ralfy review 877 Extra Extras - Defence of GlenDronach 

I don't think there's anyone who doesn't understand the "why". It's just disappointing that there's one less whisky for "us".

Its really simple for me. Since Glendronach cares more about other consumers, than I don’t care about them anymore. They made their choice. I made mine.

Thank you Ralfy for taking this up and following thru! Glendronach (and any/all other self-respecting distillery owners) should also know, that there is a silent majority who doesn't make noise, but just walk away if they lower their standards beyond a certain threshold, mind them, that threshold has a very thin red line which can be crossed easily and without warning! =) Stay safe!

Thank you for being a customer advocate. Many of us have limited funds and this information is very helpful in our putting those funds to best effect.

I think we’ll see Glendronach in fancy bottles soon. That’s when we’ll know it’s over for them.

Glendronach. Now limping as they shot their own foot. But hey, we've never had more choice as we do now. I'm following Billys product and delve into Glenallachie.

Another legendary malt bites the dust. Sad, but a sign of the times.

The owners of Glendronach should have a word with themselves.

The good thing is now we would be able to make a direct comparison between none chill-filtered and chill-filtered.

Integrity. That's the point. Whisky, and Scotch whisky in particular, is dynamic; but let the product speak for itself and put its heritage and quality on the label. We, the ones who care to learn, know what to look for, as I think, Ralfy has shown us all- and a BIG thanks to him and the handful of others like him for that!! As for me, GlenAllachie, Springbank, and other smaller distilleries that are interested in controlling their own destinies and remaining independent are where I will spend my coin and nosing-tasting time!!!

That was a beautiful eulogy, Ralfy. Very kind of you.

Wonderful dialogue!! You didn't had to do it,, but you did which makes you one of a kind Ralfy. That's why you have our respect and our loyalty towards you as your subscribers. 🎊❤️

I won’t be buying Glendronach in the near future. There are too many alternatives out there to spend my money on. Give us what we want and we will keep them in business. Take that away and reap the consequences.

Thank you Glendronach for helping Glenallachie reach their prime

I may buy Glendronach if I come across bottles that state non-chillfiltered, but otherwise I will be moving on. The new bottles with that language removed are already showing up and the price is the same. It is too bad.

Ralfy - The William Wallace of Whisky - Another amazing video 👌

Excellent presentation of a difficult topic Ralfy, well done. I will choose to support those distilleries who provide excellent presentations of their products. I am a big fan of free will, the distilleries can do as they please, as can I. Take care.

Thank you for the follow-up, Ralfy! I suggest that they treat GlenDronach with Clive's water purifier after chill-filtering. It might improve it even further...

I bought the last 3 bottles of Glendronach 12 on the shelf of my local retailer. Hopefully that will hold me over until Brown-Forman realizes their mistake.

Glendronach made their choice which is their perogative and as a scotch whisky consumer I am making mine. Glenallachie interests me now. Other distillers interest me now. I have bought a lot of Glendronach bottles over the years but will no longer.

A very balanced, constructive and informative video there from the Bothie Whisky Consultancy (BWC) located in the middle of the Irish Sea. Keep up the good work Ralfy. 👍👍👍

Thank you Ralfy. I have only just come across your channel and what an eye opening experience it's been. I have always been a Glendronach anorak, stumbled across them circa 1980 and fortunately fell in love with their 18 year old, it's the one I replenish as and when needed. I even took to buying it as a thank you to doctors/surgeons to whom I owed much. It led me to buy an occasional alternative, so fortunately have a couple of non chill-filtered bottles unopened in the cupboard as well as a couple of opened ones. I don't buy to collect, but to drink, but having watched your videos I'll be holding back on the opening of those two bottles for a little later than perhaps planned. Slainte.

Wise words Ralfy. We can’t expect the whisky world to stand still. Some distilleries will make changes they consider to be commercially sound, even if it annoys the connoisseurs. But there are plenty of distilleries coming up with new, interesting drams to keep us on our toes.

Thank you Ralfy for being the voice, its obvious they're aware

Time to pick up some GlenAllachie or Bunnahabhain I guess. Thanks for all your time on this Ralfy. I think that they’ll change their tune if enough folks speak with their wallets. It’ll take many of us to spread the message of what to really look out for out there. Coloring and chill filtration just negates the craft, and it does not add any positives for the consumer, no matter how they want to look at it.

I wrote a comment asking about getting hold of the older bottlings. The week after a friend of mine came carrying a gift - such a bottle. Friends such as these don't grow on trees.

They have been using the legacy of Billy Walker and his staff and their quality standards to get onto the hype train, and now they've been thrown off because they didn't stick to those standards and thought they'd get away with it. I've never been happier to have stocked up on earlier 15yo and 18yo and Cask Strength bottlings when they still met the old standards and were affordable. The last Glendronach I bought was the 25yo 1993 bottling, but I've already sold it again a year ago due to another investment. Right now the better sherried alternatives are coming from Edradour and sometimes Aberlour, so there's no shortage of great classic sherried malts that are both integrity bottlings and relatively affordable.

As for your suggestion, if they decide to take it, they will start it with the best intentions & move it into a marketing exercise that allows them to charge high prices for sub quality whisky.

I already stopped buying GlenDronach because they no longer have features that I was after. I’m a Springbank fan at this point, more expensive here in US than most single malts but worth every penny.

That sounds like a bloody good plan.

People please! It was a good run while lasted but this is the future of whisky. There is plenty of choice for those of us who prefer an honest presentation. GlenDronach will do what they must and good luck to them. I thank them for the joy they have brought me and will still buy their whiskies when I am so inclined. Ultimately it is on me and I say.......on with the chase!! With all due respect, some of the commenters sound like GlenDronach is all they have in their collection.

Thank you Ralfy for making clear the developments with regards to Glendronach. I hear their reply loud and clear. Coincidentally, I just very recently bought some 2019 bottling of the Allardice and 2020 bottling of the Parliament. I have also put in an order for their 2021 bottling of the Parliament provided the price is right. As you have rightly put it previously, Malt Mates have developed and enhanced our smell and taste experiences. Malt Mates like me also look for that equilibrium between experience and price. I know Rachel has added PX cask to the new Revival and I love PX cask. However, I feel that the new prices of the new Revival could be a bit too rich for me. So, I am actively searching for a more economical substitute. Keep up the good work Mischievous Malt Mate Mitchel, and thank you once again.

Well I for one, welcome our new chill filtering overlords! XD In all seriousness though Ralfy, all I really want is transparency. If the distilleries want to chill filter or add color, go right ahead. I just want it labeled. If the SWA could just make it mandatory for distilleries to label chill filtration and added color on the box or bottle, I'd be fine with that. I will still spend my money on non chill filtered and no added color products if I can but given how lucrative it is for these companies to do it, how can I judge them for it. As with all things in life, compromise is what's needed. We know these distilleries are going to continue doing what they're doing, so if they could just be transparent about it, I think that's a fair compromise.

I`ve still got a few wonderful pre-2020 bottles of Allardyce and Parliament waiting to be sampled, but it's another Glen... single malt from Huntly that's getting my attention now.

I'm in the Far East and I'm not buying any of that chill-filtered piss.

If you do visit the distillery, be careful they don’t slip you a glass of arsenic.

Spot on Ralfy as always. A true whisky anorak and always sharing words of wisdom. Macallan is no longer my choice of whisky but in all fairness macallan is what got me to explore the world of whisky 🥃

We still have the 43% Unchill-filtered here in Ontario Canada..at a reasonable(?) price of $80 Cdn. on the shelves here and I'm a little torn between buying a couple of bottles to put away..or perhaps turning my back as I feel they are doing to me, crossing them off my list now.. and instead spending on the trusted ones. A message to Ralfy: I've moved my bottle of 11 year old North Star Glenrothes, bottle number 248 of 618 from my lower bunker to the bunker near the shelf/cabinet. The time has almost come. Soon..perhaps the Solstice! Enjoy the upcoming Summer my friend.

Pretty sure that Brown Forman does not chill-filter their Old Forester Bourbons, and those have quite the volume as well.

Hahah. My name is Boothby. Ever-searching for a whiskey Bothy. I like your hat as sometimes a slouch can get a little heavy under the leaden Texas sun.

I'm going to make two similarly moderate suggestions to Glendronach (or B-F): (1) put out different variations of products for different markets; or (2) put out an entry-level product. 1. I would suggest that Glendronach create different products for different markets or modify existing products to suit the markets Glendronach are targeting. No two markets are the same-that should go without saying. If Glendronach are trying to target a wider audience (perhaps in the east), they should create new or modify existing versions of their whiskies for the different markets. Automakers often utilize this strategy. Essentially, they take the same vehicle, change the name and some of the options-most notably the engine and transmission-to satisfy the different markets. Similarly, Glendronach could put out NCF versions of its products (or create new products entirely) to the markets that are more 'accepting'. 2. Alternatively, Glendronach could put out an entry-level product to reach wider audiences. If Glendronach are trying to reach a wider audience, I would recommend they put out a new product (perhaps NAS; 40%) for the wider market, rather than angering preexisting customers by 'dumbing down' the existing lineup. Many distilleries have entry-level products that target the wider audience (e.g. Macallan - Gold, Laphroaig - Select, Deanston - Virgin Oak, Jim Beam - White, Old Forester - 86 Proof, Tomatin - Legacy, Glenfarclas - 10 year old, Wild Turkey - 86, Forty Creek - Barrel Select, Midleton - Green Spot, etc...).

They may not have made an official change or anything yet, but give them time. This was valuable feedback for them. I am sure they will learn from this and the product will be the better for because of feedback like this.

I liked Glendronach. I liked buying a product rich in heritage and allegiance to the terroir of the spirit. Family owned and stored casks using locally distillery malted barley, bottling, and local water in processing and bottling. Chill filtering ruins this - along with big corporate ownership. Does ANY distiller of Scotch still do all this at home?

I'm not a fan of chill filtering or coloring but I never had an old bottling of Glendronach. I still find it enjoyable enough. I'm hoping to find an old bottle to compare. Great and eloquent Ralfy! Cheers!

Great videos ralfy on the situation. I have enjoyed many great GD ‘s from 12 to 18 but will not buy any chill filtered ones. Moved on to Glenallachie , Springbank etc until GD goes back to quality products.

Sadly, when I bought my last bottle of GlenDronach I did not know it would be my last bottle of GlenDronach.

It’s sad, they must think no one will notice? I simply will not buy anything chill filtered.

Well said. The gateway malts are a great way to become a maltmate. Highland Park 12 was it for me, purchased for £25 in a supermarket in 2006. I’m not a fan of Highland Park these days but no doubt it was a gateway to better presented malts.

Look at you Ralfy, giving good strategy advice for free! Any self-respecting consultant would have charged lots of money for this plan (albeit in a big binder with nice graphs and organograms). Just goes to show 😉

Ralfy, correction needed. If you are talking about the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, the total GDP of the participating countries is between 10 and 13 trillion dollars, and it definitely does not amount entirely to the total exchange/trades between countries, as domestic markets that are not exported are also accounted in the total of GDP. US pulled out, and China is not given the opportunity to join, hence, including China in your list is also not accurate. Probably, China's first ever free trade agreement made was with ASEAN, and that amount to approximately 1 trillion of total GDP of partcipating countries. Do these trade deals impact the whisky industry in Scotland? Depends. Scotch whiskies are recently competing with Asia whiskies for global market share, but the whisky industry is always making most of its profit in the luxury market. They might want to attract new customers at lower price point, but their targets are those living in opulence. Hence, regardless of the trade deal, all that matter to the whisky industry is bespoke services, desirability, exclusivity, and enticement. Hence, the free trade agreement or not does not really matter much except for the upsell market to get entry customers, which you are right about, but not their main customers - the rich with big pockets.

GlenDronach HQ - "Lads...the inmates are now running the asylum."

FYI: Australia & New Zealand have both pulled out of the Asian Pacific agreement, due to strained relation with China. There are several other countries planning the same action. Scott Morrison the Australian Prime Minister tore one of the agreement up in a live interview,. There will be agreements drawn up with the rest of Asia Pacific countries, with the exclusion of China.

My great grandad fell outta the upper window of the Glendronach manor back in the late 60’s guttered out his arse, AND DIED! True story 🤫

Well done Ralfy for not letting this drop! Here's the deal from my point of view, I'm a GD fan, I've two of everything that distillery does, I even bought two Distillery exclusives when I visited 2 years ago, a huge deal for myself at £530...... No more, until it states non chillfiltered on the bottle again.

I dont mind if they chill filter or not from Batch to Batch, , but just say so on the bottle so we can make an informed decision.

If a distillery is making and has always made chill-filtered whisky its one thing. If they make good chill-filtered whisky good for them. BUT to "regress" is not acceptable.

Of course they feel like they're losing control of the message... because they are. While I can understand why Brown Foreman could want to make this change, I still think it's a bad idea, and, while I may buy a couple more bottles of the remaining NCF stock in the future, they've just moved from being a distillery that I talk up as being how whisky should be presented, to one that I'll use as an example of how to do things badly.

Mr. Ralfy, you are a noble man. This positive approach is unique and fair (people with a more dynamic temperament might have reacted differently though).

I just picked up my first bottle today. It is not chill filtered, it is natural color. It says so on the tube, not the bottle unfortunately

Talisker have rebranded! I'm not sure how I feel about. It is largely tasteful but at the same time I love their old label!

An amazing presentation for the defense! Brilliant & persuasive argument for the bottle in the dock by Ralfy QC. Who needs Rumpole of the Bailey when whisky has the most incorruptible spirits champion Queens Counsel. Carry on Ralfy!

Thanks for bringing a positive spin. I bought up a few bottles of Non-Chill Filtered GlenDronach the last time I went to the store. The only good thing about the tariff is that we still have old supply here in the US. Looking forward to more Glenallachie here in the US in the future. Cheers!

So I called all the stores around me. It turns all the bottles of Glendronach disappeared. Apparently people have the idea to stock up on non chilled filtered GlenDronach! Also, I've been told that the bottles of GlenDronach never said "non chill-filtered", it was only on the boxes. Is this true, or are the stores trying to cheat?

I think the elephant in the room here is the fact that Billy Walker is a corporate raider. He's like "Larry the Liguidator" in the movie "Other People's Money". He takes the best of the distillery that he's purchased and then when he's milked it for all it's worth, he sells it off for megabux based on the business goodwill he's generated. It's cynical, perhaps, but this is the reality of 21st century marketing. I honestly feel sorry for Glendronach now because they have inherited a legacy of unreasonable expectations because a pirate has raided their best stock. For me it's not an issue because I can't even buy Glendronach here any more. Lucky for me, I got a bottle of Allardice 18 from 2017, so I'm gong to savour that one as long as it continues to exist...

This is a very fair video of you Ralfy, thank you!

Yeah there's no defense really. Moving along to Edradour, GlenAllachie, Adelphi bottlings, Signatory bottlings....until they get back to normal. Cheers Ralfy!

I think we're going about this chill filtering and colouring wrong. We should not be asking to state what's not done to the whisky. We should demand to know what was done to the whisky instead. Johnnie Walker should be forced to say on the bottle 'This product is coloured and chill filtered'

Well spoken. The push and pull that happens as a brand grows is never easy. There is always an inflection point where the difficult decisions have to be made.

Excellent take on this topic Ralfy. It does put things in perspective, but still I maintain it would have been the wiser decision to create a new, young, 40 or 43% abv, NAS, coloured and chill filtered expression for the new markets they’re trying to tap in. Even taking into consideration Glendronach is a relatively small distillery, making it the harder road to walk creating something new rather than converting the existing range for the worse. Especially considering you could keep the UCF, natural color, 46% abv as those ambassadors. It still is a big risk just telling your existing customer base to suck it up and deal with it.

Please consider this, Glendronnach has not made a permanent, all-encompassing, irreversible decision. The marketing team at this company has set themselves up for growth. At any time, the can, as many large corporate owned distilleries do, release expressions that are non-chill filtered. Consider the Glenlivet Nadurra collection. Currently, they produce three Nadurra expressions, for those of us who will buy them. Their core range, which is very popular, remains chill filtered. It’s working for Pernod-Ricard. It may also work for Glendronnach. I certainly hope so.

Just opened a new bottle of GlenAllachie 12 and poured a dram while watching :)

I'm glad I had my Parliament when I did. There's too many "intergrity bottling" to try.

A chill filtered bunnahabhain would sincerely break my heart

I read the whisky is the same... at least the 12yr. It seems there was already some level of filtration before so by stating in the bottle it's NCF they weren't compliant. Just bought a bottle from 2021, let's see if anything changed (I still have a bottle from 2018).

Why are they not doing an unchillfiltered version for Europe and a chillfiltered one for the people who want it? Some whisky is bottled at different abv depending on the countries they’re sold in, why not the same with filtration???

The Glendronach 12 sterilized version is now $63 here in the U.S. That is an easy pass, no sale, walk on by. The best lesson we can give to corporate whisky is to let them multiply their higher profit margin by ZERO sales and find themselves with ZERO profit!

I wish to grow up and be like you. Very diplomatic, spun based on truth and worth a conclusion benefiting all. Ty.

Excellent video. I won’t be purchasing any chill-filtered Glendronach, but I wish them well and I understand their decision to focus on consumers that aren’t as passionate about whiskey as myself. There are more expressions coming to market that are made with enthusiasts like us in mind than I could ever afford to purchase anyway.

Glendronach was may favorite, now its Glenallachie. The consistent is Billy Walker. I have a good few bottles of Glenallachie (20 various now...18, 15, 10 and single casks) to hedge if this happens again. I have my favorite whisky for life now. Never to sell or invest...mine, for me and my friends. I'll follow Billy Walker and his work going forward. He leaves GA and i will probably will also.

Very well said Ralfy! Thank you for your efforts and for sharing this information.

Brown forman's version of 'Special releases' in diageo's context?! That's a good idea 👍

Can I like this video twice? It deserves more.

We should try to see it positive. In the future the Glendronach (standard range) will be perfect to mix cocktails or to drink them on ice. But if you want to get the old single casks in a really good quality, you have to pay an incredible amount of money. - Some years ago I bought some Allardice and Revival bottles (from the Walker era). So I'm very happy that there will be no need for me to buy any new bottle of Glendronach. Bye bye ....

This is a wise and balanced discussion Ralfy. In the end, they are a business which must operate at scale. Your suggestion of a small, artisanal group within the large corporation is a good one. Unfortunately, that will likely come with a lovely decanter, a nice wooden box and an eye-watering price tag. It’s a market in the end, and the pursuit of value will require continuous communication and exploration. A function you have filled admirably. More room for the new entrepreneurs to step up...

I am a bit of an outsider to this, not being a big whiskey drinker, but why don't they just have more than one production run? One mass market chill filtered, one original? It would save the backlash and give people what they want?

I can only speak for myself here,,,, After several years of enjoying many scotch whisky bottlings, I have come to a place where I am not buying any more scotch that is not presented properly, meaning, no more 40 % and no more chill filtered. I am simply focused on flavor, not label.

I don't understand why these companies want to chill filter. Is it because they want to prevent the mist?

Thats´S the way it is. Some months ago you told us to stock up the Glendronach Allardice. I havent done it. Thank you for the new hint :)

Great video ralfy . I made enquiry with retailer and bought non chill version of glendronach 21 released in 2020 to keep as memory but not gonna buy any glendronach newer chill filter version . Hey lets move on people . There are lots of great malts in market . Glenallachie for the win 🙌🏻 . Bought 3 bottles of single cask glenallachie exclusively matured in px / oloroso and damn they are so good . Goodbye glendronach .

Ralfy, good on you to provide a logical counterpoint to the argument. With all this talk of relatively high cost single malts, I was thinking a good counterpoint to this would be a review of an everyman whisky. My recommendation, Black Bottle double cask, bottled at 46.3%. If they keep this whisky as-is or atleast continue to a decent quality for a good while, then its a real quality available blend and punching above many entry level malts. This is my warm up drink of choice now. Would love to see a review. On the GlenDronach note, whilst the economic and politico-social aspects of big brands adjusting their products for marketability is a solid argument for the parent company, in whisky terms, my opinion is that the quality is reduced, character is lost and the outcome is homogenised for the whisky enthusiast. And that can only be a bad thing for the consumer in the long run. Simplistic? Yes, probably. But i work hard for my money and this is a luxury, and luxury means or should mean, the highest quality. And if i spend a lot i expect a lot. Thats it. Dont give me something less for the same or higher price, built on the back of previous quality and then expect marketing to do the rest. Ok, im done. Thanks Ralfy.

Very well said. This is one of my favorites. Unfortunately this is disheartening. I will not be buying any Glendronach that is chill filtered. It's your loss Brown Forman, not mine.

If anything changes with Bruichladdich I will be there to protest.

A big thanks to Glendronach for messing up the mouthfeel on what used to be one of my favorite whiskys......

Very good statements and an excellent summary, Ralfy! Sorry to say that GD‘s last letter to you is in my eyes somewhat like a confession of failure…😒 But at the end of the day a clear statement! I wish them all the best for the future… And I myself will enjoy my stock of „old“ GD‘s (15, 18, 21) and that‘s it. I definitely won‘t buy chill filtered and E150a bottles from GD! Fortunately, there are lots of alternatives on the market! Cheers Ralf

I was able to find a case of the old 12 so I bought the whole case. I won't buy glendronach anymore since they want to ruin the quality of the whisky. Glenallachie is a great replacement for me. Whisky drinkers palates have become more sophisticated and they're more knowledgeable. I'll spend my money on quality whisky

Great work trying to explain what could be the reasoning behind Glendronach's decision. As they say, another one bites the dust, so we'll stock up on the unchillfiltered versions and hope for better days! Great extras, as always!

Hello Ralfy, I appreciate the exercise in the conjectured defence of the GlenDronach decision. It is a conjecture, however, and so we will see how it plays out. Opining a bit on my own. It is not clear to me, who exactly made the decision to start chill-filtering. Was it a distillery decision or one made at the level of management from the new owners? I simply do not know. Regardless of who made the decision though, I can only say, that chill-filtration is a purely marketing decision that adds a cost to production, adds nothing to the intrinsic character and quality of the malt, and indeed can hinder it. There is nothing else to it than that. And I think, here is the rub. My opinion, and maybe a few others, is that anytime marketing decisions get involved with the production process of anything, that is a sign that the owners have lost the plot. But, if we play this mental exercise out, we can draw a few conclusions. They will initially, lose money on this decision from 2 sides. They will lose money from those informed customers no longer spending their hard earned money on this product. They will lose money due to the added cost of production. There can be no doubt about this. I find it hard to believe that sales will go up because they are now chill-filtering. Imagine walking into a bottle shop and over-hearing someone tell the shop keeper, "Oh, thank god they have started chill-filtering, it has held me back from purchasing this malt all these years. Now it has the quality, flavor, clarity, and stability I demand in all my malts." If this marketing ploy, as you have opined, is an attempt to appeal to a larger audience of consumers in new emerging markets in the world, then I think that this decision is an ill-informed gamble. The world is globalized. Access to information and perspective on social media such as this and other channels/sites provides an alternative narrative to that feed to us by marketing departments. What this tells me (my opinion again) is that marketing departments think people are stupid. They think they can turn their backs on the consumer who helped build the product's reputation, and essentially prostitute the past profits and praise given by consumers to peddle a lesser product to people they think do not know any better. And this is hard to forgive. But, I agree, that the company should stick to this decision. They will learn, maybe after a few quarters, that they have taken the wrong marketing strategy.

NAS Glendronach coming to a supermarket near you. They will have their share of the mass market and good luck to them. As Ralfy wisely said, time to stock up and then focus our respect on other distilleries that reciprocate that respect. There are still plenty out there.

Hi Ralfy, Thanks for sharing with your malt mates. If GlenDronach does not change their decision I will stick to my decision. No more purchases from GlenDronach. Simple as that. I hope that maybe they keep Glenglassaugh as a niche whisky with more alcohol strength, no chill-filtration and no colouring. Cheers from your malt mate in Bonn

Great video! And makes very fare points. In my point of view as you grow a business you have to understand were the income comes from.. "Follow the money". And in the case of Glendronack came from intermediate/high level consumers. By jumping in the asian market it would be wise to target the same niche of customers. And by downgrading the quality of this product the company is also downplaying the customers and that is the issue. Still we have to remember the Lagavulins, Laphroaegs and others that are chill filtered and still amazing - but as I recall they always were and that doesnt feed any ill feelings on me. Cheers and many thanks for your work!