7 Things I Wish I Knew About Whisky When I Started 

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I wish they would make it illegal to add coloring to scotch whisky

"without criticism it's just marketing" The best piece of advice and wisdom I've heard in a very long time. Thank you.

I'm a couple of years (earnestly) into my whisky journey, and I already know all of those things, mainly thanks to EXCELLENT resources such as yours. Many thanks Phil!

"Eat the fish and leave the bones"! That right there is a turth for life. Amen from Detroit. Thank you for your work. I appreciate you.

Great advice, Phil. I think a lot of us faced a similar learning curve. Nice to have a video to guide beginners through! 🥃

I'll add a few: - A lot of whisky needs time to open up. Either in the bottle by air or in the glass. Slow down. - (more esoteric) The type of water you add to the whisky can change things around as water carries flavour as well. Especially in europe, go for soft water (look at the dry residue, go for a number < 150, preferrably below 80). - Don't throw out a whisky if you don't like it. Either leave it on the shelf and get back to it later in your journey, let it breathe. Or if you really don't like it try to share it to somebody who does or make your own blend to smoothe out the rough edges.

It looks like the spam bots that try to impersonate me are back. Please don't respond to them. I will never ask for your details via telegram and WhatsApp.

Thanks for the tips - so much like wine experiences. I recall an excellent tip that I received at a tutored tasting at Arran - the host made a point of telling people that there's no right or wrong, everyone tastes differently. Add water by the drop into your dram if you need water, figure out what tastes best for you. He also said that after 30+ years in the whisky industry, he still doesn't like peat whiskies, but some folks love it. I had a very limited range of what I thought I liked when I was younger - Canadian Rye, Kentucky Bourbon were about it; I tried many very good single malts over the years that I wasn't keen on, but trying several different whiskies when I was in Scotland really opened my eyes. I would suggest that going to a whisky festival where one can try several different styles and expressions of whisky will help someone determine what appeals to them. Approach them all with an open mindset and you'll be amazed.

Your point about tastes changing is spot on. When I started getting in to whisky I didn’t dislike unpeated scotch but I found it flat and boring so I exclusively bought peated Islays. It wasn’t until I tried the Arran quarter cask that I realised I’d been missing out on so much. I wonder if I needed to get really comfortable with the smoke to start appreciating the depth underneath it. To the point where when that smoke isn’t there, those other flavours just explode and become interesting again.

This is totally spot on!

Great minds think alike. I just did a video on this topic a couple of weeks ago with similar points. You made a great point I missed on colouring in whisky. It’s remarkable how different an independent bottling of Dalmore looks compared to their own releases.

I wish I knew not to take tasting notes too seriously. Everybody has their different palates and it takes a while for you to develop your own 😊

Another excellent video full of great information.

Another excellent video, Phil. You are such a great resource especially for those just starting out on their whisky journey. I agree with all your points (including LOVING Loch Gorum) and hope people share this with their friends. What do I wish I knew when I was starting out in addition to your 7 points? I would encourage people to experiment with each whisky they buy. Let it sit, add water, try it with ice, blend a few to make your magic blend. Have fun with your whisky journey. Secondly, I'd say take your time and focus on quality over quantity. A few great bottles will do you fine and don't try to build a huge collection quickly. Drink slowing and buy slowly to maximize your enjoyment without feeling a heavy cost. Thanks, Phil!

Great video, Phil! If I may add, there’s no one correct way to drink whisky. Try it neat, with water, with ice, or in a cocktail. To borrow from the Whiskey Tribe - the best whisky is the whisky you like to drink, the way you like to drink it.

Great hints absolutely agree with you 👍 cheers

Great video! Honest, informative and objective. Subscribed!

Really interesting to hear someone echo the exact sentiments that I have about whisky as well as go on the exact same journey, I went to Islay with my in laws and thats where my love of whisky started.

I love the cameo for Gwhisky! He’s one of my favorites

Hi Phil, thats part of the fun of the journey. Trying different whiskies/ distilleries,making mistakes,finding what you like , sharing and making new friends , and it’s a long journey. I tend to go for bourbon matured single malts that are naturally presented. As always a throughly good presented video, slàinte Phil.

Built myself a decent collection after your 15 whiskies video, which is essential viewing IMHO. Thank you for that, along with this vid! 🥃

Yeah I like this dude spot on the money and you look through his whisky history and it's whiskey and drum n bass

Congratulations on your realization .

I take you point and agree that as we progress through our whisky journey, our whisky tastes change and develop. However, one must be careful here when sampling classic expressions like Lagavulin 16, Talisker 10, Caol Ila 12, Clynelish 14 and many more. yes, your tastes change and mature as your whisky experience increases but do not assume that if that Talisker 10 no longer tastes as peppery or coastal as you once experienced, that it is due to you. These classic long running malts often change their recipes along the way. Ledaig 10 is a good example. Once exclusively refill Ex-Bourbon, now contains a substantial amount of wine casks. Talisker 10 has been "dumbed down" from it's rough coastal flavours of the 1990s, to appeal to more people. (Just try Talisker 57 Degrees North to get a taste of what the 10 used to taste like 30 years ago). Caol Ila 12 has also changed over the years. It used to contain a higher percentage of older whiskies and was more yellow fruity. Now it's more spirity, more peaty and more lemon-y due to most of the whisky coming from Ex-Bourbon barrels barely 12 years old. If you want to know what caol Ila 12 used to taste like 20 years ago, either buy a bottle on auction or blend a glass with 70% Caol Ila 12 and 30% Caol Ila 18. (By the way, Caol 18 is wonderful dram which seems to be overlooked by every reviewer. I'd really recommend it if you find it at a sensible price).

Whiskey for me always tastes better when I’m in Sutherland at my cottage out the the back looking at the fabulous landscape.

Evolving tastes have been one of the most exciting parts of my whisky journey, also a great excuse to try more! Great video bud 🥃👏

I know a another little secret. A low cask proof before bottling means less water added amd the consistency gets more Oily. Canadian whiskeys tend to go really high like 180 or so and Maker's Mark is really low ..lile 106 or something. That is why it may have a certain quality above the rest. And taste😊

Great advice Phil! Especially the part about not getting it from one source and the whisky awards. It always pays to know who's interest the blog/video/award serves and if it is the whisky lover or a company that they have the best interests of. Cheers 🥃

Good shit Phil. You a goddam genius ma man

I like to try all sorts of whiskey, i’m not in the big peat and big smoke … But a big variety of bourbon and whiskey is so cool just because of the experience of tasting!

My whisky journey largely echoed yours, as do the things I wish I’d known. My gateway was Lagavulin 16, and for the longest time, that’s all I bought, then I branched into Bowmore 15. In my case, I was Sherry averse. I branched out a little bit over the years, but when Covid arrived, I couldn’t do my main RU-vid channel anymore, so I started a whisky channel -and my palate has expanded hugely. Arran Sherry Cask blew me away; now I love a nice Sherry bomb. Also, because I’ve really angled more towards natural presentation, if I see something dark and rich-looking, I kinda don’t trust it until I see an E150 statement in the bottle.

Just happened upon your channel. Great video. Very informative. Thank you very much for your insights. I’ll be in Edinburgh in June and I am looking forward to sampling a lot of great whiskey. (One quibble: Lagavulin 16 and Craigellichie 13 are two of my favorite whiskeys, oh well.)

Glen gran 12,15,18 are another example of a light colour whisky but so gooood.

the most important thing is that it is tasty and that you can enjoy it. price/history/coloring/brand, is not important at all is in your mind! enjoy your whiskey don't look at what other collectors do and find. walk your own path and you will find peace yourself. that is my tip that I want to share 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🥃

I don't like whisky to drink, but I do like smelling it. Bit like unlit cigars for me, smells better than I think it tastes.

Great video yet again Phil! I wish I knew to start small with easier drams rather than going straight into peat bombs and cask strengths because that's what I thought the 'real' drinkers were drinkings. It was a great start though, I'm not complaining :)

Early on, I wish I knew more about independent bottlers. Some of my favorite all time bottles were IB releases. For example, The Whisky Authority (under the Perfect Dram label) released a 34 year old Bunnahabhain that is out of this world. I had two pours at a high end bar in Scotland and it took me 4 yrs of searching before I was able to procure a bottle. I pretty much ignored IB for my first 10 years.

top quality content

Great advice, yet again. Not t an absolutely stellar LOTR meme slotted in 😂🥃🥃

I tend to lean towards naturally presented whiskies and I also try to buy whiskies on special and at decent prices and sometimes its worth paying the extra for some single barrels or independent bottles and trying something different. Cheers mate

I’ve tried several different scotches but I can’t help it Islay is just what I like. Haven’t had Ledaig 10 yet but really want to try it.

Something I wish I knew earlier is that just because a whisky gets high marks from a top reviewer doesn’t mean it’s something I will like. Different people have different palates and, as someone who recently started my whisky journey, I need to appreciate that some whiskies have a greater “degree of difficulty”.

I don’t like the pleated whiskies till I went to Islay and Campbeltown Bammmm I really really love it 🥰 Dramface is also a really good website And yes Whisky is made for sharing !!!

Some of the international details totally threw me, the Japanese style of making and the marketing. Irish vs Scotch and American. Spot on with the comment about price not always meaning a good quality whisky. Great work Phil.

I think it can be really hard to go back once you develop the taste for peat. I spent a year or two pretty much ONLY drinking peated Scotch because everything else just seemed boring by comparison. But over the past couple months, I've made a concerted effort to branch out and focus more on un-peated releases and there are definitely some remarkable bottles out there.

To the coloring: I‘m so happy that here in germany they have to state „Color added“ on the bottle - if they did. So if nothing is written on a (german) bottle, you can expect a non-colored whisky 😉

I wish that I knew about chill filtration and added colour, and who owns who, but learning is part of the process.

Much of the whisky taste goes down if you chill-filter it. Add a drop of water and it gets cloudy if non chill-filtered, and most of the time it tastes better too. So, try to buy non chill-filtered whisky. Fun times!

Phil respect . Very interesting video , good job . I like all good whisky )))) Slainte Mhath !

I concur on the whole 'journey' thing. I'm one of those who, years ago, after a trip to Scotland, and having visited a distillery while there, sampled 'the real deal'. Subsequently, when interest in, and marketing of, single malt scotches bloomed in the 1980s, I sampled a few of the name single malts being made widely available at the time and settled on Glenfiddich 12. Over time, I sampled their 15 Solera and preferred it, but for several decades, Glenfiddich was pretty much all I stocked beyond the basic Bushmills. Other bottles came and went, mostly gins and rums, but the Glenfiddich was there and got refilled when it disappeared. Then, in 2017, I returned to the UK, and wandered from Wales, through the Isle of Man, the Lake District, and Scotland, including both the Orkneys and the Shetlands. I spent an evening sampling whiskies at the Lynnfield in Kirkwall and then, later, visited the Blair Athol Distillery in Pitlochery for their tour. Of course, I had to sample new wares and I came home with a new monkey on my back....'soft peat'. I've spent the time since building a diverse selection, partly in search for a peated single malt I might like, but also partly because my tastes can be easily diverted (SQRL!), and I've amassed a small collection of some 30 bottles of single malt scotches, a half dozen Irish, a half dozen American single malts, and the smattering of bourbons, ryes, and gins, and a tequila. What I've tried to build in to my selection is a diversity of flavors, covering the gamut from clear, light Highland malts aged only in bourbon casks, to the deep, dark, port finished, most things in between, and a decent selection of peated single malts that I can tolerate. I backed in to the peated single malts. I have always had Laphroaig 10 in my expanded selection. I keep it as a warning. I will pour it for anybody who wishes to try it, but I can't stand it. However, I found that I really love the peating of Benromach 15, or even Benromach 10. Then, there is Bowmore 12, of which I approve. But, I'd had a couple different bottles of Talisker (10 & Storm) and worked my way through them, despite not liking the peat flavor. When the Storm died, I took refuge in Port Charlotte 10. I figured I'd sample it and prolly give it away to friends. Nope. It surprised me. I like it. Talisker has been displaced by Port Charlotte. Now, my tastes are being piqued by special bottlings, particularly the Flora & Fauna collection. It's good to see blended malts make a showing, too. And world whiskies. The journey continues.

I wish I knew how long it would take to really enjoy a glass like a do with the first beer 😂 but then again, I just started

yikes, everything I thought I knew is unraveling at my feet! No wonder I enjoy Speyside so much now. It was actually a return to a forgotten familiar. One of the two had to be it, and I can’t ask the person responsible for my introduction, to attempt to clarify. To be sure, I’ll be more careful in future when revealing some personal history, just in case the facts are discombobulated by time, as was the case here… Thanks for your diligence, and patience.

Thanks for sharing the info, Phil. Slàinte mhath

Have another tip for you, don't look for great whiskies only to Scotland and Ireland, there are brilliant whiskies from countries like Taiwan, India and Japan, but be very carefull with the ones from Japan, they are very often very expensive and not worth the money, and very often it is not even from Japan but from Scotland! By the way, you were spot on when you said that the most expensive whiskies are not sure to be better than cheaper whiskies, I have a great example for you..........I had a 9 year old cask-strength Deanston Bordeaux Red Wine Cask, it was about 70 euro's when I bought it, but it totally blew me away!! Thumbs up from The Netherlands and I subscribed!

I recommend Jura

Regarding artificial colour. I am constantly amazed by the amount of whisky "experts" in North America who tell their audiences that all Single Malt Whisky is natural colour by law. This is due to a common problem which is Americans (and others such as Israelis, influenced by Americans) who confuse American Whiskey regulations with Scotch Whisky regulations. The US Federal Regulations do not allow colouring to be added to any whiskey labelled "Straight" (excluding Blends of Straight Whiskey). (See Federal Regulations Title 27 and Labelling Regulations under section "Use of harmless Coloring"). I've even heard from Americans that they assumed that American Federal Regulations on Whiskey applied to all whiskey in the world, imposed by international trade agreements. Moreover, it is common for Americans to confuse the term "Straight" with "Single", as in "Single Malt".

Redbreast 12 is much better than 15 or 21 for example. Or at least to my taste. Irish whiskey having triple distillation is already a lighter whiskey, aging it for too long gets rid of even more volutes. Sure, that way you can appreciate more other aromas and flavors, but the result is too light for my taste.

Here is an interesting one, I was a furniture maker, I don’t mean kitchens, I mean bespoke furniture. I developed a sensitivity to oak tannins, my hands would turn black and so would the timber. Eventually it got so bad that I would break out in red rashes everywhere, I can no longer work with Oak or any timber that has tannins. This has also affected the alcohol I can drink, red wines, whiskey mainly casked in oak and oak only leave me with excruciating headaches and bad stomach. I had to be very careful in choosing my drinks however it’s a lot easier now as these days there is so much choice.

Phil, you into wine so you know it’s the same thing with commercial wines from the new world. Mega purple will be added to make the wine darker colored for the same reason.

Hey Phil, I’m new on my journey and Liveing your content, given your from New Zealand I was wondering if you’ve had Pokeno yet? We just got an exclusive through the whiskey club in Australia and I’m really enjoying it.

I add coke to all of these whiskies from time to time because I like it !

I really want to try the Arran 10 but I cant find it! :(

Sir please make videos on American whiskey

The best drink in the world is the one that you like the most... 20+ years as a whisky consultant and the only thing that I really know is that it's impossible to choose/advise a whisky for someone UNLESS I have already established what THEY like

To slow down. I started to get excited and went too quickly into acquiring bottle after bottle for tasting which is good but not so fast haha - Overall - take your time in your journey, enjoy every step of the way.

First jack daniels with coke is enough🤤

And after whiskeys try some cognacs, which are much more affordable, like Remy Martin vsop etc. And you'll be mind blown 🤯

I used to hate Whisky up until last week actually. My first ever Whisky was Red Label, and when I was young, and wanted to like Whisky, I found that Chivas Regal was drinkable. Then I have tasted Jack Daniels, Jim Beam and Ballantine’s, and none of them tasted good. Then I gave up on Whisky in total. I could order an Irish Coffee, but that’s it. Then last week, I went to London (I live in Norway), and this English colleague insisted that I should taste The Glenlivet Founder´s Reserve, and that was the best Whisky I have ever tested (yes I know, but I’m a beginner). So on the airport, when I couldn’t find the Founder´s Reserve, I went with the Distiller´s Reserve. I think I like Founder´s better, but that may be the Gin Tonic speaking, but I really like that one as well. Or love is a better word, since I have been glued to your channels for days now 😂. So curious about the regular Glenlivet 12, I picked it up today, and then I saw the Monkey Shoulder on the shelf, so I grabbed that one as well. My first sip of the Glenlivet 12 was disappointing, but as I have learned from you, I should let it rest for some minutes, and damn…. A few sip´s in, this one is fantastic as well. Looking forward to taste the Monkey as well, and next week, I’m traveling to Spain with my wife, so I will pick up even one more bottle. This is fun (and expensive). Thank you for all the knowledge so far. I might go for one of the Cherry bombs, as I’m very curious of those 😊

Then there are people like me who consider price and flavor. Sure, I enjoy a $100 bottle occasionally but my go to for a daily drink is the two Costco brands.

THANK YOU FOR ;YOUR INSIGHTS, IT WAS VERY HELPFUL. NEW TO ADDING WHISKEY TO MY PALATE. ENJOYED YOUR OPENESS AND SHARING. WILL JOIN A WHISKEY CLUB (DID NOT KNOW THEY EXSISTED) TO LEARN ALL I CAN ON ENJOYING & BUYIING WIHISKEYS.

I look at your channel and I'm asking myself: Why don't you have an index of which whiskey you reviewed in which video? I'm trying to choose between Bunnahabhain Toiteach A Dhà and Benriach The Smoky Twelve and having such an index would be massively helpful.

Wish I knew 46 abv tastes better. But maybe it doesn't if you just starting. 😂 Thanks for vid 🎉

Great video (another one...), Phil. I recognize quite a few of your points. Actually lacking some of this knowledge had me abandoning whisky for about 7-8 years from approx. 2012 to 2020. I was interested in whisky - and tried starting a collection back around 2010. So I bought quite a few bottles (especially considering my financial situation back then). But: I had no clue what I was looking for, and honestly, there were just as many misses as there were hits, which had me thinking that it wasn't worth spending my money on (i.e. 100€ is a lot of - too much - money for a bottle that you don't even like, especially when it could have been avoided with more knowledge). Cheers buddy!

Recently I stepped up to high proof whisky. What whole different experience

Highland reminds me of Irish verses lowlands or Islay

I think knowing that peated whisky isn't the holy grail and is just different was one for me.

Everyone is different. Why you like whiskey/whisky is totally opposite to why I like whiskey. etc. For the same reason as adults, we get that same exciting feeling as kids do going to the local fun park when we go to the local bottle shop. I can tell you without hesitation, you like Whisky because at some level, it reminds you of traveling around the UK on your big OE. Whereas someone else may be reminded of an abusive father and they only got through by stealing their dad's whisky after he fell asleep and drank to calm their nerves. Same liquid, a different experience, and a different reason for the taste to fuzz your brains. Your memories, like mine, are all fun and excitement so the bottle shop or the opening of a can of beer or the opening or pouring and taste of a good whisky is congruent with good times. Whereas for others it is all pain. The point is, some of what you are tasting is experience or good times.

Bladnoch 14 👌

Great video!

Do you have also rums in your collection?

What is the name of that blog you have showed us? This with bottle and couple of comments, best regards from Poland

there is still a lot more for you to learn ;; i buy mostly indy bottlers single cask at prices far less than the big boys , these whiskys are in another league compered to the coin counters that sell mediocre run of the mill stuff ;;;

I don't know much about whisky, I just know what I like - and what I can afford.

Here is what I know about whiskey. You buy it and drink it the way you like it, because it is your whiskey. You can try it on the rocks, neat or with water, but if you like it with cola, fruit juice or coffee then go ahead!

I was so ready for this to be a april fools joke video

Just because you love a particular bottling of a distillery's lineup, it does NOT mean a different release is good or even similar. The 18 year old is not just "A better or older version of the 12 year". I wish I knew sooner that a long list of things go into an official bottling. Batch variation, barrel selection, and master distiller's choices can and will change how the whisky tastes for each release. Don't be me and save your money up for an 18 or 21 year old whisky just because you love the 12.

it took me a bit of commitment and several tries, in the beginning i didnt get much beyond the alcohol content. they all tasted too sameish...but once you got used to the alcohol content, there is alot to discover. it helps alot to find a honest reviewer with a similar taste profile. for me thats the guys from the whiskey vault. you´ll get alot of interesting recommendations that way. lets say the reviewer you follow reviews an affordable easy to get whiskey. the easiest way to check if your taste profiles match is to get said affordable whiskey and try it along to the video...if he says melons and leather and you get strayberries and ashtray its a mismatch and recommendations from that guy probably wont make you happy. there most likely is no intent to fake you into buying something, tastes are just different...and interpretations of hints of notes depend on so many factors its not even funny. but yeah, long story short...get used to the alcohol sharpness, find your guy and explore! have fun!

Adding colour doesn't alter the actual taste but it can certainly alter how you _perceive_ the taste. That's why master distillers and blind tasters will often taste whiskies in blue coloured glasses to minimise how the colour of a whisky might pre-empt how it tastes to them. I don't begrudge distilleries using some colour to achieve consistency - they need to mix different barrels to achieve the same taste so the colour will change from batch to batch. But I can see why people are wary of it.

Life a journey to all of us. Just like you wish you knew the things about whisky when you started, I actually wish I don’t know the things about the whisky I know now if that makes sense. 😂

Have you tried Penderyn, Welsh whisky, yet? speaking of aged vs younger. My wife prefers Johnny red over all the other "coloured" labels

similar to coloring with whisky I was disappointed finding out that rum distillers can just add sugar to it. Why. It's already so sweet. And another point about color is, you can appreciate a whisky's color. If there's no colorant. As soon as there's colorant, the color doesn't tell you anything anymore. In short, colorant makes your depreciate color. It has lost it's meaning, it's indicative value. And you kind of feel cheated and feel like the bottler has got something to hide. Not a good feeling.

New to whisky (3 years in)....I started with supermarket whiskies and for a while I only really liked Laphroaig 10 and Lagavulin 16... Since then I've owned and enjoyed Springbank 10, Ledaig 10, Arran 10, Ardbeg Uigeadail, Ardnamurchan AD.... going back to supermarket options just isn't the best option now! My list of whiskies to try keeps on growing.. what I recommend is to try to buy sample bottles, or try them in bars .... I saved myself a lot of money by trying samples of Springbank 15, Bunnahabhain 18, Glenallachie 15 and others.... it taught me plenty too... I tend to like the maritime salty seaside whiskies over the sherry sweetness of the ones I've just mentioned.... at least 90% of the time... and tastes change you're right!!!.... it just helps to sample, where possible, and much easier on the wallet My general rule is to only buy non chill filtered , non coloured and 46% adv or above.... that filters down the options nicely... its much easier to just get a cheap bottle, but at the end of the day I only drink 3 or 4 bottles each year, so may as well get something that has quality and integrity

always choose experience over assumption

I really wish i’d known 15, 20 years ago how stupidly expensive the stuff was going to become. I would’ve bumped collecting up a notch (but maybe drinking then too i guess lol). Some of the bottles i owned and drank now cost a month’s wages if you can find them… 😢

Aberlour casg annamh. Scotch Good tasty flavor

What's the deal with non chill filtering? I think you should have covered this also.

Lots of great advice. I recently purchased a Bunnahabhain. I'm a big fan of Islay single malts, but the Bunnahabhain had a distinctly different taste due to the length of time it spent in sherry casks. There are whiskies like Laphroaig and Ardbeg which have perfected matching the sweetness of the sherry with the smokiness of the peat. Then there are others like Lagavulin and Bunnahabhain that missed the boat IMHO. There is something missing and the sweetness and smokiness just don't come together for me.

Great info and video. It is strange how you say "Whisky" instead of "Scotch" or "Scotch Whisky". Irish? Bourbon? Rye? Wheat?

Always buy sample bottles when they're available. I've saved myself from buying popular brands I wouldn't like a few times by buying samples first.