Ralfy, you are without a doubt the " Chairman of the Board " of Scotch Whisky. Keep on teaching and I'll keep on learning.

Hey Ralfy, I wouldn't bother mentioning this, except you talked about it a few videos back. I've noticed on this video and the main review for this episode that the advertisements are interrupting in the middle of your video several times. A few episodes back, you said that you made it a point not to let KZfaq place ads in the middle of your videos because it was "jarring." I quite agree. It really takes me out of the moment and I find myself having trouble following what you're saying. Just so's you know, in case KZfaq is pulling a sneaky on you. Cheers!

Ralfy, everything i know about single malt is thanks to you, Ive learnd soooo Much from your vlogs, my all time favorite single malt is Ardbeg Uigeadail Greetings from Sweden 😃👍

These malt marks are very useful for me. I live in USA so Scotch whisky is very pricey and can be hard to find. Since I have followed you for many years I use these marks as a guide to determine if I should buy a bottle, buy a dram, or go in with a friend for a special event or holiday. Thanks Ralfy

I can imagine the conversations that arise when you have people sending you free bottles and expecting glowing reviews: Review: "This tastes like shite" Distiller: "That's is! You gave a bad review. I'll never send you another free bottle." Review: "That's alright. Why would I want you to send more shite?"

Summersolstice, halfway to the third OSWAs. Looking forward and I‘ll be there

Good Ralph. Thanks for helping me know to drink better stuff, (Laphroaig, Glenfarclas, Annoch, port Charlotte and its mother Bruchladdich, Bunnahabain, Edradour, Abalour ect.) You have helped people tremendously compared to the other hacks on youtube. And, i will remember you always and love you. S

Regarding malt marks, I tend to split the marks into two. Integrity marks for 1. Bottled at higher strength abv 2. Non Chill Filtered 3. Natural Colour 3. Age Statement or better still, a Vintage statement (Distilled and bottling date) 4. Stated cask Type. Then, comes the Enjoyment mark. Almost all those I enjoy the most have already received high Integrity marks. It does happen however, that a whisky can tick all or almost all the boxes but I simply don't seem to get on with the whisky. Examples being Glencadam 21 which tastes like it's 8 years old, and Loch Lomond 21 which tastes like dry curry powder. Then there are those single malts which are chill filtered and coloured yet are nevertheless full flavoured and fantastically enjoyable. Examples being Caol Ila 12 and Caol 18.

I definitely agree that many producers, especially those owned by huge corporations, going down in quality. I think though we also have to be careful not let nostalgia fool us into thinking things from the past are better than they were. We attatch memories and good times to things from the past and we can have distorted memories about how great something was.

A good day to you Ralfy! I have to say I enjoy listening to you speak about the years of past, including memories of your dad. I was born in the early 80s so I do not know what the 'good old days' of whisky was like. At that time I was more concerned with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles than single malt scotch😊 I fancy history so it is fun to hear what it was like back then, as it does seem so different than now (even though it was not that long ago like you mentioned). My whisky journey started back in late 2017. I enjoyed whisky before than but it was a different enjoyment. Over the past few years with your help I have come to cherish malt moments, and I wanted to say I thought of you yesterday when I treated my dad to a late father's day gift of Glen Scotia. It was a special bottle to me, the 25 year old, and we had a blast nosing, tasting, dissecting and sharing stories over the course of 90 minutes together. Only had one dram each but that was all we needed to make that moment special. Like you say, it is about quality not quantity. Now when I drink Glen Scotia in the future I will have a great memory of my dad and I sharing something we enjoy together. Thank you for your knowledge and maybe we can have it all🙂

Dear Ralfy, I am musically akin to your father. Wonderful extras! Thanks 🙏 kindest regards, S.

Ralfy, a great rant at the beginning of this video about Single Malt whiskies having been matured in poor quality casks, In my opinion, examples being Glen Grant 10, with a smell of nail polish remover. (I'm talking about the New branding. The old Glen Grant 10 in the white box was superb!) Tomintoul 10. 10 years in refill Ex-Bourbon casks and it still tastes like iodine like new-make spirit. Old Pulteney Flotilla. Another 10 year old "matured" in Ex-Bourbon casks which in my opinion, were almost entirely inactive. The best example I can think of is the infamous Tomintoul 14. This was Tomintoul's only integrity bottling. Indeed, Ralfy reviewed it positively I seem to remember. It used to proudly state bottled at 46% abv, Non Chill Filtered and Natural Colour on the label. It had a pale yellow straw colour and tasted magnificent. Later bottlings saw the colour turn paler and paler until it had a slight green almost colourless tint. As reflected by its colour, the Tomintoul showed signs of lack of maturation from poor casks. Then around 2019/2020, the colour of the 14 suddenly turned a light orange-y brown and the words "Natural Colour" disappeared from the label and replaced with the words "High Strength". The Tomintoul 14, once a wonderful whisky and an example of what Tomintoul could be, became an under matured, artificially coloured disappointment (in my opinion).

Ralfy. Hi! Did you mean the old Parlophone 78 RPM records? Pre and post WWII 78 RPM records were not made from vinyl but shellac resin. They were quite brittle. 33 1/3 and 45 RPM made from vinyl, came out in the late 1940s / early 1950s. Today, you not only need a turntable able to run at 78 RPM but a special 78 rpm stylus as using one meant for vinyl records will destroy it, due to the grooves on 33 1/3 and 45s being much thinner.

In my (much shorter) whiskey journey, I’ve felt that the majority of online reviews are inflated (eg a mediocre whiskey still gets a 85 score!?). I’ve used the full 0-100 scale in my rating system to better differentiate. 90+ = amazing, will buy several bottles! 80-89 = excellent, worth buying a bottle 70-79 = good, would enjoy a dram again 60-69 = decent, take it or leave it 50-59 = not bad but not for me 30-49 = below average, wouldn’t have again 10-29 = did not like it, couldn’t even finish it 0-9 = undrinkable swill The vast majority are above 50 but less than 10% of the nearly 300 whiskies I’ve had have gotten a score in the 90s. I’m not an expert/influencer and this might not be “right” but it’s worked for me and helped decide where to spend my limited/hard-earned whisky budget!

Historical context is so often lacking in this immediacy-driven age. Thank you for providing a tale explaining rating changes over time vis a vis both the evolution of personal palate and also the desire to promote qualities in/houses of whisky production that truly offer craftsmanship & value for the consumer. Cheers, Andrew Donnelly Tulsa, Oklahoma

Ralfy, even if the 10yo Talisker you reviewed back in 2009 would've been bottled that year (which it wasn't 😉) doesn't mean that all the spirit within would've been distilled in '99 (more likely '98 btw). The majority would've probably been 10+ years old, but there were probably not just a few casks of older stuff in that bottle. Top-Dressing was still common back then.

The information Ralphy is giving us, people would pay hundreds of dollars for. All he asks is "could you buy me a dram?" Help him out, 5 or 10. Not a big deal.

I got sucked into the world of fine spirits with this channel and therefore discovered the standard Whisky scoring scale (50-90+) with your videos. It took me a while to figure it out and I wish it had been more obvious from the start. I've have had many conflicting feelings about it, ultimately I decided not to follow it and keep my internal ratings using 50 as the most average liquor of that particular type I can concieve. Gives a bit more room for comparison, most drams are in the 40-65 range but anything above 80 is quite exceptional. I've never have had one that I felt deserved a 90 but one came just short (a wonderful 20 y.o.1990 Bowmore from Prestonfield Signatory Vintage, yum).

My own marking system is simple: do I like it? Do I like it enough to buy it again?

I first tasted Talisker 10 in the mid 80's. I was mostly a Macallan drinker at the time but someone gave me a sample pack of mini bottles that had all different styles of single malts. Some didn't impress, some were OK but the Talisker really impressed me, especially for being only 10 years old. IIRC, Oban 14 was the other standout to me. Anyway, I've enjoyed a lot of bottles of them over the years but neither is on my shelf today.

It's good to see a true honest opinion of a spirit and the changes that come out of each bottle. I always appreciate when you explain the faults of a bad whiskey and the praises of an improved whiskey like this Talisker 10 has. I do think this new scoring does improve how a whiskey is rated. Not everything can be above 90. There has to be a fair average. If they do go 90 or higher, then that would be an exceptional whiskey that hopefully we would be able to obtain at a reasonable price. Thanks always for your honest content. Cheers

Hello Ralfy, thanks for another insightful video. What do you think about Distell? I think they're doing pretty good job with Tobermory, Bunnahabhain and especially Deanston.

Hello Ralfy, i just did the same exercise of watering my dram of Talisker 10 and let it rest from yesterday, and today i noticed it get cloudy too. Maybe some one inside the distillery realized that they where on the wrong path and now are trying to go back to quality... hope so.

Cheers Ralfy , 20 minutes of meandering gold ❤

Keeping Malt enthusiasts happy with Malt Marks....the term is "Malty Placation".

So valuable to see Talisker change over time - and know the reasons why. More power to the integrity keepers such as Raasay. Very sad indeed to be living in times where such a beautiful spirit is treated so poorly by some companies who should be championing it. My whisky journey began about 12 years ago - if I were just starting now it would go very differently I feel (and not for the better) with the malt landscape so changed.

Wonderful rant Ralfy! I watched it with a dram of Laphroaig Lore and enjoyed both thoroughly.

Come to think of it, the Benromach Cara Gold is really damn nicely malty, probably because it bottled at 46%, and fiom first fill bourbon casks. I like that one. Claims to be "Heritage Barley", and maybe so, but at least it is a good dram.

Hi Ralfy! What would be your advice for hosting a whisky tasting to friends?

Ralfy, I will warn you about something called “confirmation bias” in which people subconsciously skew an opinion toward a preexisting expectation. While we may not be fans of what big corporate whiskies do, it is important to consciously put that aside when asking ourselves if we enjoyed them.

Again spot on Ralfy! So entertaining

What's the point of having a 100-0 scale if you never rate whisky less than 50 and more than 90?

I'm obviously going over the edge, 😂 I had a decent blend out of the Talisker 10 + water after with a little Ruieghe ( to use it up) & NSS 'The fool' to add a hit & grain / proof, yep why would I.

So has the scoring system “changed” then? I’m a little confused. And if so how to we rectify your historical scores???

glad to see it's improving. Talisker 10 is the whisky that got me into whisky in 2008.

Just wondering, what would it take to get bet 95 and 100 rating

Ralfy before and a few drink you dont change your tone and tenor! Truth reveals all bad things under the cap /cork😊

You started to say something about Highland Park and then talked about your Dad's records. ? I like Highland Park and would love to try an 1980 version.

Hello Ralfy, I have been following the channel with interest for several years, and thanks to you, the journey in the world of spirits (and specifically scotch) is more exciting and qualitative! p.s. can you have subtitles, thanks!

My completely subjective rating system: 1 --> Fascinating abominations 2 - 15 --> I hate it / Terrible 16 - 34--> I dont like it at all / Very Bad 35 - 49 --> I don't like it / Bad 50 - 59 --> I can tolerate it / Fine 60 - 69 --> I think its OK / Enjoyable 70 - 74 --> I almost like it / Interesting 75 - 79 --> I like it, but not too much / Good 80 - 84 --> I like it / Very Good 85 - 89 --> I like it a lot / Great 90 - 94 --> I love it / Excellent +95 --> I adore/ admire it / Amazing! [59 or less = I regret paying for it / 69 or less = It was hard to finish the bottle / 74 or less = probably wont buy again / 80 or more = serious business / 90 or more = personal favorites]

hey ralfy totally in agree, all people(even whisky drinkers) have different taste, perceptions and favorite flavors, so, run a multinational whisky brand is a nightmare since you cant please all those different palates of different people, also there is the factor of 1 mistake and the brand goes to the underground and recover peoples trust is a very difficult thing

I identify with your story about your Dad, Ralfy - I used to buy my Dad his favourite Glenfiddich 12 year old for birthdays / Christmas in the 80's. But I'm a bit confused about your comment about modern whiskies producing a higher alcohol yield which creates less of a flavour yield. I thought your maxim has always been a higher ABV means more flavour?

17:47: One critical thing to remember about American Single Malt and chill filtration/caramel color: while America's TTB bureau is close to setting legal regulations around the production of ASMs, however there will be no laws prohibiting chill filtration or the use of artificial color at all. Moreover, while these laws will require the aging in oak casks, they do not require a minimum aging duration like scotch whisky does (3 years), and ASMs can legally be produced using column stills whereas scotch whisky must be made only in pot stills. The excuse for lax regulations is said to allow for "experimentation", but in reality it's so the future cheapening of the product in favor of profits can commence at some point. Let's not act like requiring a minimum aging of, say, 2 years is unreasonable or subverts innovation. That's garbage and comes straight from distillery propaganda. So America isn't exactly shooting higher than scotch whisky, it's clear we're aiming lower. So the foundation for the future cheapening ASMs has deliberately been laid.

I'm going on a 12-day holliday to scotland starting next wednesday. Which distillery would you recommend for a visit in the speyside region?

the 45rpms is singles, the old ones where 78s?

I wonder if Scotch is going to compete, in a future mass-market world it will be the average blend range not the age of the cask . Am I wrong?

Already told you months earlier, in my opinion the new talisker 10 is quite good.

Is there a whisky out there that would get a mark of 30 out of 100? I love your content but I feel like a 75 scoring whisky is quite bad on your scale when maybe it should be scored quite a bit lower than 75.

I guess you might be talking about 78 speed, right? 45 was for singles.....

I always see your new videos when I go to you tube. I stopped getting them about 3 weeks ago? Shadow Banning?

Hello Ralfy, I wish I had the opportunity to meet your Dad. He had a part in making you who you are so I would have thanked him for that. Another very interesting video that is full of so many interesting points. Thanks.

Nice to see a Diageo bottle with "scotch mystic".

Nooooo, not the Balvenie!

Lots of mid video ads showing up all of the sudden.....

Hi Ralfy. Subtitles?

@16:55 - 😋🤣

scottish caramel , it's allright 91

👍

Lauders.... could it get worse? Sadly yes.

It is all subjective. If you know what the reviewer like then you can align with the reviewer. This means when the reviewer loves a whisky then it will subscriber will like it as well as the palate is similar. But I seen people raving about a whisky and I hated it. I stopped giving marks a long time ago as it is meaningless

Curious how Talisker 10 is a 88-90 on WF. I wonder if it’s related to the fact that they aren’t so delusional as to think it’s their responsibility to save the future of whisky? It’s really supposed to be…fun.

hy ralfy

$150 CAD here in Ontario. Hahahahahhaha 🤣 I’m sure they’ll find some suckers at that price.

Sorry Ralfy i used to see your malt marks as a perspective when i was in doubt to buy a certain whisky, now i am afraid is a bit confusing.I suggest you abolish your malt marks and simply say if you do recommend the whisky or not,but i guess scoring a whisky gives more views to the channel.I am beeing honest with you not trying to be too critical but i do think you should recosinder the way you score whisky but again as you often say on you channel "is just my opinion ".

"I need to bring down my marks to help the small distilleries ...". Great ,so your marks are now meaningless as you have philosophical beliefs built into them. Perfect.

First

Jura 10 Years 🤮

Just purchased Trader Joe's Rum cask finish N.A.S. bottle $19.99. Dreadful? Yes. Educational? Most definitely. Plan on inserting a charred stave and see where it takes it. Can't be worse from it started. Salud!

Malt marks and grades do not matter. There is no way to make granular marks on a 100 point scale. Was it an 82 or 82 1/2? What separates a 90 from a 91? An A- from a B+? I doubt that any whisky reviewer or expert out there can differentiate between such small increments. Nor can they explain the fine criteria. Marks are pointless. No two noses or palates are the same.

Unfortunately, the 10 year olds that are in my stash are the low-point 2018 version but on the plus side, I can buy a new one and compare them. I may end up putting some new ones in the stash and using up the 2018 ones.

Talisker used to be one of the unique characters in the Whisky World, now it's too sanatized and mainstream, which is a shame. I like my Tali a bit more rough ,edgy and wild.