ralfy review 832 Extras - Introducing some decent N.A.S. whiskies.
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
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A sheep farmer was tending his flock when a city slicker rolled up in his fancy flashy car, hopped out and said, "Hey, if I tell you exactly how many sheep you have, can I take one?" The farmer nods, so the city slicker opens his laptop, calls up some satellite photos, runs some algorithms, and announces, "You have 1,432 sheep."
Impressed, the farmer says, "You're right. Go ahead and take one." So the city slicker loads one of the animals into the backseat of the car. "Now," says the farmer, "I'll bet all my sheep against your car that I can tell you what you do for a living."
A gaming sort, the city slicker says, "Sure."
"You're a consultant," says the farmer.
"Wow!" says the consultant. "How'd you know?"
"Well," says the farmer, "you came from nowhere even though I never called for you. You drive a flashy car, and wear a fancy suit. You charged me for information I already knew, answering a question I didn't ask. And you don't even know anything about my business. Now give me back my dog."
this is the only channel where the vierwer gets ecxitied when the host enters with a bucket
haha true !
I'm happy I found this channel, it's like watching a wise whiskey uncle pass on his knowledge and wisdom. Happy to watch.
Heh, that's what my lads and lasses call me, though they call me the whisky dick just as often. TTFN
A lot to watch to catch up then....
@@linoleumbonypart385 over the last 2 weeks I'm about 80 episodes so lots of ground to cover still, but it gives me a nice backlog to cover 😀
Ralfy is the best whisky reviewer on UA-cam!
You're in good hands.
"Now you know why I don't review N.A.S. whiskies; because it's the thin end of the wedge. And the more that wedge is battered in, between the customer and the people who care about making good liquor, the more dangerous it gets for our wallets and the quality of what we buy. It's that simple." - A perfectly summarised thesis statement from Ralfy c. 2020.
Fast forward 3 yrs and a blended non age statement whisky is ralfys whisky of the year!
Are u serious?
Holy cow ur right. Maclean's Nose Blended NAS Scotch Whisky. Haha. I’m sure it must be great then.
@Fatty-qh5jx I haven't tried it, seems hard to get here in Ireland but i whole heartedly trust ralfy's opinion.
"This information is precious" says it all. NAS is simply a form of lack of information for the consumer. Lack of information equals risk. The more information on the bottle the better the customer can manage their personal risk. If I have to go to website to learn about a whisky, that is better than no information available, but the average person won't go to that trouble. Transparency of the information is the most powerful marketing to me!
Great overhand volley back at us. Nothing but respect for you Ralfy. Cheers!
you remained totally polite and honest in your rant though just like he did.
I love scotch whisky and I believe you both played a major role in my Whisky journey.
TEDDY KGB ...100% agreed!!
Hey Rob, good to cya here
I love a nice back and forth. 6 woke a Giant! 👏👏👏
Speaking of package sizes. I don't know about over there, but here in Canada, and probably the US, all sorts of food products are coming in ever smaller packages, like juice for example, from standard 2 litre cartons, to 1.75 to now 1.65. The price doesn't change, but you get less. That's how you give the customer the illusion that food prices are stable.
It's all over the uk, & we have a name for it - shrinkflation. - it's basically lying and cheating in my book, just to rip you off. GL
Kilchoman Sanaig!
Especially the "Dark Batch".
Came for the fancy bottle, stayed for the taste! NAS, 46 % ABV, UCF, NC.
:-) Somewhere nearby somebodies garage door is going up-down-up-down
Ralfy ... does your clicker have an age statement on it? Probably not.
It's true. Many tequilas are 38 percent because agave distillate is expensive. Cheap alcohol is creeping lower and lower, you have vodkas at 35% now, even 33%, and the clowns tell you it's because "people want to drink healthier". Bollocks.
Exported bottom shelf North American whisky can be had at 37% here in Australia. Jim Beam, Canadian Club, etc. It's all disgusting though. You see even more 45% American whiskies sold at 40% like Maker's Mark, Buffalo Trace, etc and they're really crap too. They're relying on the larger population of American reviewers marketing what people are unaware is a superior product over there.
Oddly enough you don't see any Australian whisky below 40% though I suspect that's because it's so costly to make here so they're all going for premium price brackets (iirc there are only two single malts under $100 nationwide).
Great video. Would love to have you on our new podcast for a good old rant. Cheers Ralfy. God Bless.
You are absolutely right Ralfy. We need to let big business know that we won't take their shit and that we still demand a certain level of quality
No idea if you will see this or not, but I just wanted to tell you that I find your content refreshing, original and extremely educational. I am just starting on my whisky journey and your advice is extremely valuable and it is evident in your videos that you are a kind soul. I read your book and really enjoyed it. I actually managed to get a 35cl bottle of Bladnoch 15 year in an auction with that same sheep head label on it. It isn't the same one you purchased after your visit and reviewed afterwards, but it's a little piece of Ralfy history that I will enjoy. I will of course keep the bottle as a novelty, but the whisky inside will not sit on a shelf for decades. It will be enjoyed! Keep up the great work. You are preaching the whisky gospel and I wish every distillery owner was subscribed to your channel!
"Pish! Pish!" We can always count on Ralfy to give it to us straight (18:30)
I've only just recently started exploring whisk(e)y and I had wondered why some people turn their nose up at the NAS bottles. My first inclination was it was just elitism, or snobbery...but they way you explained it really brought it to light. This is a reason why having maestros of malt magnificence majestically and meticulously maze through the myriad of magical mash makings is a must! I could have been easily lead astray by unscrupulous advertising. Thank you for the perspective Ralfy! You are doing the good work, sir.
Snobbery and elitism would be looking down at people who enjoy NAS. Calling out the producers for concealing age is altogether different :)
I’m happy to see this, Ralfy. There are loads, loads of new whisky drinkers out there who let brands and the blogs/vlogs they’ve bought walk all over them.
Cheers🥃🥃🥃🥃
Hi Mark, hope you well, my friend. You went on Lagavulin rampage of late just like Ralfy. Looking forward for more of your insights
Krishna R hey Krishna! Yes haha quite a random yet lucky occurrence for me! Thanks muchly bud Happy Canada Day to you and @ralphydotcom 🥃🥃🥃🥃
Great stuff. Always respect your opinion Ralfy, cheers :)
This is why Ralfy is the best whisky reviewer. Passion and honesty. Good on you Sir!
Lore is absolutely phenomenal. I don't understand folks that love Laphroaig that don't like this bottle.
How does it compare to an ardbeg uigeadail or corryvreckan, considered I'm very fond of both and I can get them for much cheaper (oogie for 65,corry for 75, lore for 95, euros that is)
Thanks un advance
@@alessandrovigano8149
Where do you live? In Germany you can get Lore for about 63 €. In The Netherlands even for a bit less than 60 sometimes. It got much cheaper since it was released.
@@T0bi1983 It is around 115 € in France, crazy taxes & margins here.....
@@alessandrovigano8149 Completely different....it is sweeter, rounder, fruitier (with a sherry influence) while the 2 Ardbeg quoted are more or less heavily peated, but Lore has some more than decent character, of what I remember, so it is on my wishlist, though too expensive in France value wise
I love the Oogie and would still recommend picking up the Lore, excellent bottle!
12:47 I'm not going to go on a rant
MESHUGANERS OF MARCH MADNESS. (Meshuga means crazy In Yiddish)
. . . now on the M-mention List, thanks !
Also my favorite band!
@@Trumben Was hoping someone would mention them! My favorite as well.
March Madness may refer to the college basketball tournament in the US
There are good NAS whisky’s, there are good AS whisky’s. There are bad of both as well.
Dont rule either out.
These days with some superb Whisky coming out of the USA, Australia with accelerated aging due climate an age statement means nothing.
5 years in a cask in Texas can be to long.
4 years in Australia can be the equivalent of 15 years in Scotland.
Some brilliant stuff from Killchoman all NAS.
Age statement or older age can help but its no guarantee of anything.
Taste and try then go from there.
As soon as you exclude half the worlds whisky because it doesnt fit in with Scotlands age statement obsession which marketers pushed in the 90’s.
Now with numerous new distilleries supplying brilliant whisky without an age statement the very arrogance that marketing campaign generated high prices based off a number not quality.
Now Ralfy you exclude great whisky because it has no number?
That is exactly whats holding whisky back.
The arrogance of judging based on a marketing number ie age which guarantees and excluding some brilliant whisky because it doesnt have a number.
Its nit tangible because people will compare.
5 year old Indian vs 12 year old Scot guess which wins.
Yet the indian will have huge flavours and complexity far exceeding its age.
Age doesnt ALWAYS work but customers will ALWAYS compare numbers instead of taste.
Its all about taste...not numbers on a bottle.
There are good NAS whisky’s, there are good AS whisky’s. There are bad of both as well. - True, but all are a product of their age.
These days with some superb Whisky coming out of the USA, Australia with accelerated aging due climate an age statement means nothing. - It means something within those climates, which is why age is tracked by those companies in those climates.
5 years in a cask in Texas can be to long. 4 years in Australia can be the equivalent of 15 years in Scotland. - All the more reason to know the age.
Some brilliant stuff from Killchoman all NAS. - All a product of their undisclosed age.
Age statement or older age can help but its no guarantee of anything. - It's a guarantee of minimum age. ABV doesn't guarantee quality either... should we get rid of ABV, or any other product information, because it doesn't tell you more than it says it's telling you?
Now with numerous new distilleries supplying brilliant whisky without an age statement the very arrogance that marketing campaign generated high prices based off a number not quality. - Higher prices came with higher demand, but when you have people paying more for whisky easily under 10 years, and marketed to conceal it, it drives up the price on the older stuff as well.
Now Ralfy you exclude great whisky because it has no number? - He excludes it because it doesn't have the information to which the consumer should be entitled. Put an age on all this "brilliant whisky" and it wouldn't be excluded; it's as much the industry's choice as Ralfy or anyone else's.
That is exactly whats holding whisky back. - See above. There's no whisky that's made without an age statement that can't be made with one. Whisky is holding itself back by pretending that labels determine how cask physics work and where age is, and isn't, a factor.
The arrogance of judging based on a marketing number ie age which guarantees and excluding some brilliant whisky because it doesnt have a number. - See above. What's being judged is the marketing, and it's deceptive and substandard.
5 year old Indian vs 12 year old Scot guess which wins. - But, unless you can actually know the ages first, the comparison is impossible and it's all just guesswork, right?
Yet the indian will have huge flavours and complexity far exceeding its age. - If those are the flavours and complexity that the indian has at five years, then those are the flavours and complexity it has at that age, not exceeding it, so its age is important and important to know.
Age doesnt ALWAYS work but customers will ALWAYS compare numbers instead of taste. - Age is always at work, in every whisky. A person can easily prefer a 10 over a 20, but both are the result of their age.
Its all about taste...not numbers on a bottle. - The numbers on the bottle are just a reflection of the factors that contributed to the result, but they matter, which is why the industry tracks them through production.
I would articulate this differently. No whisky is "ageless" (without age). They are only just not disclosed. I can do my own figuring when I look at 12yo Scotch vs. 6yo bourbon vs. 2yo rye, 5yo tropical rum, etc. Can't do any figuring with a NAS. And yet, the NAS whisky HAS AN AGE, but it is concealed from us. So a NAS whisky is not good or bad because it's NAS, not even because of actual age alone. But more data is always better data (if truthful).
I love it; 20 min. in "don't get me started" always informative and entertaining.
That was about time Ralphy, Lore is the best Laphroaig I've tasted, even better than 18 years that I've had.
Thanks for the clarification, Ralfy, totally respect your views on this.
The only NAS I have bought, were the Aberlour A'bunadh, I would have more respect for them and buy another if they put an age-statement on the bottle, even if it says 3 years and 1 day.
NAS whisky just seems.....off....because you have no idea what you really get and the "big" companies out there price them as 18-21 year old whisky indeed. Some duty-free areas have 80% NAS now, I spent 20 minutes looking at one of these places until I found Jura the paps 19 year old. (it was crap, but at least it had integrity).
Look at Kilkerran 8, it is ripped from the shelves as they are put in, because the content is wonderful and they are honest about the content.
Your video about age-statement blends opened my eyes for those and I managed to secure two 30 year old Highland Queen 1561 for €90 per bottle.
I liked the first and bought another for storage. (not sure if you like that one, but I found it nice, once it opened up).
Great extras, thanks for the effort, Ralfy!
"I'm not gonna go on a rant here, no no no..", ten minutes later he's still ranting. Classic Ralfy. :-) Anybody else tried the Arran QC? Very tempted.
(Btw, I reckon Big Clive chill filtered his clicker)
Yah but imagine how long he could go uninhibited .
It is clinically impossible to not love Ralfy gone off on a “not gonna rant”!!!
8 minutes in, “Don’t get me started!” We absolutely love you, Ralfy! You are a non-conformist of the highest degree!
Would love to see one where he says he IS going to rant.
Yes, it's very good, if you have a penchant for sherry cask scotch, then go for it. GL
Had big issues with Oban Little Bay in the begining, now several months later and half a bottle it is starting to taste and smell what it should have been from the start. IMO it benefits greatly from oxidization.
One of the few things that matter in the long run is a good warehouse with plenty of good contents. Those very few family-run distilleries have been steadily selling their whisky for 100+ years through much tougher times. And it doesn't even have to be the best malt around, just don't focus so much on the next annual ballance sheets.
Well that was interesting Ralfy - begs the question of how do we decide which NAS Single Malts are worth buying - there are obviously some eg. Lore - if we can't sample them first must we rely on reviews? 🤔
I love your antiestablishmentarianism (longest word I ever used!)!
. . . I agree !
Great insight into what NAS is all about. Have you done an Extras on “what makes a collectible Malt against a great drinking dram” would love to get your thoughts #justsayin 😉 SteveB
Another great vid. I agree, Lore is beautiful. Uigeadail is also fantastic. These days I've been spending my money on cask strength bottlings. Be it official or independant, they just tend to be so much better. 46% at a bare minimum for an official bottling, and if the contract says it's natural color and non chill-filtered they immediately have my attention.
Totally agree with what you are saying here. What I often wonder about though is what is the guarantee that the age statement is accurate? Business being business, there must be a temptation to slip in whisky that is younger than the stated age. How can we trust the distilleries given the 'grey squares' that you mention?
Ralfy, I assume you spent valuable quality time in bars in Glasgow. I‘m amazed about your philosophical journey and appreciate the truths you‘re telling us buyers to be able to make better buying decisions.
Greetings from Germany.
I believe it was ralfy whom I thought about regarding the ABV of in a much earlier video or videos and that has what has kept me being a more educated consumer - trying to look for ABV greater 40%/80 proof on any given spirit, Scottish whisky predominantly. It speaks to understanding more of the character of the spirit rather than just a blast of ethanol with dilution, in some cases.
absolutly true words.... thanks for your opinion because i like the age statement whiskys much more too.... have a nice evening and cheers:)
I'm at the point of the video where Ralfy pulled out a Longrow Peated. Ralfy, you taught me well - I bought it when I had the opportunity precisely because I learned from you that peated whiskies are peatier at younger age. And because Springbank. Of course, also learned that from you. This is very gratifying :)
Good evening Ralfy! I trust you are well, mo braiche charaid!
I have only just come across the Arran Quarter Cask whilst ordering some whiskies direct from the distillery today after watching your review of the Arran 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky. When perusing what they had to offer on their website I happened upon the Arran Quarter Cask. I then obviously had to have a wee search to see if you have reviewed this whisky, which then lead me here to my 'trusty' malt reviewer.
I wondered whether you have an episode/ review number for the Arran Quarter Cask?
Also as a wee side note, I had to call the Lochranza distillery in Arran as my eyesight is bad and I had made a mistake whilst ordering online. I have to say, great customer service, really nice staff and everything was taken care of within a few short minutes, no problems at all.
Have a lovely week and a lovely wee dram, mo braiche charaid!
Slàinte 🥃🏴
Ralfy, Arran actually state on their website that their quarter cask is matured in ex bourbon barrels for 7 years before spending 2 years in quarter casks so it’s a 9 yr old cask strength, and for £40 is great. No idea why they don’t put that info on the bottle or box though
. . . that's the issue ! Why ? . . . not disclose the quality of what they make.
Excellent content, happy to be here, thanks Ralfy
Proof of Ralfy's point is Macallan, after dropping age statements there sales fell considerably and now they are returning to putting age statements on there bottles, in fact we have just received the new 10 year old in Canada and it's selling out.
That was a classic and of course he's right. NAS is the thin end of the wedge. Totally agree about the Cognac comment and same is true of Armagnac. 40 % is nothing for those beverages,.
I love Longrow. My favorite is their Red series, but they are tough to find.
Disgustingly there’s 37.5% whisky in Australia now because the law permits it! I thought it was a photoshop but no! What sort of precedent does that set? Any distiller bottling at below 40% regardless of market rules has lost all respect from me and won’t be bought again in any format.
"The Bothy" - Arran QC has no age statement .. but Arran Says is 7yo first fill ex-bourbon + 2y in QC american oak
Get Clive to mend your clicker
green spot is one of the nicest whisk(e)ys that ive tried so far and its NAS. it's just a bit more than the base glenlivets or glenmorangies which all taste the same. green spot has character which no other whiskey is like.
On their website, Arran says that the QC is aged for 7 years in 'regular casks' and then for a further two years in 'QCs'.
Just sharing! Thank you so much!...Great.
I think this was one of the best Ralfy videos ever...
I would really love to know cask strength brandy and cognac. In Spain we have such a great brandy culture but its all at 40% (or even lower), its a shame truly
Compass Box really does things right...they are honest with the customer and do things as close to the "Ralfy Way" as I have seen anyone do it. In the rum area, Four Square is the leading integrity rum producer...they are upfront about what is in the rum and about NOT adding additional sugar like some rum makers do.
Also - Wolfburn Northland. NAS. 46% natural colour. Non chill filtered. Very nice dram. Again- why no age !?!?!?!?!?
Matured in quarter-casks, no less!
@@Bo_Lew Exactly. A really lovely dram with subtlety and some complexity. I would have been happy for them to say 4 years old.
Love your reviews Ralfy. I know you had reviewed the Kavalan whiskey before. I recently tried their Solist Ex-Bourbon Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky and Solist Amontillado Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky. Being a lover of Islay whiskeys, I was quite apprehensive but was pleasantly surprised. I would love to hear your reviews on these whiskeys if you could.
heheh, Ralfy you are so original ,unique , your videos are a mix of knowledge, old fashion, real, honesty, down to hearth mind and funny sometimes. I love it, you are a legend to us, the whisky fans , thank you, you deserve the # of subscriber you have ,
Ardbegs NAS conspicuously absent from recommended bottlings...
He used to be happy to recommend Uigeadail. Guess he thinks it isn't what it used to be. I concur, I had one about 4 years back which was fantastic, so I bought another last year, and when I got round to it, it just wasn't as special as that other one. Of course batch variances happen, but I'll go back to the 10yo for my next Ardbeg.
You cant argue with the quality of the Ardbeg products. But the price points are a different matter...
Damn!!! You just convinced me, Ralfy....Oh Corryvreckan how I will miss you.
that laphroaig lore is $200.00 !!!!!
. . . expensive !
Compass Box is impressively transparent. They will send you ages of every single whisky in the blend if you ask. Ralfy you should give them a mulligan and review no name #2
Love peat monster
And then they bottle at 50cl, and charge an arm and a leg these days.
Only 3 minutes in and you've already made some sort of leap that the quality of JW blends is because of an age statement, but you offer no support. Then you state the opposite and say there are some malts with age statements that are no good. Evidently, according to you, an age statement is not a guarantee of quality.
. . . correct not a gurentee of quality, but a guarentee of disclosure which would improve quality.
Hey Ralfy, Just finished a bottle of Bruichladdich Classic Laddie. Very good stuff. And today I bought the phenomonal Glen Scotia Victoriana. Absolutely stunning NAS too.
Kind regards from The Netherlands
Did you ever have the Laddie ten...
@@linoleumbonypart385 yes. But that's a while ago. The Port Charlotte 10 is my favorite peated.
the marketing department at Oban loving social media right now :D
Deanston virgin oak.....best bang for yer buck where I’m from!
the store down my street have Wee Beastie in stock :P
I gave you 3likes (if only I could). This was an age statement by choice!!! Dear ralfy, please live long and keep on commentating our lovely scene... it‘s more beastie than blaaack
video = 10/10 - - - but - - - at 13:44 on Little Oban, start rant : one can see the disdain on your expression = priceless !
Thank you Ralfy! Your rant against consultants and marketing in true. They're more concerned about packaging than the product inside.
More and more I'm much more comfortable just buying the standard whiskies or the cask strength versions.
Hi Ralfy, informative as always. Been watching your vlogs for many years and fully understand and agree with your stance on NAS. However, I gave in with a purchase of Glenmorangie Signet. A NAS but at 46% and not sure about colour or chill filtration...but regardless of the fancy bottle I gave in because of its uniqueness in the way that it is made and also because I am a fan of Glenmorangie malts. ..on another note..came across this TedX about climate, barrels and whisky. Thought you might enjoy it. ua-cam.com/video/oSLWEnz-1mc/v-deo.html
. . . very interesting stuff !
Epic video, Ralfy, EPIC! I gotta say, it was because of you that I went on a search of above 40% cognac and armagnac a couple of years ago. I found them. Single cru, single barrel, single grape, single vineyard, single oak variety, etc. Distilled on the lees (or not), above 40%, no colorant, no boisé, no chill filtration - these do exist, although not all in one bottling. Cost less than the overbranded stuff from big negotiants. Hopefully with more people looking for these we'll get more variety from the smaller farmers.
. . . happy to share the knowledge !
@@thewhiskybothy These days I'd take Armagnac over Cognac anyday. It's like comparing Campbeltown with a supermarket sub £15 own brand 'Scotch'!
@@paulcaswell2813 me too. Armagnac is a severely underrated spirit.
One must draw a line in the sand. Enjoyed this one, Ralfy!
The Macallan and Midleton Very Rare have just left the conversation. Wiggle or wriggle room? Im a wiggle man.
Quality rant Ralfy and bang on the money re marketing fuds.
Scots to English traslation "Bye bye now"=Bollocks
RALFY, you are awesome. Dead on. Great vid. Appreciate you!
I need subtitles to get the Malt Mentions… just saying… 😊..
can i sugest one in spanish some day?
I found the Ardbeg 5 “Wee Beastie”! Can’t wait for Ralfy to find and review it.
Sadly, just finished my bottle of Lore last weekend. Best damn liquid bottled
Absolutely loved this episode! Ralfy, you never disappoint! Thank you for all you do in educating the malty masses in such a fun way!
The Longrow and Laphroaig Lore are both excellent.
I totally agree with you. Love your rant about it, it saved my day :)
Thanks for this Ralfy. There is good NAS out there. I've always found quarter cask versions great...if I might add, I think Ardbeg Uigeadail is excellent too.
Laphroaig Quarter Cask was the one that made me fall in love with the distillery!
There is another Video where Ralfy says that the pure age would not make a whisky "better". So I am a bit confused now. See his argumentation here: 4:46
Watch more of his videos. Watch them all. You'll understand. Age alone, in a vacuum, is not a very meaningful metric, but taken together with all the other information (casks, abv, non-chill filtration, etc.) it provides a useful reference. Also, long age is used by the industry to charge enormous amounts of money, so it "matters" when it suits them, but then it suddenly doesn't matter when they choose. And also there is a "sweet spot", beyond which a spirit can be too old, over-oaked, etc.
Ralfy. Thanks for the great information. What about Victoriana and Abunadh?
. . . both interesting, Victoriana is the better one.
Thats like a fancy lays with more nitrogen
Just bought your book online, waiting for it anxiously! Greetings from Argentina! 🇦🇷🥃👋🏻
. . . thanks for buying my book !
So true on 'marketers'. I see way too much shallow PR and when you try to engage with them they often just don't even respond to their own posts. I used to work for a company and ran its Twitter, FB etc accounts as an over-and-above for my job, and I could meaningfully respond about any of our products or services. The first prize should be meaningful engagement with customers, not just spouting on about 'cloud' and '4IR'.
Its when marketing get their claws into the product that things go awry.
Also, for the record, the Wee Beastie is pretty darn good and worth the money, but a hair bit floral-soapy (in that young peat monster kind of way) and still not as good as big brother 10yo. In the absence of better information (i.e. a ralfy review) I did a review of my own over at ua-cam.com/video/Rl2WQBe5Lso/v-deo.html
Here in Michigan, Laphroiag Lore is $160 USD & Laphroiag 10 is $60.
Laphroiag reports Lore has 7 to 21 year old contents.
Ralfy has shown us how to ‘top off’ a dram of a less-exciting malt with a wee bit of an older richer version in order to create a much-improved but-still-economical hybrid. And it works a treat, too!!
Now I look at Laphroiag Lore...& in my heart I know damn well Laphroiag took a disappointing vat of 7 year old & added “just enough 21 year old” to resuscitate the uninteresting younger spirit. And then bottled it & marketed it at 2-1/2x the price of the 10-year standard Laphroiag. They worked it exactly as Ralfy showed us.
My bet is this is the whole NAS profit formula. A little mix-&-match and ZOOM goes the price.
Thank you for this!! Wow!!
For years Ralfy wouldn't review Glenmorangie's 12yo "Nectar d'Or" 46% NCF natural colored malt, which was a delicious dram and not candy-sweet, and now it's been demoted to a NAS "sauternes finish" (at the same price of previous expression). But we did get the Quinta Ruban upped to 14. Win some - lose some :)
You must have gotten 100 bottles of Ardbeg Wee Beastie by now, Ralfy. IF NOT, let me know! I am happy to send you a bottle all the way from Renton, Washington, USA. My local store still has a few more bottles left after I bought 2. :-)
Well said Ralfy!
"Highland Harvest" - is that a "No Distillery Stated" malt? Kind of like you find at Costco, Trader Joe's, ALDI, etc.? I've had good experience with those (for the money), even though I don't learn anything from them, not knowing who they're from.
Excellent as always
Great review and great focussed and interesting additional comment. I must try 'Lore'. Laphroig was never really on my radar, preferring Ardbeg and Lagavuilin. However, as my taste has moved away from the Lag 16 and very much towards the GOT 9yo, and discovering the excellent Kilchoman Machir Bay (and what a great example of Batch Variation THAT is). ANYWAY - I have noticed that I prefer Little Bay over 14yo, Talisker Storm, over the 10 yo, Oban and Lag Distillers edition over the 14 and 16. In the end, it's only good if you like the taste when you drink it.
Yes, I too have cuddled bottles. Especially Springbank. And idiotic marketing has made me blow a fuse more than once, especially patronizing for the american market. Springbank don’t ever change your wonderful ways.
Ralfy: I'm not going to go on a rant.
Me: DO IT!!!!!
Edit you need to rant. Because knowledge is lost otherwise. I remember orange juice used to be a half gallon and now it's 56oz (from 64) and my kids will tell you I won't shut up about it in the grocery store. And buttercream frosting now is just a name they put on anything even if there is no butter!!!! Half the time the bakery employee doesn't even know what buttercream Is supposed to be which makes me look like the crazy person. Sorry if I don't want to eat vegetable shortening on my kids birthday. So rant on Ralfy!