Even though I enjoy your videos regularly and have done for a few years now Ralfy, I'm not usually inclined to comment. My knowledge of whisky has pretty much been gleaned from you entirely, so I rarely have much more to offer on the subject. I just wanted though to say that this particular video is a highlight of the channel. The respect you have for your subject is palpable, and the little life hacks about how to bring these old bottles back to life are an indication of that dedication you have. I really didn't want to come across as sycophantic with this, although I fear I've failed but I just wanted it to be known the enjoyment and education I get from watching your channel. Keep on keeping on.
Ralfy, re straining things? When I lived in Los Angeles and "the big one" earthquake hit, the only thing in my collection that broke was a bottle of very, very fine Port whose bottle neck snapped off. I was able to salvage the contents and keep myself and my neighbors safe from any glass shards by putting it through a "Mr. Coffee" paper filter, then we all relaxed at 4am with lawn chairs out front of the 4plex building and enjoyed! :)
This was fascinating. Especially the bit about letting oxygen into the bottle and then allowing it to sit a month to break-up the awkward notes and mellow out. Really good stuff @ralfy. Thanks.
Ralfy mate, I've found myself watching your videos every day! The information I'm getting from you regarding my whisky collection (both to open now and later), is just invaluable. Thank you! And keep up the good work. Cheers!
Perfect timing. I'm either going to shoot a video on my wine channel or wait until my whiskey one is up and running. I have the following unopened bottles all from 1970's or early 80's. 21 yr Chivas Regal Chivas 12 yr Glenmorangie 10 yr Glenfiddich unblended Glenfiddich special reserve single malt Christian Bro 1976 vintage port Seagram VO 1977 Decanter bottle Canadian Classic 12yr 1973 decanter bottle Courvoisier vs Courvoisier vsop Martell cordon bleu cognac Remy Martin grand cru Old Weller 107 Everything purchased 1970's, early 80's. So the 21 chivas distlled in 1950's for example. I will feature them but may never open them.
I just got via eBay a bottle of Couvreur from Spain you speak about and gave 93... and now with respect will wait for the right evening...Thanks& Best & Cheers from Germany
Lovely review Ralfy and just to let you know that I really appreciate your "mission". I store a lot of old bottles myself including Laphroigh 25 year old 2008 and Caroni 1974 etc and your advises are really valuable. I am more a rum drinker in the recent years and would like to ask you whether you intend to review Foursquare Zinfandel Cask or Foursquare Criterion. These rums are my recent purchases and waiting to be appreciated. I would like to know what you think about these rums if possible. Cheers
Happened try to an old black dog & JW black label (80's bottling) & boy i was surprised !!! it was delicious no wonder they had such a following back in the day. Also have different it tastes now!! chalk & cheese .
Hi Jimmy! The prostate surgery went real well, my PSA is now zero. I'll have to get a PSA blood test every six months for the next five years to be sure the cancer don't return. The arthritis in my back is rough, but a wee dram before bed helps to make for a restful night. With Ralfy's help I've been drinking some terrific single malts. Hope you are keeping well. Sincerely, Ossie
I have bought a fair amount of old bottles, I have on occasion the total fear when I've opened it, that dry, cardboard, musty smell but most them settle out and become versions of what they once were. I also enjoy the fact that old bottles do change over time, maturation isn't the right word but what else to call it? I have a system, I like to be online when a bottle auction goes live, then I sit and slowly go through every bottle, after I've selected what I fancy I make my top bids and then go over to Facebook and discuss what I've bid on with other auction hunters. We all talk about what we've bidding on so a pointless bidding war ensues and then I step away and don't go near the site again until about half an hour before the end of the auction just to see if there are any wee gems left lying about. Totally right about going for obscure bottles though, hitting the expensive stuff leads you open to spending an awful lot on a fake or poorly looked after bottle which has died a bit.
It's a shame that the industry move away in such a short time from the old lower yielding grains that gave better taste and maturation also this is down to the Quality of the casks available which now seem in some cases very hit or miss. Thanks Ralfy very interesting as always
I've found that in hotter climates, like here in Taiwan, screw caps need to be tightened once every few months, especially with miniatures. I learned the hard way. TT__TT
Sadly the cost of shipping even a single bottle won at an auction in the UK is prohibitively expensive now that the auction houses have put up their P&P prices to ridiculous levels. A few years ago I followed your lead and purchased a number of bottles at good prices and they were thoroughly enjoyable. Sadly I won't get to buy any at auction these days.
I was going to buy a bottle of Orphan Barrel Rhetoric 23 Years online for the over-inflated price of $400+, then I just decided to wait.....months! I found the exact same bottle at a liquor store this past Saturday for $154 and some change after taxes. Good thing I waited!
Great comments on GMO corn Bourbon, this coming from a Kentucky Colonel! Have you tried High Wire Jimmy red corn Bourbon? A game changer in the Bourbon world.
Ralfy - at about 12:30 you mention storing in a cupboard "without cardboard boxes around" -- do you mean we should NOT store bottles in those cardboard boxes divided into 12 sections for wine bottles (for example) ? Should we not keep bottles in their original cardboard packaging (if they came with it) ? I've got a bunch of bottle bunkered, but they're mostly in those 12-bottle cardboard boxes... Thanks!
A week ago I was given a bottle of amaretto saronno origanale along with a bottle of liquore gallinao from the 1960,s era the gallinao is still sealed and appeared to be in good condition however the amaretto has been opened for a long time and the cork had broken inside the neck of the bottle and it was leaking a bit when I got it the color of the drink is a strong Amber color and there is a bit of sediment floating around in the bottom of the bottle I've reciently put another cork in the bottle and couldn't get all the old cork out before it went inside my concern is is this amaretto still good to consume ?
Not terribly old, but I've a bottle of Bladnoch 11yr single cask, bottled at 52.9%, which I obtained from Demijohn's in Edinburgh in 2013. Sort of rare as I understand it...
Thank you for yet another awesome video. May I suggest you review the Mackrie Moor peated single Malt whisky from Arran, a great one in my opinion. Have a good one!
Rally, is there any sense in trying to find trends by region in terms of smell and taste or are there too many exceptions to the rules to make such an endeavor worthwhile?
. . . particularly with the wider variety of casks like wine and tequila used now compared to a few years ago, many malts can be harder to fix to a specific region. Some malts like Ardmore are not typical of their location. I hope this helps !
Totally unrelated to this review Ralfy but have you tried the 2016 Kilchoman Original Cask Strength, Quarter Cask Limited edition bottles? Be interesting to hear your opinions on it as you haven't reviewed a Kilchoman for a couple of years...
hey Ralfy thanx 4 tht clu on th b17, I 2 hav recently bin diagnosed w/ the uterly 2 comon deseaz of r time n its unacceptable. Im on th strd poisons n th side fx r much wors thn the cancer. thanku mate. Im now doin my r&d. peace my frend.
Ralphy could you please do a video on whiskies categorised by flavours...also could you do an updated list on blended whiskies which are best bang for buck.
Love your videos Ralfy. Just a little suggestion though. For whisky newcomers it might be confusing to say "whiskey, rum, or bourbon." Bourbon is after all a whiskey. A newcomer might think that it was something entirely different when described in that fashion.
. . . cardboard imparts a significant ambient odour to the atmosphere in poorly ventilated spaces. This can taint liquor over a prolonged period of time.
Ralfy will you do a follow-up vid on the old John O'Groats whisky you opened up the other month, I'm sure most of us are keen to find out how its going as its hitting its stride?
I know Four Roses does not use Geneticaly Modified corn and neither ( I think Buffalo Trace and Wild Turkey). Please correct me if I am wrong. On another note, I have never seen Ralfy enjoy himself so much as he is with these old spirits.
Haven't done the Bunnahabhain Ceobanach yet? I prefer it to the Toiteach. Changing the topic, you might like to refer to Robert Burn's immortal ode to Scotch Whisky, easily found on the net. www.robertburns.org/works/84.shtml Cheers, malt mate.
Ralfy , Isn't oldmeldrum a name sometimes given to Glen Garioch ? Could be different as you say it states Speyside on the label but you never know ! Glen garioch is fairly close to oldmeldrum unless there is another place with the same name in the speyside region ?www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Oldmeldrum,+Inverurie/@57.3370398,-2.3400714,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x488441e3a25d7aa5:0xa768073ca9494609!8m2!3d57.335138!4d-2.321806
ralfy my malt much revered mentor, do you want to receive a bottle of Poit Dhubh 12 YO green label, from the early Noughties to review? I like it and I just wonder what you would make of it.
*OMG* (Old Malt Genius) - is name > _'Antti Hirvensalo'_ - is an anagram of : *'To Avail Thinners'* - he's sayin' : _THIRST_ - dehydrated > _Poor Impaired Speech Suffering Evaporated Devil_ < not sure what that - spells - for his prognosis - his speech to text - machine's - BROKE : Maybe - it's a rusty : MORSE CODE - to text machine : using his - head : to - bash #IN - text : *T.H.I.R.S.T* (Telephone Help Innards Ruined by : Stolen Thinners) *_R > G_*
With all due respect, but the statements about GMO corn and it's taste qualities are just no true. I happen to have a PhD in biology, so I know what I'm talking about.
