ralfy review 984 Extras - Hunting for value whiskies
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- Опубликовано: 27 июл 2024
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. . . you're welcome.
Day 5 of taking a 10 day break from alcohol , glad i watched this video, it encouraged me and brings the point home, really glad u mentioned this topic in the video.
Hows this for a malt mention: Melodramatic Macallan Manufacturers
. . . now on the M-mention List, thanks.
This entire video is filled with whisky wisdom that we all need to hear and abide by.
I like the hints for improving your dram or for finding bargains.
Unfortunately, I live in a very liquor-backwards state which will remain anonymous (Arkansas). One distributor, over half the counties are dry, and some of th highest liquor taxes in the country.
There, I've said it. It's criminal, I tell you.
So, I go north to Missouri and shop smartly. The times to go are around the major holidays, and even their Walmarts have excellent prices in some cases. I routinely visit two other liquor stores there, plus another couple a little further north, which can be worth the gas money and time to look at. In Missouri, the liquor taxes are less, the variety and availability is much, much better, and the prices themselves can be lower, AND, they are allowed to put liquor 'on sale', yes, that's right. They actually advertise sale prices in Missouri!
These are the ways I beat the system, but it doesn't help the local shops much. I still look locally and if something is reasonable, I will buy a bottle every now and the, but it's depressing.
As far as I know, there are no 'auctions' here, or at least I've never heard of them unless they are in a big city, which I may travel through once or twice a year. I will look for auctions there in the future.
I am, like so many others in my shoes, disgusted by the lack of selection and the high prices in this state. And yet the odds are, they are going to legalize marijuana, which seems hypocritical, given the amount of counties where you cannot even buy beer.
Oh, well. This is what passes for progressive thought here.
Excellent advice dear Ralfy. I only buy whisky from trusted retailers and I must say enthusiast friends. This year I have bought only 11 bottles all on special offer: Bunnahabhain 12, Ledaig 10 (2bottles), Deanston 12 (2bottles), Glenfarclas 12 (1 litre), Glenfarclas 105 (1litre), Cadenheads Bottling of Glencadam 10 (sherry butt), Hepburn Choice IB of Glenburgie 12 (single cask), Longrow peated NAS (2bottles) total cost 495 euros. Since I am on a budget, online flash sales in Italy 🇮🇹 are the way to go. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and advice. Kindest regards,
S.
Great post mate. For what its worth my friend I do the same to a degree.
eg if I buy 18Ledaig get a Rioja cask and make the good stuff last ,Deanston Virgin cask looks after the 18 🙂
Cask strength Highland park works great with most peated drams ;-)
Thanks for Sharing your experience.
Would you mind sharing where online you find Italian sales?
Thanks very Much
Had been doing that for years since I watched your channel in 2016, Ralfy! Added different charred oak sticks of different origin and soak/dry preparation (sherry, quality wine and brandy) to marry those malts too. Thanks for all the good tips all these years!
You don't watch television, Ralfy? There's not many of us about! 👍👍👍
There is more of us every year :)
Explains why Ralfy is articulate and uses the English language in a more nuanced and specific manner, which truly adds to the advice and experience he shares so passionately.
@@mikemorgan3891 Your comment reveals that you may also be one of us who is not enslaved to the unblinking eye.
I don't watch TV, been a while now . We are a growing trend
I stocked up on various bottles just case we hit a season where my whisky budget is nonexistent.
Especially where prices are now. I am not being more mindful of the scotch i buy. Well, i have to order most of the time my scotch. Publix, and Win Dixie liquor store selections for scotch kinda suck.
I did get Bunnahabhain 12 for 48 US. Which is a nice price.
Cheers to all you Magnetic Malt sippers.
Another great review Ralfy and speaking of Edinburgh tartan tat shops I had the very good fortune ( around 6 years ago ) to wander into one and spot a Glen Grant 1961 wrongly priced at £240. Needless to say I bought it on the spot !
You don't have a big audience but you have quality audience. I also love the bit about you not watching the TV. I stopped watching TV some time ago. Gives me more time to watch whisky reviews and savour a dram.
The only exception i would make re whisky in tourist tat shops, is the whisky shop in the green welly shop in Tyndrum. Sure you go thru thectat but, good selection & decent prices.
Great to see you videos popping back up .But this is older but always good to see.Thank You !
It’s one of the beautiful things of our hobby to searching for the best prices for the brand we are looking for it’s really very exciting and I ❤ to do it .
You're right on the larger supermarkets discounting, Ralfy. Picked up a bottle of unpeated bruichladdich for £24 on clearance. £20 less than usual retail.
great deal!
Lucky Boy!
After your main 984 episode, finding Jura for 22 quid, I noticed on the online whisky shop here in New Zealand, a bottle of Loch Lomond Signature for NZ$42 - around 20 pounds. It's now out of stock, but there is also their Original version for just a few pounds more. Not single malt, but for the rubbish NZ market, pretty good. Supermarkets can't sell spirits in NZ.
Excellent video Ralfy, it is very well appreciated since in Mexico we have a pretty limited selection of whiskies( tequila and mezcal country). Better to keep our eyes open and made de homework for investigation before deciding what to buy. Saludos!!
Great advice Ralfy.
Last Xmas my large very well known supermarket was selling Lagavulin 8 at £32. A case was purchased.
It's worth getting a Tesco clubcard as they have special clubcard price deals on all the time. When I want to buy a new bottle I go online & check all the local supermarkets & all the online retailers to get the best choice & deal.
I buy the majority of my whisky at Tesco, the clubcard deals are great,sometimes £20 off and they stock some pretty good stuff as well, old pulteny 12, old forester, JD single barrel and my fav Eagle rare, this stuff is delicious.
Auctions are one of the best places for getting value whiskies,and ones from decades ago.Good thing about auctions is ,if you dont get that particular bottle one month,you may get it in the next auction.Ive had some decent bottles for cheaper at auction,and some ive paid roughly retail for,and also some abit more for.
I’ve just found whiskey at the age of 44 😮, a great channel which I look forward to exploring.. There’s a lot of information to digest at the moment.. thank you for producing them 👍👍👍
Really thankful to you for sharing your knowledge.
If you can’t afford Knob Creek 9, you are in a terrible situation. If that is so, you can Wild Turkey 101 or JW Dant. In a jam, you can get old Granddad 100 or J.T.S. Brown. Evan Williams Bottled in Bond. In a jam, almost any bottled in bond bourbon will get you by for $20 or slightly leas.
I noticed this year that in the build up to fathers day there was a hell of a lot of discounted bottles!
Deanston Virgin Oak is my favourite value single malt. Non-chill filtered, natural colour, 46 percent and sells in my country (Slovakia) for under 30 euros. FIngers crossed it keeps that way.
Sadly you forgot to mention prices grown because of alcohol tax growth.
Bought more bottles from germany because some brands are crazily overpriced in Slovakia.
Like Laphroaig Cask strength, 140 euros in slovakia, 75 € in germany.
Laphroaig Quarter cask in discount 35 €, here in Slovakia cheapest is 44 €.
Yeah, I’m into peated a lot.
Ledaig 10 was hard to find, now only Wellenmark has it for 48 €, 38 € in Germany.
Even with shipping and consumer tax paid for shipping from germany, still saved 30 euros on 6 bottles…
@@ZhuJo99 That's why I was talking specifically about Deanston Virgin Oak, which you can still get for under 30 euros.
Always good to give folks a reminder 🙂
Good reminder to look into my budget infinity decanter... Jea, thats better than the rough (cheap) malts I've began with. Mineralic orange cream soda.
Malt mention: melodious marauders
. . . now on the M-mention List, thanks !
Excellent ideas Ralfy. Unfortunately where i am in Canada. Our only option is a government store that has a poor selection. Luckily we can online order from other provinces and some very solid up and coming craft distilleries as options. Unfortunately they cost money for shipping. I wish we had specialty stores
I’m glad you’re still around Ralfy, I guess my feed hasn’t offered you up much because I haven’t been searching scotch much, a terrible time of corporatism, high prices, average quality, ect. There are usually some decent blends around, black bottle has been on fire lately, like the old days…. Hopefully that doesn’t change soon or I’ll stop buying it, cheers🎉
Good advice. I hadn't thought of adding a bit of "real good" juice to a lesser one. I will try that. Being retired and on a fixed income (USA) I must really watch my budget.
Sir, been following your wisdoms for years, thanks for sharing. I started, like you, roughly thirty years ago. Path well travelled. Would like to forward you a picture of my “collection”, but. . . .
Been with you since video 1. Just a heads up, Scotch is getting cray cray here in the USA... Quite a lot of my friends are switching from Scotch to bourbon. You can buy 3-4 bottles of good quality bourbon, to one bottle of scotch!
How about Metallical, megadethian, motorheadian, macallan's method of madness for a malt mention!
M&S is a great place to find discounted whiskey, had loads of bargains from there.
Hi Ralfy, have spent the weekend at our sons in Bearsden, and I love to walk up to the Scotch shop in Milngavie where I have just bought a bottle of Glendronach 58.2% utterly delicious.. yummy.
Since I'm in Belgium, my best catch recently was a bottle of Talisker 10 in Luxemburg for 29 euros (around 24 pounds). The craziest prices you'll ever find are on Austrian and German online retailers. But they usually don't ship outside of Germany or Austria... In the UK I find Tyndrum whisky to have a great selection and good prices, also from independent bottlers. I was there last week. But since Brexit buying in the UK from abroad is not worth it anymore...
No Bag pipes here , but I get your drift! Cheers Ralfy .
Hey Ralfy, as someone who struggles with really tasting Whisky I took your advice from an earlier video about blending single malts. So, I put in a tea spoon of Bruichladdich in Glenfarclas 15. Man, what a difference.
The breadcrumbs you sometimes drop in these videos are gold dust to be mined for!!
. . . happy to help !
The only problem I would have is this bottles are about the same price where I am. Maybe $9 USD apart, American inflation has really messed up whisky prices lately
I've reduced my alcohol consumption to major holidays and a yearly camping trip. If i'm feeling a bit stressed I go with CBD drinks (Zentopia huckleberry lemonade!) or occasionally smoke a joint more CBD then THC.
Johnnie Walker’s “high rye” is getting blown out around me right now. Used to be $35-$39 a bottle and I’m seeing it for well under $20 suddenly. It’s not fancy stuff, but it’s drinkable for that price.
Bain’s for me is a great value dram.
another word on auctions. A very good method is to set your maximum bid in your head before you even start bidding. Think about where your limit is. At what price does this whisky become unattractive to you? Then set your inner limit just below that price and when bidding, never go beyond it. Whatever happens. Let it go. You came to fetch a bargain. If the bottle is too high in demand to be a bargain, it's not a bargain anymore. You will not get what you came for either way. Save the cash for the next opportunity.
Kilchoman & Tullibardine are the best value whiskies around in my view.
Hi Ralfy, any chance we’ll get to see a review of Glenfiddich Project XX? Yes, it’s NAS, but it’s also an unchillfiltered Glenfiddich presented at 47%abv. Really curious about your opinion on it. Cheers!
Appreciate you Ralfy!
I picked up the Jura 10 year for $40 USD. In my state we almost never see good sales on hard liquor. The store that does, can't carry that brand for six months after, and they usually never do. Thanks for your expertise Ralfy.
It also costs $40 in OR and WA, except that WA adds significant sin tax. I was deeply unimpressed. Jura used to have some decent selections, but this batch of the 10 was insipid.
@@donaldfschiff1229 Funniest thing. I gave it a crack today and found out it has the same wood funk taste that I've experienced once before in an Appleton Estate 12 rum. Not only that but they use the exact same bottle. Coincidence?
Another awesome video of insights, thank you Ralfy.
Quick Q if I may: when adding to an infinity bottle, is there a general rule of how much to add to it at a time?
A splash? A nip volume? A top up? ……
Cheers!
Steve.
Ralfy Review 311 from Oct 14 2012, that may be of interest to you...cheers Steve!
Marian 🇨🇦
Thomson Bros. 8 year old blended malt, £34 is a cracking dram for the price.
I cannot express enough how much your knowledge is important, 100% agree. It is a lot harder in the United States to find bargain for scotch but I just pick up two bottles Deanston 15 for $45 each there is a bargain. I always liked jura 16-year-old. I do not know why they discontinued. I think sometimes people just hesitant to try something different and experience. They always stick to the same brands most of the time I do understand why they know what they pay for. They know what they like. But whole journey disappears. What is the point of journey if you don't want to experience anything else?
A large portion of the whisky I buy is discounted. I don't buy bottom shelf supermarket stuff, but still, there is an ocean of good quality whisky and other spirits, at reasonable prices, for those who don't fall for FOMO and are patent.
I don't even count on supermarket discounts as I very rarely buy whisky there. Except for Metro Cash and Carry where whisky is usually on special sale every November. There are specialist retailers in Bulgaria who have special sales almost constantly.
Hey Ralfy, when I think about value I don't necessarily equate it with budget, a bang for your buck in my opinion just means you are getting malt at a reasonable price equal to the quality of what you are drinking. For instance I recently tasted a Tamdhu 18 year old for £150 and thought it was considerable value for money.
It's a shame where I am, Caol Ila 12 went up from $55 to $70 (before promo) 😢
I purchased Auchentoshan 12 year old at Asda. Reduced to £22
You sometimes see Penderyn Madeira cask on offer in Tesco for under 30 quid. 46%, non-chill filtered and natural colour. Incredible value.
And a GREAT whisky too, I LOVE it!
@@alicurran1743 Really creamy and immediately likeable. So underrated.
Glenkinchie 12 is reduced at the moment online.
Keep on klicking klivy. Well keep on klicking the like button.
😊
Good day Ralfy! I am a fan and find this latest presentation particularly educational to me - one who began enjoying single malts since 2018. Would you be kind to comment on finding value in single malts from airport duty-free shops? I recently picked up a Loch Lomond 12 yo (46%) @ £32 and Glen Garioch 12 yo (48%) @£39 - both non-chill filtered and 1-litre bottles. I observe airport duty-free shops are stocking more single malts these days. Thank you.
Ha ha, went into one on the Royal Mile in June , asked the guy a question about Ledaig 18 and he told me that he doesn’t drink 😂
Double Black Good for the money..for me
Hello Ralfy. Really great stuff good info. Have you seen or heard about DS Tayman ? They bottle 12 Year Linkwood , as well as Blair Athol , and Caol Ila. I was curious if you could review any DS Tayman. Thank you
You and I, on the same wavelength when it comes to the “Medical Industrial Complex!” Doctors are pimped out by the pharmaceutical industry!
In my US state, I don't have to be concerned about one retail store over another. The state controls prices state-wide. The prices are decent too because we don't have a sales tax on top of the alcohol tax and we make a lot of money from out-of-state customers. Last year when I was recovering from covid, I decided to try a bottle that I've seen for years on the bottom shelf. For just 20 dollars, I bought an Islay Mist 8 year old. My nose wasn't completely back to normal yet so I had nothing to lose. When I was over it, I discovered that for $20, it is a great value and just a tiny bit of additional Laphroaig lifts it above and beyond.
Go Buckeyes!
Hi random stranger out there, I really like the Balvenie 12 and thr Money Shoulder, but I am trying to seek for a cheaper version, any good cheap alternative yiu guys would recommend?
I like that creamish and banana ish taste
Bit shocked to hear you think Diageo has dumbed down Johnnie Walker Green Label 15. Last time I tried it, I thought it was excellent. I did notice there is another new Green Johnnie Walker called "Island Green", which has no age statement. Could it be that the feedback you've had is from people who have the two confused? Could you do your own review of a recent JW Green 15?
Good evening MashDebaters
Just picked up a bottle of Hazelburn 10 for £50 if i drink it at half the speed i may have drank the Jura I'd say that is a bargin
Hey Ralfy, I’m watching “The Water of Life: A Whisky Film” and I’ll be damned if you’re not featured! 🥃
. . . very very briefly.
is the dalek for sale Ralfy
Noone knows this , but Ralfy is far far older then his 45 years look. During War he was Winston's personal whiskey selector, taster, and impersonator to fool nutzease . His love and knpwledge of malts is what convinced enemy that he was genuine Winston. He personally flew Lysander into occupied Normandie to rescue casks of Calvados from jerry. Ralfy is an unsung hero.
Ancnoc 24, now that is some whisky. I can't see it not being worth in the thousands in like 10-20 years
So, what video games WOULD Ralfy play? Zelda? GTA? Halo?
👍🏻
how do i purchase this book you speak of?
. . . amazon
"Caol-Ila-an?" :) :)
7:07 i think they still make enough money out of this. we are used to high prises now. a lot of the prises are just marketing and too many people like so spend too much for a bottle
Christmas discount at supermarkets.
Do a review on Tullamore dew .To me its ok ,but id seriously appreciate your opinion but ralfie your obsessed with the scotch whisky which was copied and pasted centuries ago from Irish origins .Didn't you know that white horse was originally distilled in mountrath co laois but tariffs introduced by the British forced them to Scotland and that's how scotch whiskey got into USA unnappoded by Irish whiskey .but we are many and we support the homeland. Where are you going inferring whiskey is only drank in winter Whiskey is an all yr round pleasure rather than a cold wet night drink .It's down to thinking ralphie .USA they have maybe ten bottles in the cabinet but to they don't drink .In Ireland which I've been they wallopp it in and follow with a Guinness.The best stamina drinkers I've ever seen .Happy at the end not nasty .AND they'll mix whiskeys as a gesture of goodwill ,They say triple distilled is the business x different springs .Me I just enjoy a whiskey on the odd weekend with a few buddies in Cape cod ,your the business anyway and very very informative .but realise there's more than Scotland who distill whiskey .
"Best bourbon is made in the USA" Funny comment Ralfy. I know you know this. Bourbon can only be made in the USA, just as Scotch can only be made in Scotland. Great video, thanks.
I think he meant that the you are only able to buy the best bourbon in the USA.
you have a sizeable audience
its true
its quality not quantity
I WOULD PICK JURA ANY DAY
I´m on social security. I strictly adhere to the following, to buy the whisky I will most likely enjoy.
0. Inform yourself. Get to know yourself, your palate, your finances. Tune in to the OSWAs, ask other malt mates.
1. ALWAYS get a sample bottle (50 or 60ml) before buying a big bottle. Bought too many of them blindly and went "meh".
2. Smell, taste, analyze, feel and mark the 1st half, and then the 2nd half six months later to gauge oxidization.
3. Set a score standard below which you will not EVER buy a big bottle. Mine´s 85.
4. Set a price standard above which you will not EVER buy a big bottle. Before inflation, mine was €70, now it´s €55.
5. CALCULATE the relative quality by dividing mark points / 100 by amount of €, $ or £ that a 700ml bottle would cost.
6. Buy the bottle(s) with the highest figure of "points per unit of money".
They're the best for your budget AND your taste, if they answer to your score and price standards.
Examples: Cotswolds single malt I awarded 85 points, costs €45 = 1.9 pts / €.
Compass Box Spice Tree at 90 points, having 5 pts higher, costs same €45 = 2.0 pts / €. Only 0.1 higher.
Now 5 points is a LOT, as you´ll appreciate, but doesn´t affect as much as price does!
10 Euros is also a LOT, in a different way: Larceny bourbon whiskey, 85 points, costs €35 = 2.4 pts / €. Big 0.4 higher.
I like rye whiskeys quite a bit, for example Rittenhouse rye, 88 points, €34 = 2.6 pts / €.
*** I standardize my points / € system at 46%abv. Higher abv = higher pts / €. Lower abv = lower pts / €.
The same Rittenhouse rye is bottled at 50%, so its score is bumped up by 50 / 46. Times 2.6 = now 2.8 pts / €.
Midleton's Green Spot, bottled at 40%. My score 89 pts, costs €47 = 1.9 pts / €. Times 40 / 46 = down to 1.6 pts / €.
*** Also I standardize for bottles of 700ml. Bigger bottle = higher pts / €. Smaller bottle = lower pts / €.
Look at Glenfarclas 105, 60%abv, 1000ml: 86 points, €42 = 2.0 pts / €. Times 60 / 46 and 1000 / 700 = 3.8 pts / € !
And with that, GF105 champions my list since years. Teeling small batch is close though: 88 points, €25 = 3.5 pts / €.
Then again, I just HAD to buy Nc'Nean Organic with only 1.6 pts / €. It´s delightful whisky, bottle itself looks like a present.
7. Finally, every sample bottle that gets a score below your standard: consider it gained experience, not money lost!
Hope this was of some service.