A look back at whisky in 2023 and a look forward to what I'm hoping for in 2024 #WhiskyLock #Whiskytube #Whisky #Scotch
Пікірлер: 88
@Gwhisky7 ай бұрын
Great video, Shane. All excellent points. I particularly want to highlight the core range issue. That's not a discussion we hear enough about, but there are far too many core ranges that are lacking in either quality, variety, or both. 🥃
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
Yeah small batch can be phenomenal but it's also great to find something you like and be able to buy it again whenever you want. If there's a full range of options and variations then even better. Long live the core range. Cheers Geoff 🥃
@niclasjonasson39007 ай бұрын
Best whiskyvlogg in the world!
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
Thanks 😌🥃
@osirisgolad7 ай бұрын
I want producers who make both peated and unpeated distillate to make an effort to try blending their distillates to make light or medium peated whisky. It's already being made anyway, all it requires is for someone to run some blending experiments and you get an entirely new product for realistically not much work compared to finding a new source for casks to do some exotic finish or to make a change to the production process(like altering the fermentation or distillation).
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
Thats a great idea and I hope to see things like that too. I believe my local (English Whisky Company) used to do just that because they would have Chapter 6 (unpeated), Chapter 11 (Heavily Peated) and Chapter 9 which was half way between the two and in many people's opinion, myself included, the best of the bunch. Good shout! 🥃
@haroldgrey1347 ай бұрын
I think we've mentally associated cork and wooden stoppers with the idea of "heritage" or premium materials because it's natural. Like leather with clothes or shoes. But you're right, cork is relatively silly given how often they break and fall into the bottle, or degrade and allow air in!
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
Exactly that. I think nobody wants to risk damaging their image by being the first to innovate. Which is both understandable and disappointing. Time to move with the times though. In terms of closures, rum and Japanese whisky have left Scotch behind.
@MarkHanson-du3qs7 ай бұрын
yes I love that nikka have plastic screw caps@@WhiskyLock
@CharlesOffdensen7 ай бұрын
13:04 Amen! Natural cork stoppers are prone to braking, which a big minus. At the same time they don't any value to a whisky. Why don't people talk more about this. I hate natural cork in whisky. As for the calendar, you can shoot the videos ahead and release them in December.
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
Yep I'm done with natural cork! I've had so many problems with them this year that I'd like to see synthetic or plastic screw tops on everything from now on. I feel it will be slow progress getting the Scotch industry to change though...
@thenavajoknow7 ай бұрын
Thanks for that sweep...With warehouses bursting and current pricing in the midrange market no longer tenable, I think we're going to see a lot more of what Signatory just did with the 100 proof releases: high alcohol, cask driven, age statement, attractive price. And evil 👹 corporate versions of that, i.e. too young, too strong, prettied up with superwet casks and sold at a "bargain" price.
@WhiskyLock6 ай бұрын
Sounds pretty likely!
@daboi57798 күн бұрын
the outro is fantastic xD
@WhiskyLock8 күн бұрын
Cheers Buddy 🥃
@artvandelay39227 ай бұрын
Said the same about no purchases in 2024, ive got too many bottles that ive never even attempted to open
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
Time to enjoy all those past purchases 😌
@sandrofazzolari88337 ай бұрын
That is an ambitious 2024, good luck Shane. Glad to see the advent calendar is all ready for next year. Kindest regards, S.
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
We have to aim high 😁 honestly I'll be happy with some good core range releases to review. Which will probably happen because I have a range of Deanstons, Speyburns and Loch Lomonds to review soon. It'll be a great change from what I was covering last year. Cheers Sandro 🥃
@Tantrum7777 ай бұрын
lol that ending! Update on my bottle ban 2023, I bought 9 bottles total in 2023. Way down from past years and I feel like 9-12 is where I will land in 2024. I do want to go for quality over quantity that is the goal.
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
Excellent effort my friend. 9-12 bottles is very good going 👍🥃
@Tantrum7777 ай бұрын
@@WhiskyLock Thanks! A very solid effort from you as well. Cheers!
@fraserthistle42007 ай бұрын
Loved the house of cards finish 😂
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching until the end 😂
@justwhisky7 ай бұрын
I stayed for the gag at the end😳 good one! Can’t wait to see what’s on deck next. Great recap and looking forward to your new advent. Cheers 🥃
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
Thanks John! Hopefully there will be lots of punchy, high strength drams 'on the cards' ;-) Cheers! 🥃
@koski18857 ай бұрын
I hope that a lot of the under the radar distilleries which offer reasonably priced aged statements (glen moray, ancnoc, deanston etc) stick to their guns on pricing and see an uptick in sales as a result of other distilleries cashing in rather than trying to keep up. For anyone who is interested, ancnoc 24 is £150 on MoM right now which seems fair, and perhaps a bargain to be stashed for the future in case my hopes arent realised! Ps - would happily get involved with a Patreon
@WhiskyLock6 ай бұрын
Me too! I hope they're rewarded for their efforts and it sets an example to others. £150 for 24yrs does sadly seem pretty reasonable these days. Most 24yo whisky is just priced out of consideration at this point 😕
@SimonneNZ7 ай бұрын
Loved the gag at the end with the cards. Wasn't expecting that. Agree with the cork thing. I lost some of my Port Charlotte 10 to evaporation due to a loose-fitting cork. I bought a lot of whisky last year so this year I will be more discerning and buy a lot less. I haven't bought rum since September 2022 so looking to add some rum purchases this year. Moving forward with whisky I want to explore some of the independent bottlers more. I've only had a couple of Signatory Vintage ones which I've enjoyed. Cheers!
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
Losing / spoiling whisky due to corks shouldn't be a thing in 2024. I've been really enjoying velier rum lately and their synthetic corks that are always the right fit and never dry out. Why not? Cheers 🥃
@frankiehawkins38777 ай бұрын
Hi Shane I loved this whiskey review, you hit all the great points, I was the one who wrote you about the cork tainted bottle of viking honor last year that I still have, and can't drink.Highland park too be exact, its horrible stuff, and after I bought it, the store wouldn't take it back without a receipt, I bought thousands of dollars of scotch from them over the years, so I wrote them off my list of where to buy my whiskey from, but your video was exactly where I'm coming from also, this is the best KZfaq video I've seen yet,thanks for saying what all of us are saying, thanks for the great review, and cheers brother !!!
@WhiskyLock6 ай бұрын
Hi Frankie. I remember your comments about the corked Highland Park. I've had similar problems with Highland Park. It seems they have more problems with it than most. And that's a really disappointing response that you got from the store. I have a bottle of rum at the moment that I opened in December which is clearly corked. I swapped out the cork with a synthetic one several months ago and its helped but not fixed the problem. So frustrating. And probably entirely avoidable. Thanks for the kind words and I hope this is the last time either of us will experience this problem. Cheers 🥃
@MARYN00777 ай бұрын
Great video... and very nice card piramid setup lol
@gareth6307 ай бұрын
Where was the beautiful Debbie McGee for the card trick ffs ;-) You could have trumped the whole KZfaq whisky community there Shane. Enjoyed that, this year is a cut back year, I have a fair few half bottles, no need to over load each month.
@WhiskyLock6 ай бұрын
Cheers Gareth. Enjoy finishing off all those part bottles and don't forget to have some fun with home blending 🥃
@russell37337 ай бұрын
That little sleight of hand with the house of cards was fun. I won't even ask how you did it! Great to hear your ideas about whisky in 2024 - excellent food for thought. Yes, I'd love to see some vertical tastings of good core range material in future videos. That would kill two birds with one stone since you'd be supporting realistically-priced products (well, those with age statements of 12yo and under) as well as those which come with a decent presentation (46%, NC, NCF). I'd be highly selective about new distillery products in 2024, staying true to those that aren't trying to fleece us, while avoiding new overly-hyped bottlings that come onto the market with excess flannel and prices to match. I think that some new distilleries are already on a shaky financial path which may begin to crack and crumble as the year progresses. Occasional reviews of high-quality, top-end bottlings would also be welcome if it's clear they're worth their weight in gold, so to speak. Offering a "buy me a dram" option on Patreon is something quite a few reviewers do and the funds may well help with buying bottles which you'd like to review. Seems a sensible option to me. Remain true to your fundamentals, though, as there's much in your unexcitable down-to-earth style that obviously appeals to many an enthusiast. Cheers.
@WhiskyLock6 ай бұрын
I couldn't possibly reveal the secret to the trick 😂 Thank you for the kind words and your thoughts. May we share many quality and good value drams ahead 🥃 Cheers!
@user-sm5mc9xq4i7 ай бұрын
Thanks for the in-depth analysis of the whiskey market! It's even better than Ralphie's..😇
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
High praise indeed 😌 Cheers 🥃
@liamclarke84117 ай бұрын
Great whisky chat cheers i won't be buying much whisky in 2024
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
Thanks Liam. I think a lot of people are in that same boat. I hope you are well stocked to see you through 👍🥃
@FEWGEE17 ай бұрын
Me either. I stocked up over black Friday and Xmas. Got some blinding deals from Master of Malt, and they gave me a £5 or £10 voucher with nearly every order.
@welshtoro32567 ай бұрын
Some excellent suggestions for the year ahead; Both for yourself and the industry. Oddly enough the last cork failure I had was a bottle of Pusser's rum and the damned cork part is now floating with the juice inside the bottle. Good thing its 75% abv. Next thing: I very much like the idea of reviewing several expressions in one video. Chris Goodrum does that on his Good Dram Show and it allows a sort of theme to take place. His videos are long though (which I enjoy).Which brings me onto the 'Core Range'. He recently did an episode on anCnoc and it was a run through their line up, going through their age statements. I commented that it was good to see a distillery with a fine range of craft presented whiskies at good prices. Anyway, some young whippersnapper had a pop at me for being a whisky newbie and pointed out that Ardnamurchan and Bunnahabhain had a range. He had difficulty comprehending that a collection of expressions does not equate to a quality core range. Totally agree about daft premiumisation resulting in poor quality. If you want to have a good laugh watch Malt Activist's reviews of each of the Diageo Special Release range from 2020. They are all hilarious and perfectly capture our frustration. WT
@WhiskyLock6 ай бұрын
Funnily enough my last snapped cork was a Pussers too 🤔 I'm not surprised that I'm not the only one. The inside of the bottleneck flares outwards turning the cork into a barb! Great rum - terrible closure! Now off to watch Malt Activist's SR reviews. Cheers WT 🥃
@CloudyMcCloud007 ай бұрын
Just heard that the inflation rate has risen "unexpectedly" - due to increases in tobacco and alcohol costs! Of course, distilleries might be less tempted if they (or we) didn't have to pay huge amounts of "duty" on every dram! 🤷♂🥃
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
Yes, the amount of duty paid in the UK is crazy. It's not as bad (proportionally) on the kind of thing that we're mostly buying but on the cheapest bottles of spirits it's almost the entire ticket price.
@thewhiskyenthusiast7 ай бұрын
Brilliant mate absolutely fantastic wish list! I'm fully with you on the limitations of categorisation which deprives us of so many innovative and exciting whiskies. English whisky is not governed by SWA but they sure as hell get as close to it as possible to make sure their products are of similar 'quality' to Scotch. They do have much more wiggle room though so let's see
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
Cheers mate. It makes sense that English Whisky wants to piggyback off the reputation and style of Scotch but I'm hoping to see some interesting innovation from that wiggle room. I guess we already have some, I believe Filey Bay wouldn't meet the criteria for single malt under SWA rules but I think their unconventional still arrangement is doing a great job. Hopefully the English Whisky Guild won't campaign to restrict that wiggle room. Now is the time for English whisky to innovate early to make it harder to bring such restrictions in 👍
@davidowen28347 ай бұрын
Hi Shane, excellent video. Cutting right back on buying whisky in the future, really got more than enough, time to open and drink what I’ve got. Looking forward to whats coming up on your channel. Slàinte Shane
@WhiskyLock6 ай бұрын
Cheers David 🥃
@austinfletcher63757 ай бұрын
I love the channel and would love to contribute. It would be cool for it to simply fund your bottles to review or something like that. What if patreon people get to vote on the topic of a video per month or something like that? Not determine all the content, but maybe have a say a couple times a year etc
@WhiskyLock6 ай бұрын
Excellent idea. I shall give it some thought. Cheers 🥃
@whiskyfromthevestibule7 ай бұрын
Shane, great video. I'm looking forward to watching your channel in '24 especially your Single cask Advent. Cheers!
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
Thanks! I'm really looking forward to some nice high strength drams. Hope 2024 is going well for you. Cheers!
@kalifatokata7 ай бұрын
I have certainly seen prices dropping on the regular stuff I buy, still not cheap, but more reasonable.
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
Great news!
@martindouwe60997 ай бұрын
If you have enough stock, nothing to worry about😏
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
The wise man plans ahead 😌 ... but not too much 😬😂
@christinecamley7 ай бұрын
Terrific video and thoughts Shane. I enjoyed this very much and I agree! Cheers!
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
Cheers Christine 🙂🥃
@christinecamley7 ай бұрын
@@WhiskyLock Cheers Shane!! 🙂
@vangstr5 ай бұрын
Young age statement whisky like Arran 10, Deanston 12, Ledaig 10, etc are high quality and affordable price!
@WhiskyLock5 ай бұрын
It doesn't seem right calling 10-12yo whisky 'young' in todays climate 😂 but totally agree 👍
@OdysseasK7 ай бұрын
Wonderful video as always. Yes yes YES to the C.S. calendar. Also looking forward to the core range verticals (last time we talked about that was quite a long time ago *cough cough*)
@WhiskyLock6 ай бұрын
Thanks buddy! I'll have to get working on that calendar. More core range reviews after March Malternatives hopefully 😌 Cheers 🥃
@jackthepickledhound7 ай бұрын
Wow. Nice. I felt robbed by an $89 Wolfburn Langskip and promised never to do that again, until Ardnamurchin CS came along at $79. LMAO! I have a $65 Raasay which is the greenest thing I've ever tasted. It's malty but WOW! The Langskip is a potential whisky but this Raasay is truly "robbing the cradle". So their special cask CS offerings really need an 8 or a 10 before I'm spending over $100. On the other hand KK heavily peated at $110 seems reasonable. I know they need the cashflow but even with inflation I vote for an age statement and a price to match
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
Hello mate. Nothing wrong with giving new distilleries a pass if you're not feeling it. I actually agree that Raasay is 'green' as you put it but for me the masterful blending of different casks saves it and makes it very interesting. I have an old batch of KK Heavily Peated that I got for a good price. 2024 may be the year I finally review some Springbank group products. I've been waiting for the hysteria and unavailability to ease up first but... I've had enough waiting 🙂 Cheers 🥃
@jackthepickledhound7 ай бұрын
@@WhiskyLock I do like the Raasay, I'm just glad I didn't double the entry fee for the CS offerings even though the Rye sounds very tempting. My problem is that I paid $35 for the Wolfburn Aurora so I'm aggravated when I see it for double the money now. SB is okay. I certainly have been lucky to find quite a few at retail. But in the end , it's just whisky. Cheers
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
Springbank (and all the associated marques) make great whisky, no question. But like your Aurora it's frustrating to see Springbank whiskies unavailable or at heavily marked up prices. Just Whisky as you (and John) say 🥃
@sierrastriker776 ай бұрын
Thanks Shane, good points on emphasizing good core range offerings and moderating buying in 2024!
@langtoun82357 ай бұрын
Excellent thoughtful stuff and I certainly agree with most of what you say. Have some concerns about plastic corks though, I think they’re unproven in terms of potentially tainting whisky over time and aren’t we as a society trying to reduce our use of plastics?
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
Very good point and those are the main two reasons why I've been unsure of synthetic corks until now. But this past year I've had such trouble with natural cork (including two bottles with natural corks that are no longer sealing after around ten years, two snapped corks and one bottle with bad TCA cork taint) that I'm eager for someone to at least try something new. Valid point on the use of plastic too. Perhaps there is a bioplastic that is stable enough for long term storage that can be broken down with enzymes for recycling / disposal?
@michaelwood32037 ай бұрын
Great insight and thought provoking video. Think the comment about grain is particularly interesting because I personally give it very little consideration but realize that there may be much more that can be achieved. The first step is for the grain whisky to be seen not as a filler but as a quality product in its own right. Perhaps this change will come in the same way that blended whisky seems to be getting recognition.
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
Absolutely. Really what's currently defined as grain whisky is essentially everything that's not 100% malted barley run through pot stills. A very wide range of styles and potential variations. Acknowledging that's it doesn't have to be just cheap filler is half the battle but we also need more distilleries to be brave enough to make something that's not just another single malt. At the moment many won't because most people won't buy it. Kind of a self fulfilling prophecy... but I have high hopes 🤞
@ironmantran7 ай бұрын
IN light of poorer economy, tight(er) budget , slow sale and government recommendations to consume less alcohol moving forth, my outlook for new distilleries are more cautious. . . We start to see Scotch / booze sale (range -15 to - 30% off) even on high moving items, a first in 8 years across the land. Unless we see even MORE significant reduction in prices from new distillers.
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
All new distilleries are in a precarious position for sure. Between no profits for the first three years, astrominical setup costs during that time and the uncertain market... I'd be surprised if all the new distilleries popping up right now last long enough for a 10yo release. Best of luck to them though. Time shall tell!
@hamo45587 ай бұрын
Great review and very pertinent, straight to the point and agreed solidly with your wishlist ! . In respect to new distilleries, the UK ones are almost impossible ( or stupidly overpriced priced) to grab in Aus, but it did give me pause to check in on the local aussie product. If i'm gonna spend stupid money on whisky I want it to be local. I've overlooked these previously simply down to value, better experience from selected Scotch & world whiskies ( at least the ones with reputation). I was not surprised from most & pleasantly surprised from a few and I thank the community vibe promoting promiscuity. After all it's a journey. Looking forward to your core range reviews, we're more likely to have them abroad. For my 2024, I'm planning to buy only 1 decent bottle a month, aside from daily sippers because i have too many decent ones already, and we all need to keep an eye on our budgets. Just loved your card trick too !!!
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
Great to hear that you had some success with your local whiskies. I nearly bought an Australian whisky last week but the one I saw was a 40%er and I decided to wait until I saw something better presented. Any recommendations?
@hamo45587 ай бұрын
@@WhiskyLock What one was it ? We're really going to need to know what's on your shelves. I dont know what's exported. Ever thought of doing a Whisky hunt ? (different content). You dont even need to like this guy, but Brewzle ( from the U.S) it well. - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fbRges6Ivbitopc.html&ab_channel=Brewzle . He informs the store owner as he enters, he engages in conversation and it really engages his community, what they saw, prices, try this, try that etc etc. Look at how he does it. Most aussies are expensive unfortunately, high cost of production here, but you can be assured of something different most unlike any scotch or bourbon.
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
@@hamo4558 Different is always good. It was a Starward. I've heard good things but I'd prefer to start with something above 40%. From a quick look I can see Manly Spirits Nor'Easter, Hellyers Road Twin Oak, Morris Muscat Barrel as well as a few other Starwards at higher strength. The only Aus whiskies I've tried have been a Limeburners Sherry Cask and an Overeem Sherry Cask both of which were fairly good. And a Lark Single Cask that I didn't like. They were all years and years ago though.
@hamo45587 ай бұрын
@@WhiskyLock I think the Starwards are better with proof in them. A better Starward in my opinion is the Solera ( Apera / Sherry) cask @43%. The Limeburners Infinity Solera cask (43%) is very different, will get better over time. Corowa's are another quite common brand here (not a fan, too winey). Archie Rose put out a few different, drinkable whiskies as does 78 degrees, different but wouldn't recommend. Im enjoying the Morris Muscat Barrel (46%) , glad to see you get that there. Some quality ones in my opinon are the Gospel Straight Rye (45%) , the Overeem Port cask (46%) and Bathurst Grange (46%). I reckon the latter two would give a few good scotches a run for their money. The Lark is okay in my opinion but way overpriced. I haven't tried the Manly No-Easter as its just another wine barrel ( & has a gimmiky sandstone bottle stopper) , & i'm yet to have a Hellyers Road that I enjoy. Upshot is like Makers Mark, and theres still a ton of new distilleries I haven't yet tried.
@MrLachlanmackenzie7 ай бұрын
Marketing, the weak glue that nominally keeps all the card together 😂
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
oh yes! 😂
@barryfrombarnsley27907 ай бұрын
What I want in 2024: litre bottles
@WhiskyLock7 ай бұрын
Interesting! I'd rather have the option of 200ml bottles (at a similar price per ml!). But there are a few things I'd love a litre bottle of though. Lagavulin 8 springs to mind. Choice is always good 👍
@barryfrombarnsley27907 ай бұрын
@@WhiskyLock I was only joking, to be honest, but 20cl bottles at sensible prices would definitely be welcome.