ralfy review 684 - Ballechin 10yo @ 46%vol 

For all those who comment "first"......You are suffering from PREMATURE EVALUATION!

This really surprised me at how enjoyable and unique it was. I’m only less than 1 year into my scotch journey. My wife did the first taste with me. The nose didn’t really prepare me for what my palette experienced. We picked up on the peat and smoke obviously. It has a nice agricole and slight funk. She picked right up on summer sausage and smoked cheese. For me, the smoke was almost immediately overcome by a rich, slightly sour fruitiness, like candied oranges. I added a few drops of water and the nose reminded me of bacon. The taste was creamier but obviously the viscosity was slightly reduced. For me, this is a definite keeper. For her, she’ll pass. She doesn’t prefer smokey whisky but it was great of her to share with me!

Had this whisky sitting in my cabinet and could not quite get my head around it. Never occurred to me to *not* add any water. It really does make this dram better to have neat or with 1-2 drops of water. Less is more. Thank you, senpai Ralfy!

Sour? yeasty? Actually sounds great to me! Lol I enjoy sour beers and lots of fermented foods like kimchi and sauerkraut. Cheers Ralfy! You’ve been a great help introducing me to single malts!

A friend gave me a taste of Ballechin 10 and that led me to buy the Ballechin 11 Manzanilla. Now that added the bit of sweetness it needed, and I recommend it to you.

I think that Ballechin 10 years old is one of the best peated malts. I would like that you rereview it. You gave 83 to Ballechin 10 years old and you gave 85 to queen margot (blended) 3 years old from lidl.

I have never found Ballechin on local shelves, but I have had a taste of it at a whisky festival nearly three years ago, now... If this 10 year old Ballechin is anything like Ledaig 10, I need to find some!

Great review as usual. Pleasure meeting you in Edinburgh today. Wish I could have stayed longer. Could have been very interesting!

I found the 6th release(Sauternes?) which I really liked. I've avoided the 10 till now, but I'll go for it next time I see it thanks to you review. Thanks, Ralfy!

Hey, Ralfy! Malt mention from Texas: malt marauders or malt mystics. You might have used both, but it's worth a try. Question: how many ml's is a standard pour in your glencairn glass? You're my favorite whisky reviewer! Keep the vids coming!

Dear Ralfy , I am not sure you have time to read comments on your older reviews. I got two bottles of this after a friend let me try a recent bottling. It is now matured in ex bourbon casks and then two years in European oloroso sherry which adds a real fruity complexity. I really think this is now more complex and better in general. Thanks 🙏 for your patience with us . Kindest regards, S.

I got the ppm and peat thing just by watching some previous reviews on your channel, comparing, for example, the review of a Lagavulin with the review of an edition of Octomore... and btw, absolutely true, the weather changes so much the behavior of the spirit, I live in a hot country and sometimes the tasting must be a bit rushed, because everything is evaporating!

Still years later never seen this in stores.

Thanks for the intro Ralfy.

Not one for me Ralfy, but I'll use your comment with the wife: No I'm not having a 2nd drink, the 1st one was just the "rehearsal" 👍

Bought a single cask 10 year Ballechin last year and have yet to open it! Good stuff!

Intriguing, being a huge fan of Laphroiag and Ardbeg I am going to keep an eye out for this one -cheers Ralfy

Octomore is actually up to 309ppm now :)

Great comment, Ralfy. Would love to see you reviewing some lost Lowlander; Rosebank, Littlemill or Linlithgow.

Interesting review Ralfy! I always try and guess your malt mark and after years of watching and studying at the Manx Bothy I have become quite good at it, so when I guessed 84 and you first gave it an 83 I thought I missed something. Noticed that my local shops are carrying more single malts this past year, some priced well out of my reach, but nice to get a better selection. Take care, Ossie

Hey Ralfy, I stayed in Pitlochry a few weeks ago, and personally found it quite an enjoyable village. But then I live in Florida, so what do I know about Scottish towns. Unfoturnately, I didn't get a chance to visit the Edradour distillery but did enjoy a visit to the Blair Athol distillery.

Marvellous malt monsters!

Dear Ralfy, the age statement, 12yo, 18yo, and so on, but how is it possible to meet the world demand. Something aging for 12 years after bottling would disappear the minute it is put into the market. What about the next batch? Is it that aging is now done under modern technology just as in the making of diamond, subject to high and extreme heat.

Sipping a dram of this while watching the review. I like Coal Ila & this has about the same peat level. It was hot at first. Let it rest as you advised. That helped. Thanks

So this is a revival of the original Ballechin distillery? (1810- 1927). Do you know more of the story behind this whisky?

Which whiskey is the most peated? the black one?

Ralfy, a Malt Mention: "Hello, you malty munching midnight Morlocks!" (I just watched the 1960 version of H.G. Wells' *The Time Machine.* It's eerie and atmospheric.)

I wonder how this compares to the Ardbeg 10. I found some bottles of the Edradour Ballechin 10 yr but it is about $75 USD vs the $45 USD of the Ardbeg 10.

Don't forget the theatre, Ralfy! Lol

Hi Ralfy I just tried this one...it’s a bit of a long shot but would you happen to know where Edradour get their peat from?

Ralfy, is that mold on the wall?

Ralfy - Have you tried the Edradour & Ballechin "Cuvee" 8yo?

Hi Ralfy are you planning to review their SFTC(Straight From the Cask) series?

at 4:50 bragging like a villan..lol that my new catch phrase. I know that is not what was said but it sounded good

What could a couple more years in the wood do to this whisky?

lovely stuff.

Raw! . . . why not add a bit of water then.

Dammit, Ralfy dear! I hate it when you "re-malt mark"! (-Unless you were to lower a mark, which I don't recall you ever doing.)

Hope you got the Whiskies you were looking for in Cadenheads.

Hey Ralfy, do you like chess? There is a big tournament that is taking place around your area, top players from all over the world! Just saying.. chess + scotch - good combination :)

Any plans to re-review Elijah Craig now that Heaven Hill has removed the age statement? It's no longer a 12 year old.

Balvenie 14 ?

I wonder what is your opinion on today bottling.

Last!

Ralphy Please review 808 a whisky based on a TR 808 drum machine. It's a grain NAS whisky chill filtered for purity lol

Peaty Whisky is not my thing, enjoyed the review non the less.

👌👍👌

20:05 Not quite given away, could be Talisker as much as Lagavulin.

🥃❤️👍

Ralfy, maybe time to paint this room, making your reviews particularly dark, just a suggestion malt mate.

This is bourbon and sherry cask matured, not just bourbon.

First?

First?