What is Flora & Fauna Single Malt Whisky?
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- Опубліковано 28 сер 2024
- Created as an overview of Diageo's "Flora & Fauna" series of single malt Scotch whiskies. This one is, perhaps, a little esoteric. Despite this range confusing me at first, it's since become a favourite of mine and I share some of the reasons why, but also what I think could be better. Think of it as a fan letter.
I also share my thoughts on the currently available expressions and which you might enjoy.
Missing here is a point I didn't make very well on the shoot, and that is that of the 11 expressions currently available, 9 are Speyside malts. The remaining two are Highlands. Over time Diageo have clipped and thinned the range to the point there's far less variation in the series than there once was. Despite this, I still feel it warrants exploration. I have also not mentioned here that the only operating distillery that's owned by Diageo which doesn't contribute an expression to the range is Roseisle. That's probably not quite come of age yet, but honestly at the time of writing/shooting I don't know Diageo's plans for Roseisle going forward.
I've tried to be as accurate as possible with the details in this video, but I politely ask that you understand this is meant as entertainment and the intended audience is whisky enthusiasts.
In time I will add links to other #whiskytube and #whiskyfabric reviews below. JasonWhiskyWise has an upcoming series planned on the entire (available) Flora & Fauna series on his channel.
Auchroisk 10yo
Dram a Day - • A Dram A Day #279 - Au...
Benrinnes 15yo
Upcoming Review from JasonWhiskyWise
/ @jasonwhiskywise
Blair Athol 12yo
Scotch 4 Dummies - • Blair Athol 12- Highl...
Dailuaine 16yo
Whisky Wednesday - • Whisky Wednesday - Dai...
Glen Spey 12yo
Upcoming Review from JasonWhiskyWise
/ @jasonwhiskywise
Glenlossie 10yo
Upcoming Review from JasonWhiskyWise
/ @jasonwhiskywise
Inchgower 14yo
Upcoming Review from JasonWhiskyWise
/ @jasonwhiskywise
Linkwood 12yo
Ralfy - • ralfy review 680 - Lin...
The Spirit Safe - • Linkwood 12 (Flora & F...
Monochrome 12yo
Upcoming Review from JasonWhiskyWise
/ @jasonwhiskywise
Strathmill 12yo
Upcoming Review from JasonWhiskyWise
/ @jasonwhiskywise
Teaninich
Upcoming Review from JasonWhiskyWise
/ @jasonwhiskywise
This video was made possible by the wonderful whisky folks of Patreon. You can join the team of supporters here: / aqvavitae
This track is another by the awesome DJ Quads: / aka-dj-quads
T-shirt purchased from Urban Pirate Apparel: www.urbanpirat...
Viewing is recommended for 18 years and older (or the minimum age for alcohol consumption in your country of residence).
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Thank you whisky folks!
Slàinte!
Awesome video! - and got me curious to try out some of the f & f bottles.... now I'm waiting for the postman to deliver my Benrinnes 15 and Linkwood 12, and I can't wait!
Even if I end up not liking the whisky (which i doubt) the bottles just look amazing I my opinion.
Awesome Kasper - I'm gonna take a leap of faith and pin your comment, we'll wait the weekend in anticipation of your honest and frank feedback - I love whisky delivery days - excited for you! Thanks for watching and commenting. I really, really, hope you like those drams!
Well, I got my f&f bottles today and decided to try out the Linkwood. Holy cow I really enjoy this glass! The texture of the whisky is fantastic, and the intense booom of sweet and sour really hit the spot. (Also i have been kind of stuck on islay whisky for some time, so it's really nice to try something different)
Thanks for the great content Roy and thanks for the recommendations
Wow Kasper I'm really pleased you liked it (and as always a little relieved! 😅 ) I think you'll find the Benrinnes every bit as engaging! Thanks for the kind words of encouragement.
I love the Linkwood - check Ralfy's review of it as well.
One of my favourite Ralfy reviews!
Very nice Roy. F&F now understood!
Welcome boys, thanks for watching!
Your a great Whisky Ambassador. You really got me wanting to try all these just for the education of my pallet.
Hmmmm.... maybe we can work on that....
You don't have to send any samples although I appreciate the thought. There is a SMWS Bar here in DC and they have some it I am sure, they seem to have everything.
We'll see!
I could listen to you all day, Roy. Great knowledge and smooth delivery.
Man, I could read comments like that all day - thanks Allan!
Roy, a very nice and informational video on the Flora & Fauna series. There are certainly some very interesting bottles in this collection. Unfortunately, I have never seen one of these bottles here in Indiana. I guess another reason for a return trip ✈️ to Scotland 😄 to try and find some. 👍
There's lots of reasons to take a trip back! See you next time!
I've come back to these educational/nerding out videos a couple of times and still enjoy them!
Great video.. look forward for more such in future 👍🏽
I'll do what I can! Thank you for watching!
Very informative video on the range and i salute you for that Roy! Gonna pick up a few bottles in the near future. Cheers!
Viktor E thank you, great to hear and I hope you find something you really enjoy. You can't go wrong with the Dailuaine or Blair Athol 🙂
Aqvavitae Thanks!
It was this very video that got me hooked on whisky. Thank you Roy.
Very Interesting I always enjoy learning something new! Great Job!
Thanks Robert, thanks for stopping by and leaving kind words!
Whew. What a great video. I know that I will return to this over the years and watch again if I have an opportunity to pick up something from the Flora & Fauna collection. It would be awesome to have all of these on hand, just to tell the stories. Thank you for recording and sharing it!
Whisky Neighbour thank you fella! So glad your enjoyed it! 👍
Well presented Roy.
Thank you lorenz!
Fantastic video, Roy! I own not a single flora and fauna bottle but I'll look out for them. Cheers
Richie Z thanks Richie, I think it can be difficult to find them depending on where you are... Hope you track one down!
Brilliant Roy! Thank you for this. Was always curious about Flora & Fauna hearing it mentioned from time to time. But never understood what it meant. Til now.
Thank you for yet another entertaining and educational video. You are a gift to all whisky lovers out there, Roy!
pegelstrnd Awesome comment to read, thank you so much! 🙏
My first experience with single malt Scotch was in the courtyard of the Strathmill Distillery in Keith, Scotland. It was 1980, and I was a young American tourist wandering around the British Isles, backpack and all. I knew that I wanted to get off the train somewhere near the 'Whisky Trail' and I'd seen the Chivas Regal tank cars on the rail siding just before Keith. I spent the night in a guesthouse and the next morning I visited the Strathmill Distillery on the edge of town. I'd been redirected there, instead of going to the Strathisla complex nearby. I got a personal tour from the distiller after stumbling on to some confab in the courtyard of the distillery. After we returned to the gathering, the team presented a beaker of amber liquid to the gent who'd given me the tour, noting it was 15 years. He nosed it in the beaker, and then turned and handed me the beaker...It was my 'free taste'. It was probably a good four ounces, at least. I told them I had to catch a train... He laughed and told me to drink what I could handle; they would dispense with the rest any way.
Nice job as always! I had no idea about the history behind these whiskys. Many thanks for doing the review and educating us!
Thank you B W!
Great video Roy. I really didn't know anything about the Flora & Fauna range. Certainly not about the history of them. Very informative. Nice 'Drambassadors' list at the end too!
Good to see your name there Mikey! ;) Thank you!
Awesome video Roy. I didn’t know all of the history behind Flora and Fauna...so you know the whisky geek inside of me was loving the beginning🙂
Glad you liked it MC, thanks for taking the time! :)
I wish we got the Flora & Fauna in the states! Another great video Roy thank you for being the willing one to share ;)
LetsDrinkWhisky thanks for watching again Travis! I wish you got it too! 😕
I must say this is another informative and entertaining Aqvavitae Production......keep up the good work!!!
Thank you for taking the time to watch and leave such a cool comment!
Another great vlog Roy, always an education
Thank you Andy, great to see you enjoyed it!
Thanks for going over this Roy. I had no idea what Flora and Fauna meant when you’ve mentioned it in the past. 👍
Thanks Rog, there was a time it confused me too, quite a curious range. Thanks for commenting!
F&F on the list now...thanks....like I needed more stuff on my list.
I have a "list" too. 😅 Difficult huh? Thanks Eric!
Sometimes it is difficult. However, I put it into perspective.......it’s not about the destination, it’s the journey that’s important. It’s not a problem if there are a few detours that take you on better routes! 🥃👍🏻
Oh, and thank you for the detour(s)!
Eric Schwab fully agree, like it's my own words 👍
Superb video as always Roy, thanks for sharing. I feel privileged to have been able to enjoy your masterclass in the Flora and Fauna range in person! Cheers, Ed
TopWhiskies thanks Ed, yeah I rant about whiskies everywhere I go... thanks for watching, and listening 😉
Just discovered your channel, good to see another malt head standing by the fundamentals!
Thanks again for a really enjoyable and informative video. For me, knowing more about F&F makes me even more confounded about the way Diageo presents whiskies in the Singleton range. And in addition to the A/B/C/D concepts, it's great to tie your ideas here back to the Recycled Reviews of F&F empties. Bravo! (Also, can't wait for the next edition of Recycled Reviews.)
Hopefully got another in the next few weeks! Thanks for following and commenting Bill!
Roy, I have recently gotten into my journey in the Flora and Fauna range, and even though I have seen this video several times already, I keep going back to it to help guide me to my next purchase from the range. This is hands down the best video on F&F out there and I want to thank you for making it. Sláinte!
You’re welcome 😇 thank you!
👍👍👍 Just fantastic Roy! Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Please take note #Diageo!!!!!
As I love all our whisky tubers could someone call the UA-cam Emmy committee and nominate this vid! 😃
wow, thanks so much for the kind words - really glad you enjoyed it!
I hope to one day have a bottle or two of the flora and fauna range in my collection. Love the history behind this. Now I know what to be looking for if I spot some of these on a shelf. Superb as always Roy! Thanks!
Thank you George, I hope you track a couple down!
Wow💥👊🏼.....incredible knowledge!
Great workout... respect.
Thank you 🙏🏼
Cheers
Mo
Thank you! Glad you liked it!
Wow, this is a magnificently informative video, great job!
Drinking Whisky thank you so much! 🙏
Nice one, Roy.
Thanks Phil for taking the time to comment!
Roy, I have to say... I think you are the best positioned to separate from the whisky tuber pack. ...with all due respect to the others, of course. I know it's not a race, but your knowledge, presentation, production value, are top notch. Dare I say... The "current" whisky generation's technology advanced Ralfy. Keep up the great work!
Nice words my friend, really! I think the other guys have clear abilities (and I'm not just talking about their ability to deliver far more content than I can!) that I don't have. As hosts to an awesome community, I think we work pretty well together! Thank you for taking the time!
Very professional presentation here. Ralfy has his malt mate character, but some whisky guru's are presenting themself to the world plain from the bedroom, like Foodquig. De gustibus, as romans used to say
Wow long ago, love these style of videos. I know but love to see more. 😉 thnx to this vid I got the Dailuaine 16 a few years ago on discount, great expression!
I think I have my next targets for my collection thanks to this (and the sample of Daluiaine 16) as soon as I have killed off a few bottles. I have a G&M Linkwood 15 to open yet so will need a 12 year old to compare it to.
Great to learn some of the history from a guy that has a real passion for Scotch whisky. Cheers Roy.
Thank you Sid! Look forward to hearing what you think of them!
I have only ever seen two bottles of Flora and Flora range here in Israel and they were in two stores opposite each other and both very old bottlings of Glendullan 12 YO. I bought them both up. (Neither of them came in the box though). That was 3 years ago. I still have them.
Ooooh. I'd trade for one! :p
This is an example of an excellent UA-cam scotch whisky video. 16k hits 👌.
Love it Roy! Making some of the best Whisky content around
Thank you for such a cool comment. Great to welcome you here!
Excellent video, Roy!
T Greene thank you, glad you enjoyed! 😊
Love this brother. You’re mesmerizing. Excellent stuff.
So grateful of you to stop by and leave such a cool comment 6. A mark of the classy guy you are. Slàinte!
Really enjoyed that Roy. I think on my journey, I'm still trying other things. Like you say, I do try and get whiskies following your ABCD. Very interesting video though Roy. Maybe someone's watching and heard your suggestions, that would be fantastic. All the best chap.
Good stuff Paul, but keep an open mind! You never know what experiences you might miss out on...
I will always keep an open mind Roy. Enjoying every minute of my Whisky journey.
Great video again Roy. Last Saturday I saw them for the first time in real in a store here in Spain. Didn't now that much about them so didn't spend too much time looking at them, but next time I'll be there I'll take a look if they have one of the ones you recommended.
They're really worth a try Ryan, let me know what you think if you ever do pick them up!
I will sure do!
Totally agree with this, great review Roy!
Roy:
Thank you for the Tour through Flora & Fauna. As an American, even living in NYC, I have very little knowledge of these and it was wonderful to have an intro! As a whisky drinker who prizes my experience of a malt, as most serious whisky drinkers do, I agree that these should be NCF at 46% ABV.
SLÁINTE
Mike
Sir, you are my scotch encyclopedia. Thank you so much.
Excellent! Just excellent!
Well done Roy!
Thank you so much Gustav!
Greay video Roy, once again! I’ve been intrigued by the f&f series for a decade now but never got a hold of a bottle. Also I thought the whole series was dead and gone a long time ago. But it’s still going apparently, good news. Maybe i can still get a bottle one day!
I hope you snag a good one Sauli! Thanks for watching and commenting!
Thanks! I love learning. :)
Thanks Aimee! (PS: Hope you're okay with the end credit - I probably should've asked first!)
It's great!
What an amazing detailed video 🙏
So last week I finally tried some F&F. The Dailuaine and the Linkwood. Really enjoyed both but the Dailuaine was gorgeous. Really layered, chewy dram. Just had to give them a go having watched this. Slainte chap.
Good stuff Paul, 2 of my favourites!
I love the whole F&F range. Great Video Roy. 👌🏼
Thank you Christian, you might've picked up I have a soft-spot for it too.
Great video, Roy! Haven’t been able to get on your recent livestreams due to job obligations, but i will try to say hi on the next one. Un abrazo!
Hey Rafael - wondering where you'd gone! I appreciate you making the effort and I know how tricky the timezones can be, we'll hook up when it's right my friend!
Excellent review of an interesting and charming range. The first one I ever tried was the Inchgower. Watching this puts me in the mood to purchase a replacement. I completely concur with your suggestion of an updated upgrade of the range. I can see where Diageo were coming from twenty years ago but the whisky landscape is transformed these days. It's also quite easy to buy independent bottlings of these distilleries especially online. I doubt many people other than maltheads buy these whiskys so Diageo would do themselves a favour by increasing the strength and doing away with the filtration. We're only asking for an extra 3% abv for Pete's sake. C'mon Diageo, we'd buy much more F&F whisky if you did.
Well, they took the decision to re-open Port Ellen and Brora... so you just never know. Thanks Welsh!
Hmm, to me the reopening looks a bit like trying to capitalise on the big names Brora and Port Ellen even further while they are running out of old casks that they can sell for several thousand moneyz per bottle.
I hope you have enough reach for some Diageo representative to stumble by and relay the feedback to the right people. :)
Roy, nicely done. These videos are great quality. Want to see at least twice a month, please 🙏🏻
If you are reading this, please give this comment 👍 if you agree with me.
I hear you Jez. The wife gave me all day Saturday at the weekend, I'd already had this planned for a while, so I sat down and story-boarded it. Wrote out a rough script and shot the whole thing by dinnertime. I edited on Saturday night and most of Sunday, shooting the stills, photoshopping the overlays and filming a little b-roll too. I finally finished it and left it to render as I went to bed, so I could upload a 2GB file this morning. All told, I'd guess 28 hours. I'm getting faster, but that's why it's so infrequent. Thanks for your patience. I could shoot for more, but you and I both would need to have difficult discussions with my wife. Thank you for your continued support Jez!
Aqvavitae it is pleasure to support you. You do an amazing job.
Interesting video and very nice produced as always. I have a bottle of Dailuaine and I like it very much. I also tried a dram from the Teaninich which I remember as a quite tasty one. I would love to try more from the range. The only problem is they get a lot of competition when it comes to which-bottles-to-pack-in-the-suitcase when leaving Scotland :)
A common dilemma WW!. I've heard of people booking extra luggage just to stuff with rolled up t-shirts padding out bottles of whisky! Thanks for watching as always!
Great video. I’ve long been a fan of the F&F series.
Thanks cato, I know they don't always tick the presentation boxes, but when we let the whisky do the talking they tend to please don't they?
Very cool Roy. I never knew there were that many. My local pub still has a bottle of the Auchroisk which I am the only one who has the 3 drams out of the bottle. Am genuinely thinking of offering the new owners an amount to take the bottle home with me.
Do it! It's one of my favourites!
You know you’re doing something right when you make a slightly pro-Diageo video, but still 7k views in and you have 300+ thumbs up and literally zero downvotes. Highly excellent content!
Fantastic Roy...great watch...bought my first F&F last week Daluaine16 looking forward to cracking that open pal.maybe at your next live....
ooooh.. great one to start with! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. Next live? See you there! Cheers Alan!
Another great video, mate. And I agree, they could improve this range with a few small tweaks. Cheers.
Kilted Moose thanks Scott! We live in hope. 😕
Great video, Roy! Background, subtle colouring, body language, t-shirt, facial expressions and Glaswegian accent are all nicely tweaked for optimum effect. Oh, and the whisky's not bad either. I've only had the Benrinnes, Glen Elgin and Blair Athol expressions, but do enjoy them all heartily. Many thanks for the tips concerning others worthy of a try. Finally, I hope Diageo are listening in and taking note. As a specialist series, It would certainly prod me to start buying more of these if the presentation (46%, no artificial colouring and no chill filtration) were tweaked in the direction of the artisanal approach. And one final request - please Diageo - release some Mortlach that is not sold in tiny bottles at over-inflated prices (take a leaf out of G&M's book). This wonderful whisky deserves so much better! Cheers.
We're aligned Russell, and thank you very much for taking the time to watch and comment!
Glad I finally found this video and thank you for it. You mention F&F often and I searched for that as if it was a brand, never finding anything nor really understanding.
Thanks Don, same for me once upon a time!
Quote of the video:
*"and it could just be ever so slightly....MUCH BETTER!!!"*
Regarding your criticisms, I totally agree.
Someone at Diageo just doesn’t get it do they! This is a limited release, nichemarket product.
(1) this range is produced in order to sample the local product of a distillery that does not have a regular official bottling range.
(2) Buyers will be mainly serious single malt whisky fans.
With both these two things in mind, the whisky really should be bottled in its most natural form at higher alcohol strength, natural colour and non-chilled filtered.
If anything, the range competes against the independent bottlers such as Gordon and McPhail who also bottle whiskies which you could not normally obtain. However, they will bottle at high alcohol volumes, natural colour and will barrier
filter only.
Not only is the colouring and chill filtering NOT attracting customers, it is probably losing customers! It shows a lack of professionalism and market awareness on behalf of Diageo.
We see eye-to-eye again Reb.
Couldn't agree more with your point at 12:50
What great Video! I didnt heart anything before about Flora and Fauno but bought now the Strathmill 12. I hope you will upload more, fantastic stuff. Thank you. Cheers Peter
Thank you Peter. I hope you're enjoying that Strathmill!
great video, very educational!
Great video. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Excellent video editing. A++
By the way, in a recent live show you mentioned my Icon. I'd love to explain, since it's one of my favorite subjects.
This is my aircraft, a Lake Buccaneer. "Lake" is the aircraft manufacturer. It is a Hull Amphibian which is sort of a rare thing. The body of the aircraft floats in the water. The landing gear is up, and out of the way, and two sponsons (floats) hang down from out near the end of the wing. These keep the wings from dipping down into the water with waves splashing around and such.
The engine is mounted above the cockpit and behind, and it has a pusher prop. This keeps the prop out of the water. (One could not have the engine on the front of this aircraft.)
When the landing gear is lowered it's a 'tricycle gear.' Land at any airport, and the ground handling characteristics are very mild. It's a great regular aircraft, you don't have to even use water or a lake.
The nose landing gear compartment is sealed, this means the doors which cover the landing gear don't have to be watertight (they're not, and that would be difficult). The front landing gear swings forward when "gear down" is selected. All this last bit just so I could mention a 'cool' feature of this amphibian aircraft. When you're floating around on a lake, you can idle up to a beach or a boat ramp and you can put the landing gear down while you're in the water. A hydraulic sound, the gear goes down, locks, and there's no difference, the aircraft floats the same with the landing gear down... so then as you approach the beach, you apply a little engine power and the aircraft drives out of the water and onto the beach.
Or do this at a boat ramp if there's clearance for the wings. The process can be reversed. You can idle down a boat ramp (mind the rather wide wings) roll into the water, float, idle away from shore, and then raise the landing gear. Ready for a water takeoff. Loads of fun!
I have my Seaplane rating, obviously.
The aircraft is nice, because it has an IO-360 engine (the most popular aircraft engine in the world) it's fuel injected, and it drives a constant-speed prop. That means a governor controls the pitch, holding the engine RPM constant, so that is like having a continuous set of 'gears' from maximum climb pitch to maximum speed pitch. Aircraft with these features (and the retractable landing gear) they call "Complex Aircraft", just meaning more to learn, but higher performance.
I've flown what we call "The Duck" across the US on 5 full crossings back and forth, for fun, during vacation. I was working in Silicon Valley as chip architect, bought the aircraft in New Hampshire, flew it to California, then came up with the bright idea of reversing that trip during vacation, for fun. Each summer I would do a repeat, but Jet back to work so I took an early summer vacation flying the Duck one way, and a late summer vacation flying it back.
I'd always fly to Vermont, my family being there, and I would take the aircraft to a lake in Vermont where my family has summer homes right at the water's edge, so that was an awesome reason to fly across the country.
It's a LA-4/200, 4 place, and here's a link to the Wiki page "en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Buccaneer"
Long story... I tell long stories.
If you read this far, using the aircraft image as my icon makes sense. This aircraft is just so awesome, and it's incredible being able to fly this all over the US, traveling to lakes or regular airports, splashing down all over the place.
One of my favorite 'tricks' is to fly to a lake in the summer, stop just anywhere on the lake with the canopy hinged open and (with bathing suit on) jump into the lake and swim.
It's really weird swimming around in the middle of a lake, holding on to your aircraft that you were just flying. Then you get back in, dripping, (have some towels) and you eventually strap in, start her up, and take off. Try that for real... it's awesome.
I like this subject so much, I'll probably even mention related stuff at times. I can't help myself.
(Aircraft costs about the same as a new Mercedes sedan, and that's considered affordable for a lot of people.)
Drive a used Honda car, and own this aircraft... Ha!
Cheers!
Raster, this is simply awesome. You've now got me searching Google & UA-cam for this super-cool aircraft, I'm hooked! Fancy a visit?! 😅
Ha! I'm glad you enjoyed this. It's probably a shock when someone uses this comment space as email. It actually works if you don't have someone's email address. There's no limit on how much someone can type here.
This might seem off-topic but I want to mention, I am extremely lucky, and I look back and realize I always have been. I guess that is from paying attention to the great things that occur and sort-of forgetting about the bad. That leaves one pretty happy. I'm an extremely lucky guy.
I enjoyed sharing this great experience of owning "The Duck." (Even the Scotch Test Dummies don't know about "The Duck" and they know me from email outside of my anonymous Raster handle. I wrote to them when sending them a couple of bottles.)
Cheers!
Outstanding overview. Still find it odd that I can get the older cask strength versions but no Flora & Fauna, hopefully one day.
Hey Eric, if you can get them - tell me which ones - I'm all over cask strength F&F, although they killed them off a long time ago...
Aqvavitae I been looking for a bar that has least a bottle, the bottles are my league that's for sure.
Had some of those and their independent bottled siblings and can't fight the feeling they know why they put most of it in the blends (and some not...). Not really bad for sure, and interesting to discover those "parts" on their own, but in the end... parts. But maybe that's only me and I don't regret trying, that's what it's about.
Excellent overview of the flora and fauna range Roy. I was looking for a view on the Auchroisk 10 before going ahead and buying a bottle, so i'm glad to see you are a fan. Picked up a bottle for £31 from loch fyne, which is a bit of a bargain.
well done Roy!!
Thanks Jason, glad you liked it! ;)
Of all the fancy, expensive whiskies I have, the Flora & Fauna Blair Athol 12 and Benrinnes 16 are two of my favourite "everyday" whiskies. Minus points for colour and chill-filtration, but that, in my opinion, is not reflected in the experience. Great value/experience for money. 👏🥃
So, there I was, sitting at my desk answering some highly charged emails from under pressure angry developers who couldn’t get their application to work on our servers. Their claim was that their applications worked perfectly on their servers, so it must be my fault and suggesting I give them remote administrator control so that they can “fix” our servers which is basically calling me an incompetent fool! My email in reply pointed out that if they had bothered to actually read the Dot Net 4.5.2 error, they would have realised that the problem is actually that these developers have compiled half the solution in 32 bit and the other half in 64 bit.
I was about to start hitting my head against the wall when, out of the blue, another email comes in from Aqvavitae entitled “What is Flora & Fauna Single Malt Whisky?”.
A gift from G-d!
So, I put Outlook offline, switched my phones to silent and clicked on the link bringing up Internet Explorer and 15 minutes of pure whisky delight. Then, with my “Happy” batteries recharged, I was now ready to deal with these arrogant idiots…
THANK YOU ROY. You saved my sanity.
Oh, and I used your quote that if they recompiled their solution in 64 bit then *"it could just be ever so slightly....MUCH BETTER!!!"*
but in Hebrew of course....
!!!זה יכול להיות רק קצת .... הרבה יותר טוב
Awesome! :D
It gives me a great feeling of calm that I could produce something that can help a fellow malt-head through their demanding day job! Superb!
Out of these, I've only had the Blair Athol 12 so far and I did enjoy its dry and spicy aromas. I'd put it at 8-8.5 out of 10. It's the favorite whiskey of one of my closest friends.
Very informative, thank you very much!
Thank you Roy! I love the content you're producing. Question for you... I don't have the Flora & Fauna line in my area (Texas, USA), but I'm finding some independent bottlings of the distilleries I want to try. I can get Berry's Benrinnes 16 or 17 yr. I can also get Berry's Strathmill 23yr or Alexander Murray's Strathmill 24yr. Would you recommend any of these over the other? Thanks again for all you do for the whisky nation!
Well done my friend!
Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment too Mark! Got any of that Blair Athol left? :p
Hey Roy! Great stuff again! Some of your facial expressions in there cracked me up! :D
Unfortunately, I have not had a F&F yet and ought to change that - the Blair Athol has been on my list for a while based on your recommendation. :) But the others also sound interesting enough to give them a try.
From a theoretical standpoint I agree with all your points. F&F is an enthusiast brand, matter-of-fact presentation, available only if you seek them out, distilleries that only enthusiasts have heard of. Why not make it that last bit more appealing to enthusiasts, drop the colouring and the chill-filtration (at 46%)? I don't have an ideological problem with 43%, but I'm sure some of those whiskies would have their sweet spots more towards 46%. Alas, Diageo seem to be making some really good products but often fall just a wee bit short of making them a "perfect".
Here's another instance of my inner curious pedant asking the whisky linguist: Does the "ch" in Auchroisk turn into somewhat a "th" sound?
Everest314 thanks for the watch and comment! Yeah, I think we're aligned in our thoughts for what this could be. Regarding the pronunciation of Auchroisk, it's in the second pronunciation video I did, but you can pronounce it "arthrusk" or "ahthrusk". No one cares if you say "ockroysk" either though, but the former is best.
Thanks for the history lesson. I was reading Michael Jackson's beer guide books going back to the early 80's did not know he did whiskey books as well.
He's a god of beer and whisky for sure! Sadly missed. Thanks tallesta!
Fantastic video, I have always wanted to know more about that series. I believe I have only seen one of those in my local stores, if I see it again I will definitely pick it up. The G&M Linkwood 15, would that get your recommendation in place of the Flora&Fauna Linkwood?
The G&M (in my experience) tends to be a little more inconsistent, but I've never had a bad one. Yes, and they're usually good value. Thanks JK for watching!
Aqvavitae That store also has the G&M Mortlach 15 still in stock, I'm torn!
I echo the let's make them 46% and take the color out. I have the Inchgower and Teaninich versions. Guess I better collect them all like Pokemon lol. Great job Roy!
Yeah, they make a nice display as a collection for sure! But then I go and pop them open! Ah well. What it was made for!
Oh yes, I will be popping both bottles to review them. Cheers!
Just discovered this particular video. I was having a nose arouns the web and remember seeing Flora and Fauna series...looking for my next reasonable purchase and tempted by Dailuaine 16...as i know nothing about it and it seems good value on the face...great informative video!
You’ll have a nice time with any of them I’m sure, good luck with the Dailuaine!
@@Aqvavitae thanks as always for the great content! It's a real pleasure. Hope you are safe, sound and healthy pal!
Am keen to add some Dailuaine and Blair Athol indie bottles to the selection soon. Cadenhead are my modern F&F range 😉
Good choices all!
Love the Michael Jackson pic!!!
Owww!!
Thanks for the education.
I have to share the whisky things I love!
Great video!
Thank you Thomas!
Very cool - just started watching, Roy, and I am very impressed!
Hi Mark. How are things? Between you and me, this guy, Aqvavitae Roy, is, in my opinion, the best whisky vlogger on UA-cam bar none (and that includes Ralfy!). I woudn't tell him that directly though, it might go to his head.
Reb Mordechai I’m gutted😭 haha kidding - I’ll assume I hold the third position 😝 but in all seriousness Roy is the ideal juxtaposition of knowledge, talent, personality, and humour. Oh and that lovely accent we all love to hear. Move over James McAvoy, Ewan McGregor, Sean Connery, and of course my personal favourite Brian Cox.
Cheers Reb! 🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃
Mark
Sorry Mark, I didn't mean to cause you an emotional burst pipe crisis. (I thought that gutted was exclusively a British phrase? Do they use it in Canada as well?) For sheer quality and the quantity of output as well as enthusiasm, WhiskyWhistle wins many of my top UA-cam whisky awards. One only has to do a search for a particular whisky and the chances are that you, my friend, have reviewed it.
Reb Mordechai my dear fellow of course I was pulling your leg. Right - it’s a word I’ve adopted as my native Canadian doesn’t suffice. Likewise for ‘chuffed’. Haha cheers buddy - I have done a few 🤪- time to focus on new angles as well as reviews. Mr Duff has set the bar quite high!! Oh and let’s not forget your own blog whose posts really gets all the i’s dotted and t’s crossed. Oh the day we all share a dram...
I can just about read this as my massive head peers through my tiny spectacles! (Thank you Reb!)
Great to see you in your element. Passionate yet humble as usual. I'm convinced! It's time I lost my virginity to Flora & Fauna. Tossing a coin between Teaninich and Strathmill :)
Hmmm... Auchroisk!
Aqvavitae By all means, complicate matters!
:P
Malt Chronicles PS: meant to apologise for missing you on your first live tune in! Hope I catch you next time! Do I know you as any other name? 🤔
Roy, you're mistaken! I think I demanded a lot of attention last Thursday ;) Remember the invasive questions about your drinking and non-drinking schedule? We also had a bit of a phonetics game with Zuidam/Souwtdàhm (which you nailed by the way).
I've seen all your vids via my old account (probably visible to you) Bart Damen -
bartdamen1984@gmail.com. I've only recently decided to start anew, with some Whiskytube ambitions of my own, waiting in the wings/on the docket.
From the scotch test dummies to Aqvavitae , two days of from work why shouldn´t i. cheers Roy
Good times Heiko! Thank you!
Great video, now 2021, i reminisce : few of these F&F ever came to Ontario Canada, but early 2000s quite a few of the UDRM (United Distillers Rare Malts - black box series) all at Cask Strength. . . i still regret NOT picking up a Teaninich CS. Then a gain, back then , few of these channels ever existed but the books of MJ (not with the glove) or the . . . a-hem. . . Whisky Testament ! !
Gotta say, the Blair Athol - 12 Year Old is one of my all time favourite whiskies, do you have one in the Flora & Fauna range? I tried the Pittyvaich - 12 Year Old as well but thought the Blair was a little better.
Thanks for the knowledge drop Roy! I haven't had any of them but would like to try the Mortlach, Benrinnes, Blair Athol, Dailuaine, and the Balmenach. I agree that they should switch to NCF, natural color, and 46%. Which one in your opinion is the most sherried and which is the most peated?
Well done! I like your video production values and the unique malty content themes ;-) [Always quality over quantity.] I notice that the F&F bottlings of Caol Ila and Clynelish that your are holding in this video have tax stamps. Quite reminiscent to the Italian ones. Are these the ones you found on vacation in some Italian store under the dust? [so I remember you told such a story in one of your previous videos or live-streams]
Absolutely smack-spot-on! Those are Italian tax seals and they are the ones I snagged in Italy. Good spot!
Great video. Great style and content. Just subscribed. 🙂
Welcome on-board BCWS - tell us more about your society!
Aqvavitae Cheers. Brand new and West Midlands based, but honing in on the Greater Black Country region. We're just getting off the ground at the moment. Hopefully selecting a home base for regular tastings very soon, as well as activating a few other ideas swirling around in our heads. Always on the look out for followers and interesting whisky people like yourself. Twitter - @BlackCountryWS should get people there if anyone's interested. Looking forward to more of your videos now ! Very best wishes. 🙂
Very informative. Best explanation I’ve seen of the F&F line.
Great background. Do you use a pull down screen as they do in photography?
Thank you Hoyet. Actually, that's my wall! :)
Aqvavitae Nice neutral grey for contrast. Makes you look like you’re backlit.
Excellent vlog Roy but the big question is where can I buy that T-shirt, its a belter.
A good range of Flora & Fauna on Amazon
Reminds me; I need another bottle of F&F Blair Athol!
Post haste!
Thanks for watching and commenting again Brandon!
Wow! Tnx