ralfy review 784 - Ardbeg Lord of the Isles @46%vol: 

Whisky is for drinking. Amen. Congratulations for 10 years and congratulations for opening a $1500 whisky bottle.

I got hooked on whisky in the 1980's. For a special occasion I bought a bottle of Macallan 18yo with the bottle marked 1967. I loved it so much I drank a couple more as well. I paid $87 Australian at the time. :) I now see those exact bottlings on line for up to $10,000. I don't regret drinking them as I loved them. I do wish I could taste that bottling again as I think my palate has developed a lot on 30 years and I would appreciate them even more now.

Hello Ralfy from sunny Greece. I accidentally saw one of your very first videos in 2011, while i was studying Law. Today, after so many years, when i am tired in my office, i pour a dram and i still enjoy your vlogs as if it’s the first time. I am telling you that to say thank you. Thank you for persuading me to join the malt world but also thank you for remaining the same person with the same passion and integrity as when you started. Keep up the good work up there my friend. Sláinte!

“I can smell it already...” - the spontaneous look on your face as your nose gets wind of the malt is priceless. One of your finest presentational moments.

I've had bottles that I bought for 70-150 euro, thats are now worth 1000+, no regrets here, glad i had the chance to taste them at a good price.

Ralfy, if I had my will, you’d never stop making these vlogs. They are priceless.

Thank you for sharing this special Ardbeg with us ralfy. I could not stop smiling through the vid.

I think this is the best review i have seen from you Ralfy and the bar is very high! The utter delight on your face when your nose first picks up the Ardbeg is priceless... you cant fake those shows of absolute happiness! Some really interesting points made and has made me think more about my Whisky journey. I thank you and look forward to the extras video!

My mouth is watering. I can almost smell the spirit! Thanks Ralfy.

Dear Ralfy, congratulations on your tenth anniversary, many happy streaming returns and thank you for all you have done for the whisky awareness.

$1,699 if you can find it in the US. I'll, once again, live vicariously through you, Ralfy.

Congratulations Ralfy! Cheers to another 10! I thouroughly appreciate your reveiews each week, and eagerly await the next!

I had this issue with the Daftmill Summer Batch lately just seeing the newer auction prices...brought it to a private tasting where I couldn't step back from opening it the moment it was on the table. Good choice. ;)

I am new to Scotch whisky, but I bought a bottle from Kingsbarns Distillery during a recent trip to Scotland (my first but hopefully not my last.) Maybe at 65 I’m late to the game, but I’m sure glad I found your videos. Looking forward to learning a lot.

Of all the fancy Ardbegs I've tried the 10 year is still my favorite.

Hey Ralfy Thanks for not doing those pathetic/boring and long winded live streams that everyone else is doing. Less is more!

Wow great whisky and happy 10 year anniversary

I could almost smell that through my TV. Great moment. Thanks for sharing !

I really appreciate that new camera angle or lense or whatever it is that you've changed. Keep it! Looks great!

Oh how wonderful it is to see a (good) video with zero dislikes!!! Proscht from northern Switzerland Ralfy!

Happy 10th Ralfy! I hold you personally responsible for depleting my bank account!!!

This was the whisky that got my father-in-law into peated whisky. He used to hate peated/islay whiskies but once he got his lips round this he has been one of the biggest Ardbeg fans out there. Another great review Ralfy

Thanks for sharing this wonderful and historic moment Ralfy! I wish I bought Port Ellen 6th release from Lagavulin back in 2007, it was £125! Now.. £2500. Well, it was way over my budget at the time.

Tasted Ardbeg - Lord of the Isles at a friends place last year, very good single malt. Totally agree that whisky is for drinking, I too have opened discontinued whiskies, some would say it's a shame to open it, but my reply would be, no it's a shame not to open i".

Ardbeg does NO wrong. Love them all.

Hi Ralfy, interesting point about recreating rarer malts by vatting your own. Any chance of a vlog covering your top ten recipes? Cheers

All I have to say is thanks Ralfy.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the tasting profiles of older whisky like "classic Ardbeg. It's a privilege to be able to vicariously experience a bit of history and a rare whisky through your reviews.

Highly appreciate and respect your notes about sticking to your budget at the end there!

Great vid Ralfy -- thanks for sharing this special moment.

Nice review! *runs off to try that mock Brora recipe*

Loved the review Ralfy. And thanks for the blending ideas.

Glad to see you have eased back on the added water, Ralfy. I often felt you added too much, especially with the standard 40 per cent offerings.As the old Scots saying goes: what's the point of starting a fire then immediately putting it out?Plus, letting it breathe: I can do the breathing for both of us, the whisky and me, thank you.A little water on the cask strengths is more logical but, at the end of the day (when we usually pour a dram) it's all down to preference.So thanks for your guidance.

Ralfy, thank you for sharing. I had a simply delightful 17 minutes with you. I could almost taste the whisky. Off topic but I was recently reading a history book that mentioned a prison camp on the Isle of Man where they interned German familes for the first few years of the war. Back in 1939, the authorities did not appreciate that there was a difference between regular Germans and the German Jewish families who were fleeing persecution. How ironic that the Brtitsh interned potential Nazi spies alongside the Jewish refugees. There was a synagogue and Jewish cemetary on the island during the war. The synagogue is long gone but I believe the Jewish graves are still there.

I remember in one of your old videos you took forty creek barrel select and added a few drops of ardbeg to make the Atlantic bridge! I ought to try that one for my self

Thanks, Ralpf. You share it with us. I think we are good company.

Great video as always malt mate. Completely agree with you on not paying out too much to chase quality, there is plenty of whisky out there to enjoy with fellow malt mates! I was fortunate enough to visit Islay last year with a good friend of mine and taste a glass of a 25yr that was £1000 a bottle (which we got for free!), but (thankfully for my wallet) I still preferred the 16yr old priced at £47. It is a beautiful part of the world that anyone should visit if they have the chance. Keep up the fine work sir !

A dream bottle! Definitely savor every last drop.

Ralfy, You're a great man. Knowing that this Ardbeg is so expensive now and you still uncorked it for a review ( even though it's your 10th anniversary) You should and could have asked your fellow malt mates whether it would have been a better choice to sell the bottle and donate the proceeds to several charitable institutions. By the way, I'm almost certain that you still have in your possessions other whiskies that are equally if not more expensive. Really admire your spirit and outlook in Life. Cheers! All the best.

Agreed. I have to admit that I have an unopened bottle of Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix from 2010. My (then) wife bought it for me as a christmas gift, but the price has skyrocketed since and I just haven't been able to bring myself to open it. Might as well hold on to it for another decade.

My father bought this I have the casket box and bottle on display in my living room with my whisky collection.

I’m going to try a glendronach Allardice with 10 % ( to start with ) Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban, to get the dry and musty flavors out of the glass, or maybe just add some water with a universal measuring device :)

I wish they had access to your videos in China, you are a great teacher and they are in need of teaching. I was horrified to learn that they often have the exact opposite views of you and me when it comes to wine and whiskey and other fine drinks. Which is to say its a way to flaunt your wealth to make the poor feel bad in order to feel satisfaction, only the label matters. Kind of like the way “exclusive” is a plus word but much more extreme over there. That is why you can choose your own label on some wine bottles such as Chateau Latour and an expensive vintage of your choice in order to impress your acquaintances. The content doesn’t matter much. Instead of hating on them I see a great need for learning which they are often denied. Fortunately we sometimes meet them in hotels, bars and other places and can offer gentle words of wisdom. I really feel at home on your channel with likeminded whiskey fans who appreciate whats in the bottle in the same way I do.

6:00 Dr who reference: wibbly wobbly....timey wimey......stuff....

I see why you hesitated to open it. great to see it being enjoyed

Cheers Ralfy! Enjoy that dram like you know how!!

Thank you so much for the blending advice! I’ll try at least one of them this weekend!

Thoroughly enjoyed that.

Fantastic Ralfy

My Lord....you've made my mouth water and made me thirty at 8am....HAHAHA. I would love to see a vlog on your recreations!

Whiskey Wash News Flash regarding the Barton Whiskey Warehouse Collapse There are currently 6,657,063 barrels of whiskey aging in Kentucky. The barrels affected in this incident represent about 1/3 of 1% of that total, and that’s just in Kentucky. There are a few million more aging in Tennessee, Indiana, and other states. Those are crazy numbers...Woww!

I have been dabbling in blending just like you mentioned, and I`ve created some exquisite blends if I do say so myself! One consists of 25% Uigeadail and 75% 21 year old first fill sherry cask strength Glenburgie (G&M 57.9%). It is an absolutely wonderful dram. =)

Watching this in 2022. My goodness, how the mighty Ardbeg has fallen.

Thanks Ralfy. I’ve enjoyed our malty journey together.

Brilliant Ralfy

Omg...drooling🤤 Awsome! Thanks Ralfy!

Hi Ralfy, What a great review. This is the benchmark for how to do a VLOG - personal, thoughtful, informative, unpretentious, respectful. Thanks for sharing. Happy 10th (Digital) Anniversary. Check your bottle code. What year was this bottled? Your whisky may be older than 25 yrs. Cheers!

This is one of my favorite malts of all time. Slainte Mhath my friend!

Meant to be open and enjoyed

I wish we saw more if his first impressions

I really wish this video went another 20 minutes, great stuff.

Drink and enjoy your whisky! Well said Sir!

Opened! More of this Ralf...!!!

Congrats, Ralfy, a great achievement choice ! Slainte !

Ha! Who would have guessed that the rule of thirds from Photography would apply to blending whisky?

I bought a couple of these from your beloved SWA and one of them I cannot for the life of me find the laser etched bottling code. Also the label has been glued, which I know can happen over time... All the same, I hope it`s not a fake!!!!

Quality vlog. Enjoying massively. Any 50/50 A'Bunadh/Ardbeg 10 works ok. Consider timelines: Did you try Lord Of the Isles amidst its contemporaries circa 1994/1996 e.g. Springbank 21 (aka 35 due to closure). Looking at what we have circa 2019 will make this "Lord" shine, but back in the day...? A ton(tops). Next time you're in the Bon I would love to buy you a very large pint. Blessings you big maltymetallicall amessianicmetaphysicalmultiplemaltissimo.

While it's no doubt phenomenal stuff, the Quality/Price Ratio on expensive whiskies, even if high performance, is totally out the window - although this doesn't really apply as much to bottles bought at lower prices and then held while the market price went through the roof. Various people could afford a Lord of the Isles, if they could find one, but even a nearly perfect whisky would be hard pressed to justify the current price. Ralfy is right, however: whisky is for drinking; once the collectibility and flip price become the concerns, great whisky bottles become nothing more than trophies and doorstops.

I love ardbeg. It’s got to be my favorite scotch

Damn I would enjoy a bottle with someone like you who really appreciates whisky for drinking, and afther or before whatever, I would pay another great bottle like this to drink the both off us, because I don't like the drink someone's expensive stash. 👍

@ralfy Can you do an extra that touches more on your experience with older Islay malts? I gather a lot of people favor younger Ardbegs and Laphroaigs since they emphasize the spirit and phenolics, but a lot of us also may not be able to afford or come across the special stuff. I’ve bought Laphroaig PX and other ‘engineered’ younger bottles hoping to taste more diversity, but have concluded you just can’t replace age in the cask. What are we missing? Is it worth the hunt and the price? Thanks and cheers.

Wonderful and thank you.

Would love to see a re-review of this one.

Now this is luxury!

Cheers mate!

Thanks for sharing.

I can only imagine how good that is. I had a chance to try Ardbeg Twentysomething 22 year old at the distillery, amazing! I've been doing some experimentation with Ardbegs Correyvrecken by adding some drops to a bottle of Cu Bòcan that I was a bit disappointed in. It adds the nice smoke and covers that taste of crushed vitamin C I get in Tomatin whisky (as much as it can). I look forward to your sharing of mixes. Cheers!

Followed a bottle of Lord of the Isles at auction lately. Sold for 6000CAD. I had one bid in at 1500 then it flew up!

Wonder what it would cost now .

ralfy.....god bless you man!!

Is this the highest scoring malt to date ??

Legendary whisky!!! How much did you pay for it? Great review props on opening up the bottle, can you send me a sample? 😁🤞

Time = Wibbly Wobbly...

Love this channel.

I still can't bring myself to open the Flaming Heart.

pOP! cONGRATULATIONs!!

Hey Ralfy! Did you tip the bottle to keep the cork wet constantly for all those years you have had it?I have a bottle of 18yr Oamaruvian from NZ Whisky Collection which I'm saving for my sons 18th Birthday in 14 more years. I know about looking after bottles/cork over a few months/years, cork wetting/light/heat etc, but wonder if there's anything I should be doing when storing for over a decade? Cheers!

Ralfy, what are your favorite malts for after a rich spicy meal (garlic, curry, etc. as you mentioned). Something that isn't wasted but adds to the enjoyment? Awesome thoughts here!

I am not totally convinced of the integrity of the Lord of the Isles. It is a 2001 bottling of a 1975-76 casking, but sold in 70 cl bottles. 70 cl became mandatory only after the EU mandate of standardisation effective 10 years after a country was accepted formally into the EU. It wasn't until 1992 that the European Union was officially formed, with Britain's membership coming into force in November 1993. One saw only 75 cl bottles at 43% ABV. The anticipated 70 cl rule for Scotch Whisky was most welcome in the UK, as was the minimum 40% ABV rule, so that Blended Scotch could be sold faster and with a much higher quantity of Single Grain whisky in smaller bottles. The UK switched to 70 cl bottles only after 2003. There is something that doesn't quite jell. I hadn't seen 70 cl bottles of Scotch before 2005-06, when I was in Germany.

420 BLAZE IT YOOOOOOOOO

Heh ralphy.. great show.. love all the adjectives...

Many people would pay a lot just to be able to tell their whisky friends: "I've had Lord of The Isles with Ralfy in his Manx bothy"

You look great with a beard!

Eh, I don't know about the Uigeadail these days Ralfy, I reeeeaaaaaaly don't. "Et tu, Islay?", is all I got to say about that.

Aye...share with friends who appreciate it properly.

Maybe you wanna re-visit this one?

Ralfy, I must say the black mold of your bothy is not doing you any favours. It may be natural but so is cancer. On this your 10th anniversary of making these invaluable reviews it is perhaps a great time to choose another venue before the one you are in contributes to an illness. Curtis Sincerely,

Vocabulary=vocabulary+1 Swithering.

NAS single malt review?

I think you should have waited for me. However.