12, Ancnoc 12, Bladnoch 10, Kilkerran 12, Deanston 12, and Clynelish 14. All great and at reasonable prices to boot.
Ancnoc, Deanston, and Clynelish are also some of my favorites. Clynelish has gone up in price where I am... but the other two are still very very affordable
@@robfut9954 Clynelish 14 is already perfect because they have a cat on it, but it is also a great one as whisky goes. GlenAllachie 12, i am still not sure, i think a glendronach 12 is better, and i know glendronach is all sherry.
@@martinbeen 👍
Really good episode, made me think a lot.
Hi Ralfy, great video, I really enjoyed your take on this! Just wanted to say at clydeside it’s the recirculating of the mash tun that creates the clear wort for fermentation (I.e. using the barley husks as a natural filter). It’s not filtered between the washback and the wash still so the yeast makes it through to the wash still to meet it’s unenviable end as normal.
Great vídeo! Whould love to see more whisk'ologies from other distilleries and their history and lore.
Second that motion. Would be a good idea for an extra extras to put out each week for a series.
Great video Ralfy! When you talked about this batch numbers imprinted on the bottles I just saw myself (inspired by Serge) chasing after Uigeadaiils from before 2013 and Corryvreckans from before 2012. And when I found them and poured side by side with the contemporary versions I just couldn’t believe how unbelievably different whiskies they are. I also asked you once what batch of new Bunna 12yo you reviewed, cause the first batch after rebranding was just mind blowing (possibly even older than 12) and encouraged by that I bought it again but it was another batch and I was disappointed. It’s a hard work doing this research, but surely it pays off and you’re a lot of help in it. That’s why I enjoyed this video with the glass of Ben Nevis 10yo, which was quite a discovery for me, partly thanks to your review. Sláinte!
Great video. Fluent and educational 👍
Ralfy, I like your extras more than reviews. So agree with your comments. Unfortunately there are so many innocent and naive ordinary “consumers” “collectors” who rely so much on “marketing” and “public perceptions” rather than the products themselves and the true spirits of the spirits.
Ears open, malt mates! Invaluable information and education Ralfy's dispensing here!
Thank you ! Love the informasjon
Woohoo! Just bought a bottle the other day. It’s dated 2015 amazingly. I might have to go back and see if they have more of that age.
Very interesting talk! It is definitely a jungle trying to find the less famous but good bottlings and distilleries in the heavily marketed market - but luckily it is an interesting search :)
Lovely Xtra this one, Ralfy. I have just purchased the Revival, and on payday will most certainly be buying the 18 year. Having watched a fair few of you videos, talking about how whisky 'evolves' & 'changes' throughout the decades, it does seem to be the case of if you like one, buy a few. Otherwise if you wait 5 years, it could well be an all together different malt. Anyway, I'm rambling, take care mate.
Just found you first video i watched im hook your no BS approach i love, new fan
Lots of excellent food for thought in this extras, Ralfy. What I'd also find fascinating is a future extras on the 3 distilleries you mentioned as running completely under the radar: Glen Keith, Dufftown and Strathmill. Yes, we can all look up their history on the net and inform ourselves of the basics on all three, but you may well have some comments on the successes and failures of these three distilleries that I'm sure would interest most of the malt mates who regularly visit your channel. And what about their single malts? Indeed, what about the blends in which they play a leading role? That would definitely interest me, as I'm sure it would many others. And what about the independent bottlings of these distilleries. Such a Ralfy Extras would be a great way to counteract some of the needless hype that unfortunately infects the modern whisky market. It would perhaps be a little missive for some unsung heroes and the folk who work in those distilleries but who never hear a word of praise. Would you consider that a "go-er"? I'd be chuffed if you gave it a go! Cheers.
Rock on..another great waffley review from the Ronnie Corbett of the whisky world. Plus I love Glendronach anyway 😊👏
I am glad I watched this video (and all the others!). And I connect to it! I thought it was Just me failing to understand some whiskies and my lack of experience. I watched other x-tras where the issues of pallets changed and sentimentality become obstacles. But especially when you talked about lagavulin and inferior batches where they don't deliver and it could have been so much more, I feel recognised in my latest experience that I might have got it right after all! My sences do pick out when a malt is Just not that good and it is not my fault or failiure
Sonny here from Philippines.
Scotch Single malts are starting to take off here in the Philippines.Keep reviewing!
you are a legend Ralfy well done
I use those whisky tubes as toys for the dog, he loves demolishing them of an afternoon. The important information should be on the label because if you buy whisky to drink, then the the packaging is just stuff for the mutt to chew on. Great show Ralfy.
Like Glendronach's 15 yo Revival, same thing happened to Aberlour A'Bunadh. "It's not as good as it used to be."
As for good sherried whiskies present & future: Tamdhu, Edradour and probably B. Walker's Glenallachie.
Hey Ralfy I don't know if you've seen but the wine society are releasing some single malts from unknown distilleries. They used to import sherry casks until 1992 and then after bottling sell the casks to the whisky industry. These are real sherry casks not sherry 'seasoned casks' they are selling an incredible 30 year old that has been in amontillado and palo cortado casks for the full 30 years for £95 a bottle. Unchill filtered and natural colour. 95 for a natural over 30 year old in proper sherry casks is unheard of these days. I've bought a couple and I think it's the best value whisky available at the moment. Real magic dram. A real opportunity for the malt mates.
. . . looks like a bargain !
I think even Billy Walker &co didn't totally realised what gem Glendronach (yes, small d) was (is?). A good example is this 18 y/o Allardice. The first six releases (and also the best) had a lotnumber printed on the backlabel . Because the product became so popular after Lot 6 they skipped it. Well I am glad he awakened this sleeping giant, many thanks again. I only hope the new owner will get rid off this ridiculous capital D in the name.
Ralfy I'm a big fan of your videos - your passion and knowledge are second to none. Could you make a video detailing how and why you are such a whisky enthusiast? I'd like to know what it is about whiskey (as opposed to any other drink/food/hobby) that excites you so much enough to make videos about it. Don't get me wrong I'm very happy you have this passion but I am genuinely curious to understand where your interest and passion comes from (from your perspective).
- A malt mate
. . . . good idea, I'm on to it.
And can you explain why you love women and making love with them? Make a video regarding that passion.
@@nickolaymiltenov A video on evolutionary psychology would be interesting but probably not the right place for it 😉
@@cheekynandos3676 A video on the psychology of NICKOLAY MILTENOV would be interesting. Could explain a few things.
I love GlenDronach Whiskys. We'll see where it will go to in future.
Who knows, but I'd doubt they start getting better or cheaper
All the red wine casks that diageo started filling in 2013/2014 should be starting to used in blends and a few bottles of malt these days.
May 2024... Well well well... Sage words as always Sir Ralfy - if only I had of viewed this video back when it was published and followed your advice... Glendronach aye - what a damn shame.
The japanese Yamazaki Single Malt Whisky they start by germinating selected two row Barely, The malt is finely ground and mixed with water in a mash tun, after the enzymes breaks down starches into sugar,We then slowly filter the mixture to obtain cler and unclouded wort, later they add yeast, great video
Nikka Coffey Malt review coming any time soon? It has an interesting story single malt made in Column still, would be great to hear your thoughts on that one
Been a springbank lover for over a decade and I understand completely. It’s hard enough just the core range nowadays never mind annual releases like the Red or single cask releases.
I bought a Glendronach 1972 back in 2009 in the local whisky shop at around 220 £. It seems extremely cheap now, but in 2009 it was crazy money for a bottle of whisky. I opened It and enjoyed every drop of it. The last years I stopped buying GD because of the price increases (and because of the fact Billy Walker is gone). But if I would buy one today, it would be the 18Y old. I agree it's much better now than it was 10 years ago (it had sulphury notes back then)
Glendronach 18 is going out of the roof price wise. So i left it, the tour i did last year was also not so great, that did not helped to buy one. ;) I'm now enjoyn an Glen Spey IB cask strenght out of an (refill?) sherry puncheon. Its just 8 years old but you would not say that. the first time i tasted this whisky blind and after that i bought an bottle. For me Glen Spey is an overlooked distillery.
I have 1 bottle of the older 18 stashed.... Now kicking myself for not buying 2 or 3 when it was cheaper and older.
I was fortunate enough to discover this distillery when it was less well-known and stocked up on bottles when they were really cheap! Like you said, hope they don't become victims of their own success and turns into the modern "Macallan".
Hi Ralfy i just love the analysis you make around the whisky's
you review and every time is
something new to lern from you.thanks ralfy you are the one for yhis job.
YOUR BEST VIDEO ... EVER !
Hey, Ralfy, thanks for the excelent content. Just to put my 2 cents: it is Billy Walker all along who deserves credit (or blame) for the current GD situation. I bet he had been perfectly aware of the distillery stock when he had conceived the GD core range as we know it. He had known that distillery had been mothballed for 6 years and it was mathematicaly impossible to produce bottlings with 12, 15, 18, 21 yo age statements unless the spirit is from pre-mothball era and thus quite older than stated age. I cant help but thinking that selling the distillery just a few years before there was enough casks filled after the reopening so they can catch up with the actual age statements was deliberately. The man just milked that cow (almost) dry, inflated a market baloon, cashed-in and moved to the next one. Although the whisky from Glenallachie is pretty descent is doesn't look to be the "next Glendronach". They haven't yet come out with anything like the old Revival, current Allardice or Parliament but who knows, maybe uncle Billy is staging another stunt...
As for the "non-chill filterred" and "natural colour" being stated on the tube and not on the bottle - it's perfectly fine with me. The tube and the bottle are one. I'd never buy a bottle whitout the container being a tube, a cardbox or whatever.
Cheers and keep the excellent content coming!
Billy Walker has my appreciation for putting out all those great bottlings of matured whisky at very reasonable prices. All I'm saying is that he deliberately had those bottlings released with significantly older spirit than the age statements suggest. The new ownership now is facing a dilema to either continue to fill older spirit knowing that stocks will come to an end at some point or to start bottling the post-reopening distilled spirit which is supposedly inferior or at least different simply because it's younger.
@@Nikolay_Nikolov You make a valid observation, though I would add that it's the responsibility of the new owners to do their due diligence and take stock of what's in the warehouse before finalizing the deal. I'm sure they did this and were aware of the depletion of the older barrel stock. I think they must have known they were buying a "name".
To their credit, many Japanese distilleries, yes even Suntory-owned, still use direct fired wash stills to get a deeper flavor. It's to Glendronach's detriment that they indirect fire both wash and spirit stills now. The newer stuff is lacking the resinous weight the old style had.
I keep my eye on distilleries that utilize the old techniques but find room for innovation.
Brilliant stuff again as per usual Ralfy.
Do the distillery see it as important to state NAC & NCF - I agree with Ralfy but non- malt mates couldn't give a shit they just want the prestige of having a bottle on the shelf and fall for the marketing bollocks
Off-topic: Could anyone recommend a different expression of Laphroaig, if I find 10yo OB just unpalatable? What stops me from finishing a measure is the quick drying of my tongue so the salty, seaweed, smoke flavours intensify and 'lock up' if that makes sense. I still find it tolerable with Talisker. With HP and Ardbeg: drying, then salivation. So.... any Laphroaig that doesn't dry as much? Lore? Triple wood? QC? Higher AS?
Give the Lore a go 👌
Just received the Glendronach Batch 11 - a sherry bomb at cask strength, just released. Would love to hear your review.
I live in a market where a state monopoly rather than the free market decides which spirits are available for purchase. Now, there's still a good selection, but still, it can be challenging as an enthusiast. It's not uncommon for me to purchase a second bottle of a malt I enjoy, but the old Glendronach 15 is the only whisky I've purchased in significant quantities, so that I may enjoy it for hopefully decades to come (at the current pace of 5-6 drams a year, it should last me a while). The price shot up, within a year, by about 50%.
I liked the 21 marginally better than the 15, but the 15 more than the 18. That said, the 15 was about a third of the 21's price, and a far, far better bang for one's buck.
Glen Grant is another distiller that is quiet, ignored, and overlooked... yet they can shine in the right bottle and the distiller produces a quite a large volume (mostly for blends).
yes the 18 year old is an good whisky :)
Billy Walker has a new Distillery and you didn't talk about it. I won't say the name here but I think he is doing the same thing! Buy all you can because it is fantastic.
Rally, I’ve never heard of Arran Pheasant, is it the Peacock you mean, never got that but did get the Golden Eagle, and The Westie. I probably bought it for the container rather than the content, which is strange, but the container is the first thing you see. Very wise marketing ploy.
. . . I did mean Peacock ! . . . blooper.
Hello Malt Mates!
Yup. Well I just saw a tweet about the new Macallan 78 year old !
One GlenDronach problem is that why the 12 years old is bottled at 43% and other lineups are at 46% or above, even the 8 years old. Just not making sense. It is good but can be better at 46%.
Ralfy, What became of Review #848? Looks like the numbers jumped from 847/847-extras directly to Review #849? Is there some magic dram somewhere that escaped? Wouldn't want to miss anything!! Thanks. Love the posts
I'd better buy my bottle of 18 soon. I just bought the 12yr.
I Hope Glendronach will not be the new Macallan :(
Amen !
@EyeWitnessChina So sad, Im not a glendronach-die hard super fan, but if I want to enjoy some quality-sherried whisky for a reasonable price ..... Well R.I.P glendronach. The last thing that whisky industry needs is another super brand like, you know ...
@@SaltyCuban Glendronach already selling the 12 years but then from other years, not my cup of thea.
Perhaps inevitable. But for every "new Macallan" there can be an "old Glendronach" emerging - maybe Arran, maybe Deanston, maybe Benromach (I don't mean these to be as direct replacements for sherry monsters, just examples of better values). As soon as you see a stream of lemmings forming, steer carefully away and look for other directions. Lots of choices still out there. Or even develop your palate. I love sherry malts but I am not married to them. I like bourbon matured, I like peated, I like port and madeira finished, etc. I explore. And then there's other spirits. Thankfully, more and more artisanal (and "integrity") cognacs, armagnacs and rums are trickling into the market and they're not necessarily even as expensive as the big brands.
Sad comment about Scotland not likely producing sherried single malts of this caliber for many years to come if at all! 😳
Stock up on the Arran 18 now. Very affordable sherry gorgeousness...
Hi Ralfy, what are your thoughts on blind tastings?
. . . useful, but can be too serious. Anaysis should never trump enjoyment.
Ralphy,
I am a wood turned, I thought I'd ask before I waste my time. What could I expect to happen with taste and smell, over time, if I made a air dried white oak glen carin glass to sip my spirit? I was thinking it would overpower at first so I would use a cheaper spirit. Then over time it may compliment the dram. Thank you for your time, you do great work.
. . . you woud need to leave the whisky in the wood-glass for a long time, better a small stick of oak in a bottle, where the liquor and wood can bond.
The craft beer industry (and the traditional Belgian beer industry) should show distilleries how important yeast is to the flavour.
Dear Ralfy, is there a huge difference between Glendronach 18 batch 17/18/19? should we get 19 instead of earlier batches and avoid 2020 version? Thanks!
Never avoid Glendronach, haha
The difference is that there was a gap in production from 1996 through to May 14, 2002 when the distillery was mothballed. Because of this the "18" could only have spirit from 1996 or earlier until May 15, 2020. Any recent bottling prior to that date is significantly older than "18" and you can do the math on your own for a given year. The same thing happened to the 12 and then the 15 in 2014 and 2017 and will be happening to the 21 next through 2023.
As for which is better, that remains debatable. Oldest isn't always best and there's some chatter that cask quality declined in '96 as the mothballing approached. (Not for me to say, I'm not that much a GD nut.) Anyway, if you poke around a bit on the internet you can find the details. This is not the place for that particular essay. =)
@@jasoncoates1835 thanks a lot for sharing 🤝🍻
@@Supernova-1988 The other thing I've heard - independently from two reliable sources - is that they're planning to step the 18 down gradually unlike the 15 which was discontinued at its peak age and then brought back as an "actual 15 year old" bottling. If true they might still be mostly older juice for the next couple years, but really only the distillery knows that for sure.
@@jasoncoates1835 Thanks, Jason. I just bought a bottle of the 18 with a date code of "2020-6-4", which I take to mean April 6, 2020 (given the UK's format that puts the day first, then the month). Since this dates the bottling before May 15, 2020, albeit by only five weeks, is this also possibly 23-24 year-old spirit rather than 18? Would Glendronach have switched back to actual 18-year-old liquid at the beginning of this year? (I read your comment about them gradually stepping down the age until it reaches 18 again but the question is, at what point this year did they start the process, if it has indeed started?) I'm going to e-mail Glendronach about it but I'll bet dollars to donuts they either don't reply or give some milquetoasty, evasive answer if they do. Wish me luck!
Hello Malty Mordor Ring Wraiths!
And how about the Glenallachie?) I'm drinking now the 12yo (bottled 05.11.19, much darker, the previous year's) and it tastes very delicious for me) May be Billy Walker makes with GA similar things that he made with the Glendronach?
The Glenallachie 12 is superb! Maybe there will a Billy Walker inspired Ralfy Xtra called "Glanallachieology" in a few years. Try saying that after a few drams.
Ralfy, could you expain why Gledronach wil bottle 23 yo whisky as 18 yo as they could bottle it as 21 yo and get more money out of it?
. . . more market demand for less expensive malts. They will sell ten times as many bottles of 18 compared to the 21, and will use older stock if they have enough to entice the customer on the quality, and save a lot of money on ineffective marketing.
So the companies are making standard whiskies with less quality, because people will buy them anyways...macallan is an example. I saw that their new sherry 18 is way different from the old ones. Unfortunately, I don't see how to change this.
Lookin at the bottle to decide if the extras was made before or after the normal GD 18 review.. who else? 😉
I've always assumed he typically does them right after the review.
Ralfy. I found a shop that has the 2018 bottling of the Glendronach 15 revival, and they're going for $150 each. Worth it?
. . . if you have the budget, it's very good.
@@ralfydotcom I'm sure! I bought the 2019 bottling for half the price, unfortunately
Wealth inequality caused by big tech actually isn't. Google and facebook and similar sites obviously make their money from advertising. What most people don't realize is the vast majority of their advertising income is from the insurance industry, who use their unlimited money to convince you that you need insurance, and then once you buy in, they never pay out, and then lobby to change the laws to make it illegal to not have insurance, which gets them even more unlimited money.
People blame a lot of things, except one of the actual root causes, which is the insurance industry.
no teaspoon stuff there in each age! u know they was closed. but all the rules say is. if u write 15 on label, every drop in that bottle must at least!!! 15 yo...
False. You can teaspoon a 15Yo With 30Yo. But it has to be lable 15. But i get what you mean (y).
@@captainwhiskythrottle6314 u did not get what i mean. U can write 15 on the 30yo, without that 15yo stuff(, no teaspoon - btw that wording ist for mixing other destillery stuff in a malt, to make it not a single malt anymore by the rules, balvenie do that for independent bottlers stuff) . in fact there was years for Dronach where they did not have that stuff, of the younger age cause they dis not produce for 6years.
The label say 15? it must just be at least 15, can be 50years old.
Ralfy, I have got a suggestion to make. It is based on the latest extras video (this particular one). Since you have more or less exhausted the extra topical options, why not shoot a short (or prolongued) series on more obscure single malts? So far you haven't reviewed malts such as Glen Ord, Teaninich, Strathmill, Glendullan, Glenlossie, etc. Why not discuss them in extras vlogs? It would be fascinating.
I disagree he has exhausted the extra topical options, he keeps producing good video extras. But, your suggestion is good too!
@@SteelheadTed He does, no doubt. Still, some of the contents is a rehash from previous vlogs. There are many malts Ralfy can discuss in hindsight that he has not reviewed. For instance, I would be curious to hear what he has to say on Braeval, Knockando, Tormore, Macduff, Miltonduff, and some more.
Glen Moray?
It's a shame that all these factors, the marketing, collectors, fans willing to spend copious amounts on a bottle, etc., are really having an impact on those of us who are discerning customers just looking for a whisky so that we can try it or enjoy one every now and then.
Totally totally agree with the point being made here! Look at what has happened to the latest Daftmill. Retail £165, one example recently sold at auction for £1200. Cads, bounders and venture capitalists have entered the whisky world and it’s becoming harder and harder for ordinary enthusiasts- malt mates like you and I - to afford decent whisky.
💯❤️
Do we all turn into Crusty Old Bamsticks?👴🏑
. . . yes, probably, with enough whisky !
@@ralfydotcom My Dad is 92..used to drink Macallan when it was good!!!Drinks Grouse now,despite my attempts at getting him into good single malts...oh well...proof whisky preserves!!👴👴🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃
@@iancrombie8862 Get dad the Naked Grouse if you haven't yet, a few $/£ more and well worth it!
@@tjross1313 Very mixed reviews...personally wouldnt waste money on blended whisky,even as a present!🎁🥃
@@iancrombie8862 It's a blended malt, so no grain whisky, vetted and matured in a really good quality first-fill oloroso cask, using malt from Macallan, Highland Park, Glenrothes, & Glenturret - all this at a very affordable price. Not only is it delicious, it punches well above its weight for anything in a similar category. You mentioned that your 92 year old dad liked Famous Grouse, well, this is Famous Grouse turned up to 300. My advice was solid for putting a smile on the man's face, but hey, do as you will, I was just trying to be helpful.
How many pour a night for you?
. . . 3 at most.
@@ralfydotcom ok, I will stop drinking now 😂😂
@@sithukyaw9019 it’s wise to have a few ‘dry’ days too
@@sithukyaw9019 lol
Bliss
12:45 - a very succinct discussion on the worthlessness of age statements. Too bad the host can't see it.
GlenGynecology?
Where’s the score?
. . . In the review No: 847
Hey Ralphy, could we get better video quality? It’s 2020 even smartphones shoot is 4K now.
It took awful too long to upload content with resolution higher than 720p mainly due to the bandwidth constraints where he lives. I think he explained it in one of the episodes not too long ago.
Another quality distillery that has been releasing integrity sherry themed whiskys for reasonable prices is glengoyne. Comparisons will be inevitable...
First! (non-pat-pal-comment)! :D
And the award is .....
...a bottle of Glendronach 18? :)
Whisky snobs !