The problem about the OSWA is 2 fold. There are not enough categories and people will just vote for what they have tried. There needs to be somekind of ability to buy a tasting set of the condenders from a category. Then us normies can then put them in score order and submit it. Good take overal. You gained a New subscriber.
Thank for subscribing! Oh that's a really good idea! We should suggest that to Roy! Shipping might be a problem for some but at least UK people would be able to try!
I am looking forward to your take on Glencadam 10... (It was my best surprise in '22. Arran 10 might beat it though... I've tried it last night. 🙂) Happy New Year, by the way!
Would love to see you two do a tasting video with the winners. Would be fun to have Kerry in with you on that one too. As an AnCnoc fanboy I'm a bit chuffed but love your honesty and how real you are in your videos. Cheers
Another great video. Always feels like a conversation you really want to join. Cotswolds is doing great stuff and definitely worth trying. I've had a few of theirs and think the price-quality dynamic is very good. I got the Ancnoc 18 as a gift for a relative, but managed to pick it up in May time for ~£77, not sure about its current price. Would love to see you do a series of tastings on the OSWA winners. Please do!
Oh you haven't tried RB CS. My favourite is to mix like 70% RB 12 with 30% RB CS. As I like the Bunna 12 a lot, and you seem to like it as well - Have you tried Bunna 18 by chance? And what did you think of it? It's so darn expensive, but I really want to try it out
You want to know who voted for AnCnoc 18? I did! 😅 I thought it was fantastic. Plus where I am (Alberta, Canada) it’s only $130 which is great value for an 18. Really enjoying your content 👍 Cheers!
I voted for ledaig 10 for best value whisky as I absolutely love the stuff and you can still get it for under $90AUD here in Melbourne.👍 How does the 18 compare to the 10 ?
The OSWA’s are an interesting platform but I suspect that many people, just like yourselves, have only limited access to the range of choices for the purposes of comparison of the choices. This probably leads to voting based on a limited range of knowledge and there is a danger, in my way if thinking, that it could become an echo chamber, ie votes being cast for whisky which has been judged to be excellent by the You Tubers and the like. That is potentially a problem, but I am sure it still provides better guidance than the industry/ promotional/ advertising led awards which hand out gold stars to as reward for entering the shows they lay on.
Nice comment, so real and honest. Especially on the last category, AnCnoc 18 is surely weak against those big flavors, but it is not a bad whisky by any means. I have a bottle of Ledaig 18 and will open it after seeing this video. Thank you.
Great Video. I'm in Canada where liquor is highly regulated so we don't get many options, but I love listening and daydreaming trying all these. I did try the Redbreast 12 this year though and it was amazing. Probably in my top 3 overall whiskeys with Powers John's Lane and Writer's tears
Great comments guys, re Glencadam 10.... well worth trying, absolute value for often under £40, great light Summer dram.. p.s. Glencadam 15 also winner if you get to try it...
Actually, I think the Glencadam 13 is better than both. More mature than the 10 (a little under mature) and loses that slight acetone finish on the 15. Excellent dram under the radar.
I've mentioned to Roy a number of times that I think there is a major segment in the market which the OSWAs are completely ignoring and which leads to accusations of snobbishness. Obviously, Roy doesn't agree. That segment is "True Entry Level Budget Single Malts". As someone who is always being asked to recommend true budget entry Single Malts for under 200 shekels (or under £35 in the UK), I feel quite frustrated that this market is being completely ignored. If you speak to whisky lovers, most became interested in Single Malts, not by drinking the weird and wonderful, but by spending their hard earned money on true budget bottles. There are some which I'd say you should definitely avoid and others which are, despite their low price, actually bordering on being Integrity bottlings. Below are the types of Single Malts which most will try. In my opinion, you ignore them at your peril! *Arran Barrel Reserve* £32. Bottled at 43% abv but natural colour. (Nothing about it being Chill Filtered or not). Delicious Bourbon forward Single Malt which would please all but the most obnoxious whisky snob. *Deanston Virgin Oak* £34. Bottled at 46.3% abv. natural Colour, Non-Chill Filtered. The combination of Ex-Bourbon and Charred Virgin oak make for a surprisingly complex dram. *Glencadam American Oak* £29 Yes, it's 40% abv and probably Chill Filtered. But it's natural colour and really delicious fudge and fruity apples. *Glen Moray Classic. £23* 40% abv, Natural Colour but Chill Filtered. As young whisky goes, it's gentle malty bread dough caramel biscuit flavours isn't half bad. *Glen Moray Peated* £23 Same as above. A introduction to peated Single Malts without the drama or price. *Glen Moray 12* £35 (but often discounted). Same as the Classic but with an age statement. Very malty, biscuity and white fruits. A really excellent introduction to Single malts on a budget. *Glenmorangie 10 Original* £36 Unfortunately they have recently raised the price of this but you can still find it on special offer for under £35. One of the best introductions to Single Malts out there. Nothing complex but a real mouth rewarding whisky which has persuaded many a Blend drinker to cross that bridge into single malts. *Old Pulteney 12* 40% abv, £32 Coloured and Chill Filtered. Great introduction to that coastal Northern whisky. Other entries could be: *An Cnoc 12* £32 *Loch Lomond Original* £25 *Auchentoshan American Oak* £25
You make a really good point here! And a really good shortlist for this category! You could also include some independent bottlings in the same price range here too! We have reviews on a couple of these coming up!
Jen, which Old Forester did you try? The 1910 and the 1920 are probably their best bottles. Love them both. But they have many bottles and some are definitely thinner than these two.
Never tried the acnoc so cant speak to it....but all the rest were well deserved to be there. Wasnt any showstoppers or OMG! moments or surprises. Pretty much almost everything that got nominated could have won, just depending on how many people voted. Nice to see it is getting bigger and more input from community and voters....
When I go out most pubs only have one or two whisky's to choose from mainly famous grouse and one other, as these are the bog standard whisky's of pubs I either add water or ginger ale. I prefer my whisky with a drop of water to bring out the flavours of the whisky.
Nice review. I had the opportunity to try both the regular Redbreast 12 and the Redbreast 12 CS on the same day. The 1st one was the definite winner. If you will have the chance to try both of them let me know your opinion :)
Really enjoyed hearing both your views on this, was great to get someone else's opinion rather than just Roy and Ralfy. The An Cnoc 18 thing is definitely down to Roy, he does appear though to have moved on to Speyburn, as his current Inver House favourite. Having a mega tasting with all the winners would be brilliant, you need to add the An Cnoc in too, for a laugh. Disagree on the Irish getting their own category as we are still in a situation with them, where 99% of what we are drinking is coming from 3 distilleries, plus there are so many sourced brands masquerading as whisky from the new Distilleries. The Red Breast 12 CS is excellent, I agree with the OSWA there, you should try and get it. Great point about these awards being from people who actually purchase and drink whisky, which is why they are so credible, and different from the industry ones where there are seemingly more awards than there are whiskies in the world.
Aww fantastic thanks for tuning in 😁 It's funny that with the AnCnoc, we all have our favourites for different reasons I suppose! Speyburn isn't one we've had a lot of so one to investigate.... Yeah I think that idea sounds possible we're going to try get our hands on all the whiskies! Good point RE Irish whisky, do you think in the next few years when more distilleries have spirit more readily available? Absolutely, consumer led 😃
@@TheGrailTastings I think we are a number of years away from having a specific Irish category in the OSWA's. The newbies over there have to develop their own reputations and hopefully a definitive style, pot still or otherwise, right now they are selling in the US predominantly off the back that its Irish (from the 3 distilleries), and not much else.
Agree with you on most, and definitively on the anCnoc 18, tried it for the first time a few weeks ago, and what a disappointment! luckily there is so much more whiskies to have
You’re absolutly right about that the Ledaig 10 should have won the first category and Ledaig 18 the best scotch award, (Why wasn’t Tobermory nominated for the best distillery award :( ?) Please do one or two videos about the winners of the OSWA (and give AnCnoc 18 a new chance, it’s realy tasty, in my opinion. )
We did Redbreast and Green Spot last year for St Patrick's Day! ua-cam.com/video/wj8EEaA0BHw/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/2fAT-VUtzwE/v-deo.html And we tried a couple of other Redbreasts when we tried all the OSWA winners - ua-cam.com/video/GHi17g-f4H0/v-deo.html We will be tasting more Irish drams in March this year too so keep and eye out!
I voted in the OSWAs this past go around, but I had to leave alot of categories blank as I had no experience with the options presented or in some case did not understand was meant. It was nice that they allowed write-ins though so you could still vote based on experience where applicable. It seems with some of the choices there was some underlying theme that the whisky had to check certain boxes in terms of ABV, filtration, colour. While I understand some of the reasoning behind this, it just left me feeling the peoples/groups making the selections for the voting, maybe felt they had make sure their selections met the criteria. Its probably my perception, but when I see everyone running in one direction, I start to go the other way, with the exception of NAS single malt whisky. There is simply no reason for it, that I can see.
I agree Irish whiskey needs their own category but then you would open it up to American whiskeys getting their own category. Arran 10 year in my area is now 53 usd. I got 2 bottles when it was $40.
I couldn’t help but feel like a lot of the nominations and winners were heavily influenced by popular whisky reviewers. Perhaps I’m being cynical, but a lot of winners were heavily raved about by certain people and I think it showed.
I suppose that's always the way and its hard not to be influenced by what you read and hear. Thinking about the community it is within and the level of whisky geekery and knowledge that would explain why the nominations and winners that were chosen were there. Smaller, more experimental companies, more transparency, more accessible bottles....
Stars of the show without a doubt ;-) Signatory the unchilled filtered range some great stuff at the £46.00 mark Went with Ledaig 10 and voted Deanston 12 in the peoples vote, get in. Voted Victoriana last year, this year Ledaig 18 and Kilkerran 16in the peoples vote . Keep up the good work, Tobermoray best distillery was never going to happen 😞
We have a soft spot for Tobermory, maybe one day! They're doing well with such wee production to get into these awards we think at least. Thanks for tuning in and your thoughts :D!
GlencAdam was a surprise to me , I found it through watching Ralfy , the 10 is great the 15 I found strange at first but it really grew on me and I find myself wanting to go back for more ,
I love what the OSWA's stand for but everyone should be clear as Roy and Ralfy that the nominations and voting is a direct consequence of distribution and the subsequent word of mouth. I would love to see the OSWA's try to correlate the nominated whisky's to the size of the production runs to lend a little more perspective on how wider distribution can affect what gets nominated.
Firstly: I think a video of all the winners is an excellent idea! However, I also think you should try at least a sample each of the nominees you haven't tried yet, just to be fair... As far as the OSWAs themselves are concerned: the last time I met Ralfy, we had an argument about his stance on 'integrity malts' and the other night I called Roy "Ranty McRantface" (though he normally isn't so bad), so - although I did vote - I didn't watch 'the results show' this year and I didn't agree with more than half the winners. Maybe I'm getting like Sergeant Murtaugh in "Lethal Weapon"...
In my opinion I can only vote between options if I know them all. And as there is an option in every category that I've not tried, I could not make an honest choice / vote. So I did not vote. QED. Slàinte mhath
You need to try rare breed. It was my third bourbon and it is fantastic. You need to try powers 12 which is also fantastic. In the rum category plantation oftd is fantastic and doorlys 14 is also fantastic. Jack Daniels single barrel proof is also fantastic.
Oh thank you for the recommendations! I think Jen has tried the Rare Breed possibly? And we both enjoyed Powers 12 but definitely need to get our hands on the others!
Bit of a weird comment from the person complaining that you have to pick from nominations, considering that there is also a people's choice category where you can put in anything you like.
And the nominations were put forward by a wide range of industry members and other options could be added to each category which others could vote for before the short listing stage.
@@TheGrailTastings Hi Jen and Rachel. Can you briefly explain your comment here about the "other options" that could be added to the shortlist (does that mean in the "committee stage?) before the 6 final options were finalized for voting? I'm not sure if I've understood the process correctly.
Really excited for more Irish incoming. March is just around the corner and Irish as a style of Whiskey is so wide and differing which at least this Whiskey Geek loves.
@@TheGrailTastings The Red Breasts definitely. I really Enjoy Writer’s Tears Inniskillin Wine Cask if you can ever find it. Not worth paying a fortune to get or anything. Waterford is very interesting for a Scotch Drinker. I love what they are doing similar to Springbanks or Bruichladdich as long as you can separate age of whiskey from value. Teeling Black Pitts is a Peated Irish and is lovely and delicate. Actually any peated Irish is worth seeking out because of how different Irish Peat is. Yellow Spot is my all time favorite. Hope you enjoy your lovely stroll through Irish Whiskey.
@@VinegarAndSaltedFries Amazing thank you so much for the recommendations! We've yet to try Writer's Tears but heard amazing things about it. We quite liked Waterford too and agree we love the geekery! Which ones had you tried? Definitely more peaty Irish stuff we'll get on that, think we've only tried Connemara so far if you've had that one before?
@@TheGrailTastings I would recommend giving it more time than usual in the glass and a few drops of water, I wouldn't choose it out of that lineup for best dram I'd probably choose the Ledaig 18.
I am 100% with Rachel on Meet the Beast, it seemed massively out of place and in my view it is overpriced. The Tim Beast 18 for me is cheaper and more enjoyable. Great run down! Cheers.
Great review of the OSWAs. Just wish my Monkey Shoulder did better in the Malt Blends category but that's fine. Just about anything Four Roses I'll gladly drink, very good stuff. One of the better distilleries out there. Speaking of the 100 proof 4RSB, have either of you tried any "Bottled in Bond" American whiskies? I'm quickly becoming a big fan of them because of transparency and tighter regulations; all BIBs have to be 100 proof (50%), must age a minimum 4 years in a federal warehouse, single distillery, single season, etc. Just have to look out for chill filtration mostly. Not all BIBs are bourbons, which is strangely reassuring.
We have a while ago but cant remember which ones! Will look out for them now on your recommendation! Thanks! I think we might do something with a Monkey Shoulder for our Christmas dram video!
@@TheGrailTastings I'd love to see your MS dram video. I realize it's made for cocktails but that is a pretty good malt blend in itself. I haven't had the Smokey MS, wonder what that's like. If y'all decide on dramming any more BIBs in the future, my personal recommendations would be Mellow Corn Whiskey and/or Jim Beam Old Tub Bourbon. Mellow Corn is a straight-corn whiskey from Heaven Hill distillery and is chill-filtered, and is incredibly popular among Americans who love bourbon but aren't bourbon jerks. Old Tub is a straight bourbon, completely unfiltered; no chill nor charcoal filtering, and seems to be growing in popularity. I recently got a second bottle for a keepsake. I don't know how obtainable these are in the UK but those are my two-cents.
I have always found it hard to connect with the arran 10. I have always found it overly sweet. There are a lot better whiskies for that price point but that's only my opinion.
I'm on record on other channels about the OSWAs. Can't complain about the concept, format and the hard work of Roy and Ralfy. It's a great idea but I'm not sure it's where it should be. Too much stuff was an echo chamber of our community which is, in itself, a mega echo chamber. The results were almost entirely predictable and I don't think was the intention. Arran 10? Glen Scotia Victoriana? Springbank (how utterly predictable)? We didn't really gain anything we didn't already know. A poke in the eye to Diageo and the mega-industry but do they even give a shit? We're a knat like annoyance making no difference to their sales. I think the OSWAs are important and can improve but fans like us are a cottage industry. Roy and Ralfy are not a business and do a great job but without extra help it's difficult. WT
So strange to hear you don't like LL Single Grain Peated, for me it was sucking on blackcurrant and liquorice hard sweets round a campfire! Even better than the sum of its parts when mixed with LL inchmoan
We did a cask strength single cask version for our whisky festival last year and it went down an absolute storm! 61.3% abv from a second fill ex-bourbon 😋
All we'll need to try it again! We've maybe had it in the wrong line up, we didn't get fruity at all last time trying! And noted for doing a video with all the winners 🤣!
I recommend the Inchmoan, it's like gentle octomore, you get so many peat notes to explore, it's one of the best bottles I've ever bought and I have quite a collection
Don't like Old Forrester? So, when did your taste buds go on hiatus? Ha! But in all seriousness, Old Forrester's best expressions for me are their Whiskey Row 1910 and their Rye. Their rye is very unique in the mash-bill has a very high malted barley content (65% Rye, 20% Malted Barley, and 15% Corn) and is, in my wrong opinion, the best rye AND the best value rye here in the states ($25). I'm surprised Loch Lomond was even nominated for best distillery considering I've heard it's basically an industrial operation with little charm or character. I've never been there so I might be totally off, but I've heard this from multiple sources. Just picked up a bottle of Kilkerren 12 for $100 and have a tasting planned between it and their heavily peated expression. I've also a bottle of Hazelburn, Longrow Peated and Springbank 10 for a Campbeltown blind. That said, I'm surprised The Gauldrons by Douglas Laing didn't earn a nomination.
BTW, the Compass Box Orchard House isn't as fruity as the name would imply. I find the Glencadam 10 to be far fruitier and juicier, almost wine or apple juice like (would make a great introductory whiskey for a wine lover). If you like Bruichladdich's 'The Classic Laddie' you'll definitely like Glencadam 10. And yes, a big up-vote for an OSWAs line-up.
Really enjoyed your take on the OSWAs and would definitely watch a comparison of the winners in each category. I had similar issues with the category „World whisky“ being anything but scotch as real world whisky didn’t really have a chance this year. Maybe next time tho. A bit sad that Bunna 12 didn’t make it as I think it way better than Arran 10 - did a tasting with all the budget ones and my favourites were Bunna and LL
Jens got a strange taste B you know this 🤣! We'll need to their their rye at least, that's amazing value! Loch Lomond are definitely not the most picture-esque distillery. . . .😅 think cause they are doing some more unusual things it's a place of geekery at least. Maybe they'd take us a tour round if we asked 🤔 We love the Gauldrons! We do that in tastings often! Let us know which you prefer out of the Kilkerrans, we're split on that as usual!
@@lunaarran6965 Thank you for tuning in!! It is hard because of the amount of new distilleries around the world and we know quite a few are quite small batch so harder for folks to get their hands on. Will be interesting to see next year! We were sad about Bunna too!!
The problem about the OSWA is 2 fold. There are not enough categories and people will just vote for what they have tried. There needs to be somekind of ability to buy a tasting set of the condenders from a category. Then us normies can then put them in score order and submit it. Good take overal. You gained a New subscriber.
Thank for subscribing! Oh that's a really good idea! We should suggest that to Roy! Shipping might be a problem for some but at least UK people would be able to try!
Yes absolutely do a tasting of all the winners that sounds like really engaging and fun content!
Would also be fun to see how goofy they are when schlammered.
We're on it!!!
I am looking forward to your take on Glencadam 10...
(It was my best surprise in '22. Arran 10 might beat it though... I've tried it last night. 🙂)
Happy New Year, by the way!
Happy New Year!
Would love to see you two do a tasting video with the winners. Would be fun to have Kerry in with you on that one too. As an AnCnoc fanboy I'm a bit chuffed but love your honesty and how real you are in your videos. Cheers
Thanks, glad you enjoyed, sorry we don't share your love for the AnCnoc but more for you I guess! 😂
Another great video. Always feels like a conversation you really want to join. Cotswolds is doing great stuff and definitely worth trying. I've had a few of theirs and think the price-quality dynamic is very good. I got the Ancnoc 18 as a gift for a relative, but managed to pick it up in May time for ~£77, not sure about its current price. Would love to see you do a series of tastings on the OSWA winners. Please do!
Oh you haven't tried RB CS. My favourite is to mix like 70% RB 12 with 30% RB CS.
As I like the Bunna 12 a lot, and you seem to like it as well - Have you tried Bunna 18 by chance? And what did you think of it? It's so darn expensive, but I really want to try it out
We have a sample on its way to try! Look out for the video sometime soon! We do love the Bunna 18, it was the first whisky Rachel ever liked!
Great video. Were there any whiskies in the people's choices that you both would have preferred over the nominations or have an opinion on ?
Ohhh we'll think on that and get back 🤣
yes you should do that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You want to know who voted for AnCnoc 18? I did! 😅 I thought it was fantastic. Plus where I am (Alberta, Canada) it’s only $130 which is great value for an 18. Really enjoying your content 👍 Cheers!
Glad you enjoy it and voted for it! The beauty of whisky is that we all have different tastes and there is something for everyone!
Nice video. I love the Arran 10… possibly my top whiskey. Got a bottle of the Kilkerran 12… looking forward to trying it.
Oh let us know what you reckon when you open the Kilkerran!
I voted for ledaig 10 for best value whisky as I absolutely love the stuff and you can still get it for under $90AUD here in Melbourne.👍
How does the 18 compare to the 10 ?
Oh the 18 has all the notes of the 10 but richer, deeper and more creosote! Its on another level!
I seem to have both in my stash. Looking forward to Christmas tastings!
Great video! I like the Glen Scotia Victoriana but would have gone for the Kilkerran 16.
I like the idea of reviewing the winners. Plus the Acnoc 18. 😂
I think we might have to have it in there for an honorary mention!
“Do you know what we should do…”
Yes, do that. Maybe I’ll do it too 😎
The OSWA’s are an interesting platform but I suspect that many people, just like yourselves, have only limited access to the range of choices for the purposes of comparison of the choices. This probably leads to voting based on a limited range of knowledge and there is a danger, in my way if thinking, that it could become an echo chamber, ie votes being cast for whisky which has been judged to be excellent by the You Tubers and the like. That is potentially a problem, but I am sure it still provides better guidance than the industry/ promotional/ advertising led awards which hand out gold stars to as reward for entering the shows they lay on.
Yeah Michael this is a really good point!
Nice comment, so real and honest. Especially on the last category, AnCnoc 18 is surely weak against those big flavors, but it is not a bad whisky by any means. I have a bottle of Ledaig 18 and will open it after seeing this video. Thank you.
Let us know what you reckon to the Ledaig when you open it!!
Kilkerran 12 all day - Obsessed, it just keeps giving.
Great Video. I'm in Canada where liquor is highly regulated so we don't get many options, but I love listening and daydreaming trying all these.
I did try the Redbreast 12 this year though and it was amazing. Probably in my top 3 overall whiskeys with Powers John's Lane and Writer's tears
Wow that's a great recommendation of the Red Breast!! What others can you get regularly?
How have I just found you two and your channel? BTW, very happy with your enthusiasm for Bunnahabhain 12 dipping in so close to a win too! 😂👍🥃 xx
Awesome! Thank you!
Great comments guys, re Glencadam 10.... well worth trying, absolute value for often under £40, great light Summer dram.. p.s. Glencadam 15 also winner if you get to try it...
Thanks for the tips Andy!
Actually, I think the Glencadam 13 is better than both. More mature than the 10 (a little under mature) and loses that slight acetone finish on the 15. Excellent dram under the radar.
@@welshtoro3256 shucks, need to pick this one up now to try 🤣🤣🤣, cheers....
I really enjoyed this! Cheers!
Glad you enjoyed it! Cheers!
I've mentioned to Roy a number of times that I think there is a major segment in the market which the OSWAs are completely ignoring and which leads to accusations of snobbishness. Obviously, Roy doesn't agree. That segment is "True Entry Level Budget Single Malts".
As someone who is always being asked to recommend true budget entry Single Malts for under 200 shekels (or under £35 in the UK), I feel quite frustrated that this market is being completely ignored. If you speak to whisky lovers, most became interested in Single Malts, not by drinking the weird and wonderful, but by spending their hard earned money on true budget bottles. There are some which I'd say you should definitely avoid and others which are, despite their low price, actually bordering on being Integrity bottlings.
Below are the types of Single Malts which most will try. In my opinion, you ignore them at your peril!
*Arran Barrel Reserve* £32. Bottled at 43% abv but natural colour. (Nothing about it being Chill Filtered or not).
Delicious Bourbon forward Single Malt which would please all but the most obnoxious whisky snob.
*Deanston Virgin Oak* £34. Bottled at 46.3% abv. natural Colour, Non-Chill Filtered.
The combination of Ex-Bourbon and Charred Virgin oak make for a surprisingly complex dram.
*Glencadam American Oak* £29 Yes, it's 40% abv and probably Chill Filtered. But it's natural colour and really delicious fudge and fruity apples.
*Glen Moray Classic. £23* 40% abv, Natural Colour but Chill Filtered.
As young whisky goes, it's gentle malty bread dough caramel biscuit flavours isn't half bad.
*Glen Moray Peated* £23 Same as above. A introduction to peated Single Malts without the drama or price.
*Glen Moray 12* £35 (but often discounted). Same as the Classic but with an age statement.
Very malty, biscuity and white fruits. A really excellent introduction to Single malts on a budget.
*Glenmorangie 10 Original* £36 Unfortunately they have recently raised the price of this but you can still find it on special offer for under £35.
One of the best introductions to Single Malts out there. Nothing complex but a real mouth rewarding whisky which has persuaded many a Blend drinker to cross that bridge into single malts.
*Old Pulteney 12* 40% abv, £32 Coloured and Chill Filtered. Great introduction to that coastal Northern whisky.
Other entries could be:
*An Cnoc 12* £32
*Loch Lomond Original* £25
*Auchentoshan American Oak* £25
You make a really good point here! And a really good shortlist for this category! You could also include some independent bottlings in the same price range here too!
We have reviews on a couple of these coming up!
What others have said... definitely do a tasting of all the winners. Or even a series of videos, each one a tasting of the nominees in one catgory.
Jen, which Old Forester did you try? The 1910 and the 1920 are probably their best bottles. Love them both. But they have many bottles and some are definitely thinner than these two.
Oh now that's a challenge!😂🥃👍
I fear I may have just not had a good one! I'll look out for these ones. I think I might be on a mission to like Old Forester now!
Never tried the acnoc so cant speak to it....but all the rest were well deserved to be there. Wasnt any showstoppers or OMG! moments or surprises. Pretty much almost everything that got nominated could have won, just depending on how many people voted. Nice to see it is getting bigger and more input from community and voters....
Definitely agreed (bar the AnCnoc!)
When I go out most pubs only have one or two whisky's to choose from mainly famous grouse and one other, as these are the bog standard whisky's of pubs I either add water or ginger ale. I prefer my whisky with a drop of water to bring out the flavours of the whisky.
Us too with the water usually!
Nice review. I had the opportunity to try both the regular Redbreast 12 and the Redbreast 12 CS on the same day. The 1st one was the definite winner. If you will have the chance to try both of them let me know your opinion :)
Ohh interesting, a comparison is always the best way to do it. We shall do!
"How did that get through?!"
🤣
The way they looked at the camera while saying that, they needed to add that 'dramatic chipmunk' meme from a few years ago.
Really enjoyed hearing both your views on this, was great to get someone else's opinion rather than just Roy and Ralfy.
The An Cnoc 18 thing is definitely down to Roy, he does appear though to have moved on to Speyburn, as his current Inver House favourite.
Having a mega tasting with all the winners would be brilliant, you need to add the An Cnoc in too, for a laugh.
Disagree on the Irish getting their own category as we are still in a situation with them, where 99% of what we are drinking is coming from 3 distilleries, plus there are so many sourced brands masquerading as whisky from the new Distilleries. The Red Breast 12 CS is excellent, I agree with the OSWA there, you should try and get it.
Great point about these awards being from people who actually purchase and drink whisky, which is why they are so credible, and different from the industry ones where there are seemingly more awards than there are whiskies in the world.
Aww fantastic thanks for tuning in 😁 It's funny that with the AnCnoc, we all have our favourites for different reasons I suppose! Speyburn isn't one we've had a lot of so one to investigate....
Yeah I think that idea sounds possible we're going to try get our hands on all the whiskies!
Good point RE Irish whisky, do you think in the next few years when more distilleries have spirit more readily available?
Absolutely, consumer led 😃
@@TheGrailTastings I think we are a number of years away from having a specific Irish category in the OSWA's. The newbies over there have to develop their own reputations and hopefully a definitive style, pot still or otherwise, right now they are selling in the US predominantly off the back that its Irish (from the 3 distilleries), and not much else.
Agree with you on most, and definitively on the anCnoc 18, tried it for the first time a few weeks ago, and what a disappointment! luckily there is so much more whiskies to have
Exactly our thoughts! And obviously there are plenty out there who love the AnCnoc and buy it too! That's the beauty of it!
You’re absolutly right about that the Ledaig 10 should have won the first category and Ledaig 18 the best scotch award, (Why wasn’t Tobermory nominated for the best distillery award :( ?)
Please do one or two videos about the winners of the OSWA (and give AnCnoc 18 a new chance, it’s realy tasty, in my opinion. )
Going by the comments I think that's what we have to do! Try all the winners PLUS the AnCnoc 18!!
Definitely!
Victoriana was a fantastic choice. Ticks all my boxes and it's actually available.
A long time favourite with many!
I look forward to your reviews of some Irish whisky. Redbreast and Green Spot offerings at least.
We did Redbreast and Green Spot last year for St Patrick's Day!
ua-cam.com/video/wj8EEaA0BHw/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/2fAT-VUtzwE/v-deo.html
And we tried a couple of other Redbreasts when we tried all the OSWA winners - ua-cam.com/video/GHi17g-f4H0/v-deo.html
We will be tasting more Irish drams in March this year too so keep and eye out!
@@TheGrailTastings Thanks! I'll check it out. Recently found you and still sorting through your videos.
I voted in the OSWAs this past go around, but I had to leave alot of categories blank as I had no experience with the options presented or in some case did not understand was meant. It was nice that they allowed write-ins though so you could still vote based on experience where applicable. It seems with some of the choices there was some underlying theme that the whisky had to check certain boxes in terms of ABV, filtration, colour. While I understand some of the reasoning behind this, it just left me feeling the peoples/groups making the selections for the voting, maybe felt they had make sure their selections met the criteria. Its probably my perception, but when I see everyone running in one direction, I start to go the other way, with the exception of NAS single malt whisky. There is simply no reason for it, that I can see.
I agree Irish whiskey needs their own category but then you would open it up to American whiskeys getting their own category. Arran 10 year in my area is now 53 usd. I got 2 bottles when it was $40.
Ah, forward thinking!
Ledaig 18 was my choice 🎉
Jenn was the best part of the OSWAs.... 😍
I couldn’t help but feel like a lot of the nominations and winners were heavily influenced by popular whisky reviewers. Perhaps I’m being cynical, but a lot of winners were heavily raved about by certain people and I think it showed.
I suppose that's always the way and its hard not to be influenced by what you read and hear. Thinking about the community it is within and the level of whisky geekery and knowledge that would explain why the nominations and winners that were chosen were there. Smaller, more experimental companies, more transparency, more accessible bottles....
Stars of the show without a doubt ;-)
Signatory the unchilled filtered range some great stuff at the £46.00 mark
Went with Ledaig 10 and voted Deanston 12 in the peoples vote, get in.
Voted Victoriana last year, this year Ledaig 18 and Kilkerran 16in the peoples vote .
Keep up the good work, Tobermoray best distillery was never going to happen 😞
We have a soft spot for Tobermory, maybe one day! They're doing well with such wee production to get into these awards we think at least.
Thanks for tuning in and your thoughts :D!
GlencAdam was a surprise to me , I found it through watching Ralfy , the 10 is great the 15 I found strange at first but it really grew on me and I find myself wanting to go back for more ,
We definitely need a revisit!
Try and get the 13. I think it's better than both of them.
I love what the OSWA's stand for but everyone should be clear as Roy and Ralfy that the nominations and voting is a direct consequence of distribution and the subsequent word of mouth.
I would love to see the OSWA's try to correlate the nominated whisky's to the size of the production runs to lend a little more perspective on how wider distribution can affect what gets nominated.
Loving hearing everyone's opinions on the OSWAs. Another interesting take, thanks for sharing!
Firstly: I think a video of all the winners is an excellent idea! However, I also think you should try at least a sample each of the nominees you haven't tried yet, just to be fair...
As far as the OSWAs themselves are concerned: the last time I met Ralfy, we had an argument about his stance on 'integrity malts' and the other night I called Roy "Ranty McRantface" (though he normally isn't so bad), so - although I did vote - I didn't watch 'the results show' this year and I didn't agree with more than half the winners. Maybe I'm getting like Sergeant Murtaugh in "Lethal Weapon"...
That's a great idea but a lot of sampling!😂We'll do our best!
If you can get your hands on Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, do it. Better than Pappy by a good margin, and everyone I've recommended as such agrees.
Thanks for the recommendation Erik. I think I may have just not tried a good Old Forester!
We looked at the anCnoc and thought it must be a mistake too!
In my opinion I can only vote between options if I know them all. And as there is an option in every category that I've not tried, I could not make an honest choice / vote. So I did not vote. QED.
Slàinte mhath
You need to try rare breed. It was my third bourbon and it is fantastic. You need to try powers 12 which is also fantastic. In the rum category plantation oftd is fantastic and doorlys 14 is also fantastic. Jack Daniels single barrel proof is also fantastic.
Oh thank you for the recommendations! I think Jen has tried the Rare Breed possibly? And we both enjoyed Powers 12 but definitely need to get our hands on the others!
Try Ron Abuelo Rum from Panama !
Bit of a weird comment from the person complaining that you have to pick from nominations, considering that there is also a people's choice category where you can put in anything you like.
And the nominations were put forward by a wide range of industry members and other options could be added to each category which others could vote for before the short listing stage.
@@TheGrailTastings Hi Jen and Rachel. Can you briefly explain your comment here about the "other options" that could be added to the shortlist (does that mean in the "committee stage?) before the 6 final options were finalized for voting? I'm not sure if I've understood the process correctly.
Really excited for more Irish incoming. March is just around the corner and Irish as a style of Whiskey is so wide and differing which at least this Whiskey Geek loves.
Absolutely! We're on a mission to try more Irish whiskies, lots of tasty stuff coming from there! Do you have any recommendations?
@@TheGrailTastings The Red Breasts definitely. I really Enjoy Writer’s Tears Inniskillin Wine Cask if you can ever find it. Not worth paying a fortune to get or anything. Waterford is very interesting for a Scotch Drinker. I love what they are doing similar to Springbanks or Bruichladdich as long as you can separate age of whiskey from value. Teeling Black Pitts is a Peated Irish and is lovely and delicate. Actually any peated Irish is worth seeking out because of how different Irish Peat is.
Yellow Spot is my all time favorite.
Hope you enjoy your lovely stroll through Irish Whiskey.
@@VinegarAndSaltedFries Amazing thank you so much for the recommendations! We've yet to try Writer's Tears but heard amazing things about it. We quite liked Waterford too and agree we love the geekery! Which ones had you tried?
Definitely more peaty Irish stuff we'll get on that, think we've only tried Connemara so far if you've had that one before?
I Love Ardnamurchan and Kilkkeran
So do we!!
Ancoc 18 is lovely but a bit hard access.
We were not fussed but based on the comments here I think we need to give it another go!
@@TheGrailTastings I would recommend giving it more time than usual in the glass and a few drops of water, I wouldn't choose it out of that lineup for best dram I'd probably choose the Ledaig 18.
I am 100% with Rachel on Meet the Beast, it seemed massively out of place and in my view it is overpriced. The Tim Beast 18 for me is cheaper and more enjoyable. Great run down! Cheers.
definitely seems to be splitting opinion that one!
7:39 well done. Seamless. 😂
😂😎 Thanks!
Great review of the OSWAs. Just wish my Monkey Shoulder did better in the Malt Blends category but that's fine. Just about anything Four Roses I'll gladly drink, very good stuff. One of the better distilleries out there.
Speaking of the 100 proof 4RSB, have either of you tried any "Bottled in Bond" American whiskies? I'm quickly becoming a big fan of them because of transparency and tighter regulations; all BIBs have to be 100 proof (50%), must age a minimum 4 years in a federal warehouse, single distillery, single season, etc. Just have to look out for chill filtration mostly. Not all BIBs are bourbons, which is strangely reassuring.
We have a while ago but cant remember which ones! Will look out for them now on your recommendation! Thanks!
I think we might do something with a Monkey Shoulder for our Christmas dram video!
@@TheGrailTastings I'd love to see your MS dram video. I realize it's made for cocktails but that is a pretty good malt blend in itself. I haven't had the Smokey MS, wonder what that's like.
If y'all decide on dramming any more BIBs in the future, my personal recommendations would be Mellow Corn Whiskey and/or Jim Beam Old Tub Bourbon. Mellow Corn is a straight-corn whiskey from Heaven Hill distillery and is chill-filtered, and is incredibly popular among Americans who love bourbon but aren't bourbon jerks. Old Tub is a straight bourbon, completely unfiltered; no chill nor charcoal filtering, and seems to be growing in popularity. I recently got a second bottle for a keepsake. I don't know how obtainable these are in the UK but those are my two-cents.
Do you guys speak English? 😀- Lovely show!
Only when trying to use electronic voice commands! Thanks! 😊
I have always found it hard to connect with the arran 10. I have always found it overly sweet. There are a lot better whiskies for that price point but that's only my opinion.
I concur!! (Rachel)
It's decent but the slight extra for the Quarter Cask is well worth it.
Nice roundup
I'm on record on other channels about the OSWAs. Can't complain about the concept, format and the hard work of Roy and Ralfy. It's a great idea but I'm not sure it's where it should be. Too much stuff was an echo chamber of our community which is, in itself, a mega echo chamber. The results were almost entirely predictable and I don't think was the intention. Arran 10? Glen Scotia Victoriana? Springbank (how utterly predictable)? We didn't really gain anything we didn't already know. A poke in the eye to Diageo and the mega-industry but do they even give a shit? We're a knat like annoyance making no difference to their sales.
I think the OSWAs are important and can improve but fans like us are a cottage industry. Roy and Ralfy are not a business and do a great job but without extra help it's difficult. WT
The most popular (most known, most mainstream ) one isn't necessarily the best one.
Exactly!
So strange to hear you don't like LL Single Grain Peated, for me it was sucking on blackcurrant and liquorice hard sweets round a campfire! Even better than the sum of its parts when mixed with LL inchmoan
Also definitely need to do the all winners video
We did a cask strength single cask version for our whisky festival last year and it went down an absolute storm! 61.3% abv from a second fill ex-bourbon 😋
All we'll need to try it again! We've maybe had it in the wrong line up, we didn't get fruity at all last time trying! And noted for doing a video with all the winners 🤣!
@@peterhunt2k Ohhh this sounds interesting!!
I recommend the Inchmoan, it's like gentle octomore, you get so many peat notes to explore, it's one of the best bottles I've ever bought and I have quite a collection
Rewind,….. I’ve got you on Twitter but you don’t use it much. 😂😂😂 Okay, Jen & Rachel, come & see us at Bunnahabhain & I’ll pour you a nice dram! Xx
We'd love to! Can't turn down an offer like that!!
Yes, we're terrible at twitter! Sorry!😂
Nikka From The Barrel isnt even a Japanese whisky... 😂😂😂 it's mostly imported malt.
Ben Nevis so they say!
I think Signatory won because of quality and value…?
Quite possibly! We've had some really delicious and interesting drams from them!
Bunnahabhain 18 was nowhere. I would take that over any of the of the nominated ones for best whisky.
It is soooo tasty🤤🤤
Don't like Old Forrester? So, when did your taste buds go on hiatus? Ha! But in all seriousness, Old Forrester's best expressions for me are their Whiskey Row 1910 and their Rye. Their rye is very unique in the mash-bill has a very high malted barley content (65% Rye, 20% Malted Barley, and 15% Corn) and is, in my wrong opinion, the best rye AND the best value rye here in the states ($25).
I'm surprised Loch Lomond was even nominated for best distillery considering I've heard it's basically an industrial operation with little charm or character. I've never been there so I might be totally off, but I've heard this from multiple sources.
Just picked up a bottle of Kilkerren 12 for $100 and have a tasting planned between it and their heavily peated expression. I've also a bottle of Hazelburn, Longrow Peated and Springbank 10 for a Campbeltown blind. That said, I'm surprised The Gauldrons by Douglas Laing didn't earn a nomination.
BTW, the Compass Box Orchard House isn't as fruity as the name would imply. I find the Glencadam 10 to be far fruitier and juicier, almost wine or apple juice like (would make a great introductory whiskey for a wine lover). If you like Bruichladdich's 'The Classic Laddie' you'll definitely like Glencadam 10.
And yes, a big up-vote for an OSWAs line-up.
Really enjoyed your take on the OSWAs and would definitely watch a comparison of the winners in each category. I had similar issues with the category „World whisky“ being anything but scotch as real world whisky didn’t really have a chance this year. Maybe next time tho. A bit sad that Bunna 12 didn’t make it as I think it way better than Arran 10 - did a tasting with all the budget ones and my favourites were Bunna and LL
Jens got a strange taste B you know this 🤣! We'll need to their their rye at least, that's amazing value!
Loch Lomond are definitely not the most picture-esque distillery. . . .😅 think cause they are doing some more unusual things it's a place of geekery at least. Maybe they'd take us a tour round if we asked 🤔
We love the Gauldrons! We do that in tastings often! Let us know which you prefer out of the Kilkerrans, we're split on that as usual!
@@bdwilcox Ohhh thank you for the recommendation! We've got some Glencadam 10 kicking about somewhere I think we'll maybe do that for a video!
@@lunaarran6965 Thank you for tuning in!!
It is hard because of the amount of new distilleries around the world and we know quite a few are quite small batch so harder for folks to get their hands on. Will be interesting to see next year!
We were sad about Bunna too!!