I get 3-5 SB bottles a year it's not much but you have to be fast to press "order" at the exact time of release. But I don't know how it works in other countries having to look in shops that could be very difficult. If you have friends to help you then that number could be a lot higher :)
I find the odd bottle. I won’t do the secondary market. It’s ridiculous. I’m in Vancouver and I have been ecstatic to find several Springbank expressions over the past couple of years. It’s delicious and high integrity. I do wish they could produce more.
@@christinecamley- I hear you. Talking this stuff the skies is what killed the availability of good quality Macallan, Ardbeg and Talisker as well. I've begun to the doubt the value to consumers of a lot of this cheerleading whisky commentary as it just plays to the flippers and speculators anyway.
Absolutely agree with you Ralfy! Had the pleasure of visiting Campbeltown back in the Fall of 2019 and, thanks to a whim of fate, got a private tour of Springbank with my dad and seeing the distillery with my eyes and hearing of the process and history it was evident that the distillery is exactly what every distillery in Scotland should aspire for: artisanal products made by hand with strict and focused attention to every step of the process from malting to bottling. Yet they're still able to innovate and experiment while keeping tradition intact. While I unfortunately (or maybe fortunately for my liver!) buy more wine than whisky these days due to price increases that make my eyes water, if there's one area in Scotland that I'll always buy on instinct it will be Campbeltown. The Victorian-era culture rings through strong and true with the big 3 of Springbank, Glen Scotia and Glengyle and it shows in the spirit quality even with the differences with the house styles of all 3 distilleries. They're all hands-on, detailed and precise with what they deliver and I'm glad the area is getting more attention from the broader market and seeing more producers start to pop-up and revitalize the area. Considering the remoteness that Kintyre has hopefully the business coming in helps the town inch its way back to the prominence it had in the early 20th century because they truly have a place of their own that's very special in nature and spirit!
Whether you like it or not, Ralfy is still the best thing going today and doesn't fear speaking the truth for fear of loosing subs and getting labeled. Take notes RU-vid reviewers of the undisputed King who still wears the crown for over a decade.
Since his embrace of NAS nonsense, I really don't find that Ralfy does much more for me, or consumers, than other whisky "experts", and NAS seriously undercuts any claims of his "truth telling". To be honest, too much of the commentary on this channel is devoted to simple and pointless Ralfy worship when Ralfy has a Bully pulpit from which he could do more. The main thing that most whisky reviews do these days is to drive up prices.
1:15 heart-freezing moment! But that’s very correct, Ralfy! Thanks for awakening our souls ☺️ By the way, I m Vik, your subscriber from Mumbai, India. I m planning a visit to this distillery in this summer. Will pick one bottle from there itself 👍
Thank you Ralfy! I totally agree on your opinion about Macallan. I really liked their drams in the 1990s/early 2000s - until one day at the Köpenicker Whiskyfair in Berlin the so called brand ambassador showed up telling the audience that people don't like sherried whiskies any longer and therefore they will bottle a new range called 'fine oak'. What he didn't say was that prices for sherry casks had risen dramatically and the decision for changing their policy was just a financal one. Instead they told us what we don't like any longer. Haven't bought one bottle of Macallan ever since then.
It can be found in Canada occasionally but anything single cask or cask strength can be annoying to get ahold of due to them only going to some private shops in Alberta and sometimes British Columbia who only allocate to big rollers AKA not the typical value-minded consumer who doesn't have a fat pocket!
Hi Ralfy. I got my very first experience today with poorer quality, chill filtered, lower ABV disappointment as you have often talked about. Before I moved into integrity only malts, I used to think Glenlivet 15 and 12 was nice, same with Chivas Regal 12. The last three weeks, I have filled my cabinet with quality malts like Bunna 12 2022 CS, Deanston 12, Glen Scotia, Glenallachie. Sanaig, etc. When I went to the bar to pick up a pizza tonight I had some Glenlivet 12. It tasted watery, thin, muted/dull and I did not even finish the whole pour they gave me. Thanks to you and the scotch reddit I fully understand what a quality malt now is. The taste, smell, viscosity and finish are totally different in high quality integrity malts for customers versus the mass market consumer crap with all the flannel. It has totally transformed how I evaluate all spirits now, not just single malts. Thanks for all that you do Ralfy. I greatly enjoy your videos.
What you say about Springbank and their approach to producing whisky, seems very similar to the way I used to roast my coffee, something I did over four decades: Personally, given my equipment and the nature of coffee, I could never reproduce the exact same roast - something which didn't concern me, as I was very keen on the differences from batch to batch. I rarely made a mess of things and the differences were what made things interesting - usually small, but sometimes quite significant, often the difference between a GOOD cup of coffee and a bangin' one. A few seconds, more or less, at various stages could do that. I'd get - say - a kilo each of new coffees and five kilos of a known variety I could mess about with. I've never tasted a Springbank, however - as much on your recommendation as for any other reason - it's a situation I'd very much like to correct.
Just an opinion but I think for a distillery to win Best Distillery, its products need to be widely available... heck, even somewhat available! I've been into whisky for years, tried nearly 400 scotches, and have had a grand total of just TWO Springbanks (bottle of 10 YO back in 2020 and a dram of the 15 YO at a whisky bar in Edinburgh) despite constantly being on the lookout for them. I certainly agree that it's an important distillery but I just don't understand how whisky enthusiasts can keep voting for it as BEST distillery when the vast majority of them/us can't get our hands on it anymore.
@@WhiskyMysteryTo play devils advocate. By that reasoning no bottle is ever truly discontinued/unavailable. There’s always auction sites. 🤷🏻♂️ The Springbanks are indeed difficult to find in most whisky sites. Type it in and you’re likely getting a blank search. Yes there are a few sites especially the really big ones that will have them at unreasonable prices. Also, at least locally you will almost never see them. Seen them few times in my life locally and if you do price aside, it’ll be the 10 and if you’re lucky the 15. Considering how many variations they have , that’s a piss poor selection. It’s like finding Pappys. They’re allocated to the stores and they can’t keep up with demand. So the availability is subject to caveats.
@@WhiskyMysteryTo play devils advocate. We might as well continue to rate and review and put into polls any discontinued bottlings. Since they too can be readily found just not at prices you want. 😏. Springbank CAN be spotted. Perhaps the 10. If you’re in luck, the 15. However considering all the iterations, their lineup is not really available to the customers.
Ralfy, the palo cortado is not a cask strenght, it is not written on the label, and don’t you think it is a coincidence that it has the same abv of 55% like last year ox version?
Like the juice but not the hassle in trying to pick up a bottle or suscribe to ballots. Had the Palo Cortado in a dram tasting online - nice but no worth £300+ being adked for. Will enjoy the 4 bottles in my stash that i picked up sone years ago. If i see it in a shop for rrp would buy again but not getting sucked into the FOMO hype.
I went to a Springbank tasting this evening at a wee store that were promoting the 2024 releases and as a surprise we had a dram of the Palo Cortado to end the evening as a wee treat. I preferred the latest 15 year old by quite some distance so glad I did not bother hunting for the Palo Cortado.
I was thrilled when I finally found Springbank on a trip to Nashville. Three shops had the ten on the shelf! I bought one from each store. Then I was shocked when I found the first bottle was just so-so. So much so I went ahead and opened the second to see if the first was a "bad bottle." The second was the same as the first. I figured Springbank might be a bunch of hype. A year or so later, I got to try the 15 at a friend's house. To this day, I've never had a better whisky. Anyone else have a dramatically different experience between the ten year old and the fifteen year old?
@@jean-yvesvollmer3289 I’ve bought one 10 yr that I found meh. I gassed it and it’s still there. I bought a couple of 12 CS for $90 each. Opened one and it’s lovely. Been taking my time with it but the initial pours were unique and special. Have the other stashed. Ran into a couple more 12 CS while on vacation at$200, but opted to not buy. Wish I had now. They’re now nowhere to be found.
@@jean-yvesvollmer3289 I might have been too hasty, actually, now that I think about it. I have learned that most whiskies improve after opening and around a month seems to be the sweet spot for a lot of them. On reflection, I don't think I was as aware of that back then. Thank you!
Funny, I also tend to take my time with favorite bottles. Still have scraps from Benriach Solstice or older Allardices and Revivals. That's my way to do it.
I haven't found any Springbank to try it, did come across a Campbell Town Loch and a Hazelburn 15yr oloroso cask last week. Otherwise for things I can find, I'd say my vote for best scotch distillery is GlenAllachie.
Hi Ralfy, how much are we talking just for an understanding of a fair price? I know there's MSRP but realistically all stores add a little on top. With the great difficulty in finding these, I'm trying to learn the line of "that's a fair enough probs" and "go to hell" I'm in the US by the way.
I take the point that a big name wine cask does not necessarily make for good whisky, but nor should we think the opposite, that it will necessarily be bad. I have a 9 year old cask strength Ben Nevis from Murray McDavid, finished in a Bordeaux Premier Cru Classe (ie the best wine there is) cask, and I find it very good. In my opinion, some IBs, including Murray McD, are more competent and reliable with wine casks than others, although someone who is quite firmly anti-wine cask in general (like SV) may still not be so keen.
I have to ask. What are the best distilleries or are there any? That if you want to go for a spirit driven whisky, where it is not the different casks that are in focus? And they use the local water too.
ralfy, been lucky to find a small local store with some "older" black label 10 year (2016) and some 12 year CS batch 21 (with 4 finishings) and basic 15 year at SRP. All are so enjoyable. Then about a year ago they had the Dec 2021 Local Barley 10 year. Even better for me with some lemon and beautifully thick viscosity. Loving the SB.
I liked almost all of the Springbank that I've tried to date, because it is different/complicated, but I could say the same of the Macallan, Ardbeg and Tallisker that I tried too - back when I could afford the stuff that wasn't just debased "in name only" brand exercises. The same will also happen with Springbank as everyone talks it to the skies and the flippers/speculators shear the sheep that the whisky "experts" help to create. Whisky commentary has become a product in itself, with its own goals and revenue, and much of it isn't helping the whisky consumer anymore; Ralfy's acceptance of NAS nonsense pretty much proved it all.
I got two of those 10 year old palo cortado springbank's by "accident". I ordered 2 of the standard 10 year old for £56 and to my surprise, I got the palo cortado. No complaints here.
That happened to me once with a Glendronach 15. I was sent a Glendronach 15 Tawny Port. They refunded me the money because they didnt have the bottle I ordered and told me to keep the wrong one they sent. 😳. 👍🏻
"Springbank does not hike up the prices" - as the consequence it is impossible to buy it online outside auctions and only occasionally in stationary shops. Wouldn't it make sense for them to raise prices to the point where each batch takes weeks, not just minutes, to sell?
Thank you again Ralfy for another thoughtful prose. If I may offer an alternative thought. First let me just say that I love Springbank for all the reasons Ralfy mentioned, but I also recognize that we all apply differing values to things. What one chap values isn’t the same as the next. Some people appreciate Macallan for the experience they provide. Visually their packaging and bottling is far more interesting than say Springbank’s, and maybe some people appreciate that. Do we not experience the world with our eyes? Sure the liquid or manufacturing process of whisky may not be the same but someone put effort into the marketing and packaging. The artisans that Macallan work with on some of their special releases are legitimate, can we not appreciate their skills and contributions? And certainly Macallan has done a lot of advertising for Scotland, talking about a sense of place etc. Is there no value there? It is but my opinion, but putting a distillery, any distillery honestly, on a pedestal is really just a reflection of our personal biases. At the end of the day, it’s an intoxicating beverage. For me, I really only care about the quality of the product once it’s in the glass, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to enjoying some of the more flamboyant visuals and story telling put out by some distilleries.
Ralfy all the bottles you've had bottled for you with your name on them ,do you keep a bottle?? I just bought one of two of the port pipe Glenallachies there from SWA the other night,but I've seen quite a few bottles over the last few year with your name on it,from Glenallachie,Glenfarclas,Springbank ,Signatory,and im sure ive seen another couple.But the question is ,do you keep these bottlings in your stash??
Absolutely! Although I wouldn't keep past a year if it's under 43% ABV. I've had cask strength (55%+ABV) bottles keep 3+ years for me and some even longer open!
Ralfy, score the Springbank Palo Cortado, i just opened mine and thought it was ok at first, next day it was good and then the weekend after it beat all my other springbank and kilkerran line up in a blind
Springbank might as well be a ghost to be honest. Have no doubt it’s good, but, you can’t find it…really any of it. And assuming you can, it’s grotesquely overpriced which kind of defeats the purpose. So because of this I rarely think about them and are irrelevant to me as I have no interest in chasing stuff I can’t get or need to donate an organ to get.
I would be curious to hear Ralfy's slightly more patient appraisal of some of Macallan's special edition stuff -- not the crazy expensive bottles, but the ones which may in themselves be nothing more than extention of the marketing strategy. For instance, Macallan's "Edition" line. Not all of them were of interest to me, but some sounded like they might actually have potential. Some were a special blend of various cask types. Others were collaborations with restaurateurs or perfumers. I'm raising the point because there is definitely an issue with the main products (10, 12, 18, Sherry, Double Cask, Triple Cask) being too "efficient," and boring and sanitized. But I'm curious to know whether there is anything on the side that people are considering to be well made and worth the adventure, or is it all just fluff & flannel?
I enjoyed the black box 12 year sherry cask at about $US 70. And the 18 year is very nice but $300 is a crazy price/value. Loving the Macallan 2017 Classic Cut at $80.
@djbeacon6895 I can't find the classic cut anymore. I stockpiled several 2017's, 18's, and 19's, and wish I could find more. I was a big fan of Macallan 18 Sherry back in the 2005-2010 time period, when a bottle could be bought for about $100 USD. As you say, $300+ makes it uninteresting to me now. Lol
I’m not a scotch guy- I stick to bourbon for a few reasons. But I’ve watched literally hundreds of hours of ralfy reviews and I already knew Springbank is the standard. I’ll probably never try most of these scotches but I learn so much regardless. 🥃
to think how that iconic chalky ralfyetc on rhe barrel might be fouled by some buffoon who stumbles against it and ruins what would surely be in some HO FAME somehere... yikes
Dear Ralfy, please inform us here if you have any familial connections with the Mitchell family. This is an opportunity to dispel rumors about your personal ties to Springbank Distillery that may not stem from pure love and admiration for this distillery and all that it represents.
As someone who greatly respects Ralfy and has followed him for many years, I truly want to believe in his full integrity and all the values he stands for. That's why it's important for me to personally hear a denial from him regarding these wild allegations.
No, Springbank is not important to scotch. Yes it's a good whisky, but could everybody please get their feet back on the ground, and stop making this distillery the GOAT of all distilleries. This is absolutely getting boring. Plenty of excellent and UNDERRATED distilleries out there.
