Recently a friend brought a Chivas Regal from the mid -70's (HM Forces bottling) and we did a H2H with a new bottle. The only comparison was on the nose. The taste of the old one was so much richer, much more malty, more smoke, less grainy alcohol and the finish really lasted, the new one barely has a finish. It can't be all down to the casks, it must have had a much larger percentage of malt in those days. A real eye opener to why Chivas got their reputation. And how little impact such a large change in quality over time has, once that reputation is established.
I think you're definitely right there Jens. That comes down to the demand for single malt whisky, Back then low demand, now high so they use less single malt in the blends now. I never buy blends anymore because I can get far superior single malts for similar prices. (By blends I don't mean blended malts. There are plenty of those that are very good.)
Ralfy, I really enjoy your reviews and commentary. If I know anything about scotch whisky I owe it to you. I live in Missouri, U.S.A. which is a major source of the finest white oak for whiskey barrels and home to at least one large cooperage. A few comments about American bourbon barrels: Giant bourbon distilleries such as Heaven Hill, Beam and Buffalo Trace use high-grade barrels. They do not buy low grade barrels for their bottom shelf products and high grade barrels for their top shelf offerings. That is determined by warehouse selection and location and is based on age and flavor profile. The size of white oak stands in American hardwood forests would be mind-boggling to someone from Scotland or Ireland. Cooperages have their pick of the finest logs. Also, kiln-dried staves are not demonstrably inferior to air-dried ones.The low heat used in kilning does not cause significant changes in wood chemistry and pales in comparison to what happens when the barrel is charred. In fact, kiln dried staves are more stable and produce barrels less likely to leak. The quality and flavor profile of the bourbon aged in the barrels obviously is crucial to the final result when scotch whisky is aged in them but the barrels filled were all of very high grade to begin with. When the barrels are broken down and reassembled by coopers in Scotland that's where poor casks are likely to be created.
@@TripleBerg Yes, the southeastern Missouri Ozarks produces some of the very best white oak for whiskey barrels in the country. In fact, Glenmorangie used to advertise that the wood in their barrels came from the Ozark Mountains! Maybe that is still on their website. Log buyers from many different cooperages frequent that part of the Ozarks to select logs. But there is excellent white oak in many other parts of the state. There are just some bigger trees which grew somewhat slower in the S.E. Ozarks. The business I work for cuts musical instrument tone wood but none of it grows in Missouri. We bring in spruce and maple logs we select in the Northeast including parts of eastern Canada.
James Ruth Glenmorangie actually owns the forested land in Missouri, selects the trees to be harvested, and works with the cooperages to produce the very best barrels. Glenmorangie allows American distillers, like Jack Daniels or Heaven Hill, to lease the barrels, and once used, ship them to Glenmorangie in Scotland. In essence, the barrels are Glenmorangie’s all along and they just let the Americans use them for a while. Here’s a great article describing the process...whiskymag.com/story/forest-to-flask What’s interesting is that the original forests that the early pioneers encountered in Missouri were pine. After the original pine forests were completely logged out in the 1920’s, the Civilian Conservation Corps under FDR’s administration replanted the land with white oak in the 1930’s.
Its good to be alive right now in this time period with people like you Ralfy! I myself need a good Whiskey teacher and you and various other youtubers really help educate me on this amazing journey. Its a beautiful time with awesome people and amazing whiskeys.
You are in good hands with Ralfy. Unfortunately, there are a lot of whisky channels on RU-vid run by self-appointed "experts" who talk total and utter rubbish. Beware! Besides Ralfy, check out "The Spirit Safe" and "Aqvavitae". Enjoy the journey.
Some people use meditation apps and videos to settle down and retire for the evening. I watch Ralfy Extras videos. To each their own. Cheers Ralfy - Thank you for sharing your knowledge 🥃
Just last weekend at a whisky festival I had the pleasure of trying a very old bottle of Bell's (from the late fifties or early sixties). There simply is no comparison to what it is today. If those were the budget friendly, readily available blends from that area, people back then can't really complain about what they were sipping on :)
With the current boom and popularity of Whisky the prices have certainly increased. However there is a lot of fantastic stuff that is a good value for people willing to do their homework and not falling for marketing flannel. Do want to try and get a old 70s-80s Johnnie Walker Black or Glenfiddich 12 at some point to compare to a current bottle. Cheers
But ex-bourbon barrels are, by definition, available en masse, they can't be reused for bourbon. And craft distilleries using spent casks are few and far between and low volume. So plenty of bourbon casks are available, of varying quality, of course. Sorry if I misunderstood something.
"Travelogue of Malty-Ness"......Damn that was GOOD Ralfy.... Gonna have to borrow that one.... :) ...if I may add, I appreciate the information sharing SO VERY MUCH and have discovered some amazing comparisons on the palate... The flavor travels continue... :) SLAINTE!
Reminds me of the issues with Canadian whisky. Seems like a lot of producers don’t give a shit! I love Canadian whisky and I want my country to be proud, because we have some really amazing stuff but it’s sometimes few and far between. Don’t get me wrong, I think the light sweet profile of Canadian whisky is great, but producers like crown royal should make some reasonably priced integrity bottling for the connoisseurs. For instance take the regular crown royal (which has some good essential qualities but many problems..) age it for 12 years, bottle it at 45-46 percent, non chill filtered no caramel colour or very little and sell it for 50 dollars. It would fly off the shelves!
Tell it Ralpy. I remember that Glenmorange With the blue label from over a decade ago I think it was a Sherry cask, It was great. The last time I saw a bottle for sale it was nearly $200, when originally you could get it for about $40
Speaking of change, and speaking of Drambuie, I am saddened by the change of the Drambuie bottle shape, and of the Drambuie recipe, since the Grants purchased Drambuie from the MacKinnons.
white horse lags are dfntly worth the search to encounter that ever cascading finish you remember so well..it is different (and in this case better) than the current, still lovely 16. and if (#maltmention) mischievious malt magpies were about, they just might make off with your bottle..so beware malt mates! take care of tour stash.
Perhaps there is less of the best of the “good stuff” available these days (especially at a fair price)... but I think that there are far less of the really “bad stuff” today. It’s easier to get an acceptable whisky, if maybe it’s a bit harder to get something special.
Yes, 30 years ago there were some cheap, horrible blends out there and the choices were fewer and harder to find. There were also few producers in fewer countries.
That's the first time I remember hearing "shit" rather than "shite" out of ralfy's mouth. (Someone please prove me wrong. I'm too lazy to check at the moment.)
I have several bottles of old blends. Not long ago with my father we've done a tasting comparing today's Chivas 18yo with 70's/80's Chivas 12yo, this last ones put the Chivas 18yo in a complete and mayor ridioulous.... Even the 80's Grant's Family Reserve N.E.S 43abv is more punching, intense and flavorful than the today's Chivas 18.... obviously if you like european oak, which in my case I like even more..... Is a good resource in countries like Argentina where a decent bottle of whisky is simply impossible to buy...
There is one reason why people where drinking blends long ago. Even today blends outsells malts by far. These established old blends had people sourcing good casks of malt and they got the best casks from most distilleries. I had a OLD bottle of white horse blend and it was really good. In all fairness single malts today are really the best ever in putting out a consistant high quality. Take for example Caol Ila or Talisker. You can buy any bottle from the last 15 years and they all are almost exact the same. You my dear Ralfy has a HUGE influence over what is considered good or bad whisky. I know you dont like fx Bells, but still they sell over 2 million cases a year. Are people having bad taste? NO, they got a different taste and thats fine. Even i who drink mostly single malt loved the taste of a ice cold Lauders sitting in the shade a warm summer day. Life is to short for hate, lets not put down blends as inferior, just different.
You don't understand. Ralfy has said before that blends used to be much better. He did a comparison of old and modern JW Red Label. To your point, I've tasted some very decent cheap blends, but I bought Lauder's last year and it was among the nastiest whisky I ever tried, along with Old Smuggler, King Robert and maybe JW RED. Good ones for me were McIvor, Grand Macnish, Highland Mist, White Horse, Dewars, Ballantine's. We're talking basic 3yo 40% blends. And yes, bad single malt also exists. I've only tried one - Glenlivet Founder's Reserve (I liked every other Glenlivet). I'm glad I didn't buy it. Most single malts are decent (or excellent) if I do my homework. I don't buy on impulse.
Most of what you say I generally agree with, but aside from the formerly way cheaper 'belter (single) (sherry) cask' bottles, quality in comparison to bottlings from ~15 years ago dropped (ESPECIALLY for well established and widely available brands by corporate multi-nationals, take your pick) due to one reason I think you forgot to mention: Top Dressing. Why bother enhancing the quality of a whisky that states "10 years old" with some nice quality casks in the vatting that are alot older when it gets sold anyway by just meeting the minimum legal age requirements?!!
@@thewhiskybothy If you want a real tester you could extend it to... Hello Malty Metamorphic Marble Mylonite Mates? Anyway, my name is WIll. :Love your work!
@@thewhiskybothy So unfortunatley my fears are realised because the long term investment in good casks seems less important than shelf space on a quick return on a hazy friday night in tesco's
Im concerned about chinese oak demand. Theres a huge problem with illegal logging where they destroy siberian forests and the locals are frustrated. They also nearly crippled the rosewood markets by destroying the forests in Madagascar for instance. Also reminds me of other predatorial behavior where they fill cargo ships with frozen rare animals and shark fins from the Philippines. Not to mention rhino horn and ivory from Africa where they try to exterminate the animals to make their stock more valuable. Its really a plague on the world and a crime against future generations. The mainstream media and politicians dare not criticize them. The only hope is to spread awareness and stop voting for corrupt politicians
Not "maybe" Sir Ralfy, ALWAYS better, since time can not be reversed and human power is intangible, the Earth and woods were un-quantifyable (just saying) . . . we got so beaten down, we simply ACCEPT today's bottlings...
