This video is a hidden gem, packed with an incredible amount of useful information. As you already mentioned in 2022, nowadays malt mates have the means to learn much more about whisky than in yesteryears and your archives are definitely one of the main reasons. Thank you very much for this Ralfy
Damn it Ralfy. You could have gone on for over an hour and I think it's safe to say no one would have complained. I know I wouldn't. Great info and entertaining. Please don't let the follow up to this subject fall by the wayside. We'd all love to learn more. And those that don't can go piss off and be content to be ignorant and look at something else on RUclips. Thanks Ralfy. Great half hour vlog!
🙏Hats off.. Ralfy .. what a wealth of knowledge!!! ..let's appreciate not just whiskey, but way its matured.. We as consumers have every right to know , often mis lead , by producers with phoney labels..This knowledge is essentially consumer awareness.
Good sir. I cannot find the video I watched of yours about "aging" your own whiskey with a toasted oak stick. I followed your directions with an oak stick from another bottle of whiskey. After baking it dry I burned a ln edge of the spire and then splashed it with some Antica Carpano sweet vermouth and baked it dry again. Put it in a bottle of plain (local) jack daniels old number 7. I don't like plain Jack. But this. After a few days opened up smoother with a light peanut nutty flavor and aroma. More honey and richer vanilla with some melon. But an overall nuttiness. I can't get over how pleasant it is. I hope I can do it again. Thank you and cheers
Hi Ralfy, Michael from Tel Aviv here. I just wanted to say that I LOVE the vlog, and watch it regularly. "Malt Meshugenes" would be malt crazies in Yiddish Best, Michael
Ralfy, I've enjoyed every one of your reviews immensely. The knowledge gained and the fun of listening to you are second to none. However, I'll have to say that this particular vlog is my absolute favorite! I can't imagine how you can do over 26 minutes in one take, with apparently no notes. And you cover so much ground in this, from the altitude of the trees used in the staves to the chemical processes. Towards the end when you say, "I won't go into..." and name several topics, I'd like to respond, "Yes, please do go on!" Any time that you want to do another in-depth conversation about the maturation process is fine with me. If I had three thumbs, they'd all be up!
Brilliant - simply brilliant video Ralfy! I truly enjoy watching all your stuff. A lot of the info you have shared in this video you have mentioned over the last year(s) in all the individual video's - so this is a great summary. Would like to hear more about in an "advanced cask maturation class"! At the very least you have inspired me to checkout the airport selection on my way home tomorrow :-)
This was posted 6 years ago! Just watched it for the first time. Fascinating stuff. I hope there’s a follow up vlog to this. Super interesting Ralfy. Thank you 🤗🏴🥃
Thanks for the discussion of maturation, Ralfy, it really helps. I think you covered just the right amount of information for one vlog, and I learned a lot. BTW, just as a point of detail, the genus name for oak is Quercus, rather than Querus. The Latinist in me felt the need to point that out.
Very good video. Folks wanting to learn more about whisky chemistry might want to look up "A Whisky Tour" by Victoria Gill, as featured in Chemistry World (Nov. 27/2008). Although distilleries which use smaller casks or warmer maturation climates claim this accelerates the process of maturation (which it does do), there is a difference in the quality of maturation - cask time can be shortened, but not entirely replaced by these methods.
Loved the explanation....very fact full....Personally I swore off all beer and spirits when I found out I was not a happy drunk. But I still love to know how this process works. Thanks loads my Scotch cousin.
Estimado Ralfy mis felicitaciones por otro excelente review. Me encanta tus opiniones las que aplaudo por su mesura y disfruto mucho el compartir una media de whisky viendo tus reseñas. Saludos desde Salta Argentina de parte de un coquero malt.
In books written by supposedly knowledgeable folks I regularly stumble upon sentences like, "Experts agree that cask maturation constitutes appr. 60% of the flavour profile/quality of the finished product (whisky)." Sorry, but that I call undue generalisation. Had they never a dram from a multiple refill cask or don't recognize a 5yo from a 20yo?! ;-) Casks can, without a doubt, have a strong influence, but there are so many contributing factors like kind of barley, malting, water, yeast, location, washback, mash tun, pot still, middle cut, climate, to name some, that imho one needs to distinguish more carefully.
Thank you Ralfy. Just what I've been waiting for. One thing you said which was extremely interesting (the rest was only VERY interesting) was that the European QR oak imparts fruity notes. I wonder whether chemists can identify the flavour influence of the QR oak seperate to the sherry influence? I know there are plenty of examples of QA new oak maturations but are there malts on the market, which were matured in new (toasted or charred) QR oak which have never had sherry or wine matured in them? Then we would see what influence the oak alone has upon the whisky.
Hello, Ralfy. You told, that we're not eating wood, but actually - nuts are a small soft seeds with the taste of a wood. In China people are eating inner soft parts of a bamboo. And even now people use a sandal bark as a spice and a bark of a willow, as the medicine for the heart ilnesses. And there are a lot of other examples, that people could "eat " wood. Also a tree tar was used as a bubble gum. That's why trees always been a part of a every day meal of many people, even a centuries ago.
Great video. It answered quite a few questions I had about the process. And in fact I do enjoy my whisky much more knowing more about it. Thanks Ralfy.
very good STUFF!!!. Would you mind talking about all the different finishes and how they change the flavor? like Bourbon, Oloroso, Fino, Sautuern, Tokaji, Red wine, white wine...so on. THANK YOU
Hello Ralfy, from the north of Spain. What about a vblog about CHOCOLATE? I bet you love it and I must say my experience with both chocolate and whisky have run parallel through my life... Thanks a lot and keep on "malting"!
Harlan Wheatley, master distiller of Buffalo Trace, claims that barrel wood from toward top of tree has more vanilla, whereas lower can potentially have coconut... found interesting and wanted to share.
. . . Iv'e heard this one too, apparently to do with cellular structure in wood and associated composites which relate to weight bearing needs of the tree, which can exceed 50 tons.
ralfystuff It was from an informative interview from University of Kentucky "nunncenter" oral history - he even talks about experimenting with single TREE whisky. Please consider reviewing E.H. Taylor... cheers.
Another home run Ralfy. Score!!! Thank you for sharing your knowledge once again with us. Be interested to hear your thoughts on a couple of USA distilleries squeezing the oak wood to extract more flavor. A money making gimmick or a new improvement?
Ralfy how about a quick tour of the bottles behind you next video? I don't recognise any of them. Would also love some more ' on location' reviews as well. Slainte!
Regarding " the same spirit into the same oak cask" can taste differently. I would be surprised if any two oak casks or barrels were ever chemically identical. They may even be from the same tree yet vary as to what part of the tree, inner or outer areas the stave wood was cut from. This would lead to differences in ratios of lignans, cellulose contents etc. in the wood. This then leads to different compounds being produced during charring as well as physical differences of the wood. Compounding this, if from different oak, not specie of Oak, but the same like American Oak, time of year when cut would affect sap level in the wood and therefore inherent sugar levels. In other words, there are a great many variables that are present in "the same Oak barrels" from the same barrel factory when considered on a microscopic chemical level, and flavors have an effect at the part per million level, and some at part per billion, so perhaps that is what can make a difference. I would think that a good analytical chemist with a chromatograph could answer this more exactly.
Do you remember in an episode of Foyles War when he brought out a bottle of The Glenlivet and said that he wouldn't be getting another bottle until the end of the war? "Hello you Malt Merlin Engines..."
Hi ralfy. I'm very curious about these 2 questions: 1) I here the thickness of the staves have diminished over time because of the environment (and costs). That can be seen in warehouses comparing old and new casks - so I here. Is that true? 2) Is the color of the whisky in casks very much determined by the degree of charring? If so you could say that there is "E150" by the burnt natural sugar in the oak. Thanks :-)
Very well presented information. Anyone that drinks whisky will be significantly better informed and more appreciative the drink they have in their hand. On another note Ralfy, why not get into a bit of merchandising? Ralfy.com flat caps?? Trend setting into yet another direction.....
Hi Ralfy, You appear to be very consistent in the amount of spirit you pour into a Glencairn whisky glass for your reviews. Could you measure the amount & let us know please.
I saw a movie called "the angels share". The movie is about whiskey and the phrase "the angels share" refers to 2% of the spirit gets lost each year due to evaporation, is this true? Or is it just bullshit people say in movies. I just thought that was interesting
Hello Sir, I was wondering if I may ask your advice/opinion about something. I recently bought a brand new 5 L European oak cask. My plan is to load it with port, wait a year, then drain it and reload it with Nikka From the Barrel. Does this sound like it might work? Any pitfalls I should be aware of? Love the reviews!
Ralphy i've been following you for more than 5 years now, i've enjoyed scotch since a wee lad and ive moved to the US now, texas specifically, have you tried some of the fine spirits from tejas yet?
@@thewhiskybothy hey that was quick, thanks for the reply, I adore your videos btw, I got a bottle of Filey Bay yorkshire whisky last week , I think it'sdelicious, am I wrong?
Just wondering if anyone has seen a distilled maple syrup product, not a liqueur but a real 100 proof maple distillate, and what by the by would it be called, a rum?
I am Currently reading a document about the effects of casks on maturation. Also gives information about the origin of the chemicals which react in the barrel for vanilla notes etc. As a mechanic engineer I love reading this stuff. etd.lib.msu.edu/islandora/object/etd:1059/datastream/OBJ/view this link is the thesis I'm reading
Hey Ralfy I undestnd frm coments tht mashes of grain variations dun separately wud yield more control 2 th finl product but dontcha thnk tht a maryd fermntation w/difrent grain ratios n th same ferm wud marry the contnts more thoroly 2 yield a mor consistant quality wort as th ferm materializes?? I red sumwhre that this is a reg practis in the Mts of Appalachia. U know wat I mean?? A richer integratd new-make ready 4 th cask. just thinkn bout variations on the "craft theme" thnx L8r
This video is a hidden gem, packed with an incredible amount of useful information. As you already mentioned in 2022, nowadays malt mates have the means to learn much more about whisky than in yesteryears and your archives are definitely one of the main reasons. Thank you very much for this Ralfy
Damn it Ralfy. You could have gone on for over an hour and I think it's safe to say no one would have complained. I know I wouldn't. Great info and entertaining. Please don't let the follow up to this subject fall by the wayside. We'd all love to learn more. And those that don't can go piss off and be content to be ignorant and look at something else on RUclips. Thanks Ralfy. Great half hour vlog!
I second that, sir.!!!
+1 on that!
I seriously think that, as many videos as exist on RUclips, this is one of my favorite videos on this site. Thank you and well done!
Think I'll start my scotch whisky course right now and with this video. Can't wait to learn more!
Nice job explaining the influence oak has on whisky. Many people don't realize what goes on inside a barrel...and within the structure of the staves.
Great info Learning new things every time I watch you. Keep going 🥃
🙏Hats off.. Ralfy .. what a wealth of knowledge!!! ..let's appreciate not just whiskey, but way its matured.. We as consumers have every right to know , often mis lead , by producers with phoney labels..This knowledge is essentially consumer awareness.
Good sir. I cannot find the video I watched of yours about "aging" your own whiskey with a toasted oak stick. I followed your directions with an oak stick from another bottle of whiskey. After baking it dry I burned a ln edge of the spire and then splashed it with some Antica Carpano sweet vermouth and baked it dry again. Put it in a bottle of plain (local) jack daniels old number 7. I don't like plain Jack. But this. After a few days opened up smoother with a light peanut nutty flavor and aroma. More honey and richer vanilla with some melon. But an overall nuttiness. I can't get over how pleasant it is. I hope I can do it again. Thank you and cheers
. . . easy to do ! and works so well !
Hi Ralfy,
Michael from Tel Aviv here.
I just wanted to say that I LOVE the vlog, and watch it regularly.
"Malt Meshugenes"
would be malt crazies in Yiddish
Best,
Michael
Ralfy, I've enjoyed every one of your reviews immensely. The knowledge gained and the fun of listening to you are second to none.
However, I'll have to say that this particular vlog is my absolute favorite! I can't imagine how you can do over 26 minutes in one take, with apparently no notes. And you cover so much ground in this, from the altitude of the trees used in the staves to the chemical processes.
Towards the end when you say, "I won't go into..." and name several topics, I'd like to respond, "Yes, please do go on!" Any time that you want to do another in-depth conversation about the maturation process is fine with me.
If I had three thumbs, they'd all be up!
Brilliant - simply brilliant video Ralfy! I truly enjoy watching all your stuff. A lot of the info you have shared in this video you have mentioned over the last year(s) in all the individual video's - so this is a great summary. Would like to hear more about in an "advanced cask maturation class"! At the very least you have inspired me to checkout the airport selection on my way home tomorrow :-)
Incredibly in depth and interesting video. Thank you so much for the information and also for the excellent presentation and articulation.
Not in reverse order.Love it ralfy
Amazing vlog, so informative! Thank you, Ralfy, for your continued efforts. These videos are greatly appreciated.
This was posted 6 years ago! Just watched it for the first time. Fascinating stuff. I hope there’s a follow up vlog to this. Super interesting Ralfy. Thank you 🤗🏴🥃
i would like to see more content like this..
My left ear really enjoyed this vlog! Maybe next time you give both my ears a treat with stereo audio! Cheers
Thanks for the discussion of maturation, Ralfy, it really helps. I think you covered just the right amount of information for one vlog, and I learned a lot. BTW, just as a point of detail, the genus name for oak is Quercus, rather than Querus. The Latinist in me felt the need to point that out.
Great change of pace, Ralfy. Always informative and entertaining.
Very good video. Folks wanting to learn more about whisky chemistry might want to look up "A Whisky Tour" by Victoria Gill, as featured in Chemistry World (Nov. 27/2008). Although distilleries which use smaller casks or warmer maturation climates claim this accelerates the process of maturation (which it does do), there is a difference in the quality of maturation - cask time can be shortened, but not entirely replaced by these methods.
Thank you Ralfy!
Loved the explanation....very fact full....Personally I swore off all beer and spirits when I found out I was not a happy drunk.
But I still love to know how this process works.
Thanks loads my Scotch cousin.
Very very informative indeed Ralfy !
Estimado Ralfy mis felicitaciones por otro excelente review. Me encanta tus opiniones las que aplaudo por su mesura y disfruto mucho el compartir una media de whisky viendo tus reseñas. Saludos desde Salta Argentina de parte de un coquero malt.
Greetings to Argentina, home of good wine.
Muchas Gracias, si la marea te trae, un honor convidarte con uno de esos.
Top notch! I very much enjoyed the information shared here.
Thanks Ralfy for sharing your wisdom. Very enjoyable and informative..... a lot of food for thought!
Awesome video thank you for all the great knowledge!
Very informative. I like you regular reviews but this was even better. I would love to see parts two and three of this. Cheers.
In books written by supposedly knowledgeable folks I regularly stumble upon sentences like, "Experts agree that cask maturation constitutes appr. 60% of the flavour profile/quality of the finished product (whisky)."
Sorry, but that I call undue generalisation. Had they never a dram from a multiple refill cask or don't recognize a 5yo from a 20yo?! ;-)
Casks can, without a doubt, have a strong influence, but there are so many contributing factors like kind of barley, malting, water, yeast, location, washback, mash tun, pot still, middle cut, climate, to name some, that imho one needs to distinguish more carefully.
I totally agree with you !
Ralfy, thank you for this informative video. Now I understand the process better. Looking forward for more information about the topic.
Thank you Ralfy. Just what I've been waiting for. One thing you said which was extremely interesting (the rest was only VERY interesting) was that the European QR oak imparts fruity notes. I wonder whether chemists can identify the flavour influence of the QR oak seperate to the sherry influence? I know there are plenty of examples of QA new oak maturations but are there malts on the market, which were matured in new (toasted or charred) QR oak which have never had sherry or wine matured in them? Then we would see what influence the oak alone has upon the whisky.
Hello Ralfy its really good information I got today. With this. Review.. You are amazing knowledge... Thank you very much.. Bye
Hello, Ralfy. You told, that we're not eating wood, but actually - nuts are a small soft seeds with the taste of a wood. In China people are eating inner soft parts of a bamboo. And even now people use a sandal bark as a spice and a bark of a willow, as the medicine for the heart ilnesses. And there are a lot of other examples, that people could "eat " wood. Also a tree tar was used as a bubble gum. That's why trees always been a part of a every day meal of many people, even a centuries ago.
Great video. It answered quite a few questions I had about the process. And in fact I do enjoy my whisky much more knowing more about it. Thanks Ralfy.
Thank you for this wonderful information !
Very interesting and informative video! Thank you, dear Ralfy!
An early Extras! This is great stuff, Ralfy. Thanks dude! 🤟🏼
very good STUFF!!!. Would you mind talking about all the different finishes and how they change the flavor? like Bourbon, Oloroso, Fino, Sautuern, Tokaji, Red wine, white wine...so on. THANK YOU
I will consider this.
Thanks Ralfy , very interesting subject .
More good info Ralfy, as always. Very intresting, indeed. Hope that you cover more on this subject in the very near future. Thank you.
Love your reviews! Thank you for the additional information as well...just starting to work my way into the different whisky styles
Excellent video. I am happy to have found your channel. Congratulations Sir; you certainly know your stuff. Keep up the good work!
Love your videos always informative and entertaining. Thanks for posting :)
Hello Ralfy, from the north of Spain. What about a vblog about CHOCOLATE? I bet you love it and I must say my experience with both chocolate and whisky have run parallel through my life... Thanks a lot and keep on "malting"!
I will be doing a Vlog at some point on chocolate.
Thanks for the upload Ralfy. I always wondered why the Americans didn't reuse their casks.
They can do, but not for bourbon
Look forward to the 2nd part, pls post it ASAP, Thanks !!!
grate video ralfy! thanks :)
it will be fun to have another location vlog (long time no see)
Really enjoyed the listening to the information vlog! Thank, Ralfy!!!
Excellent! More vids like this would be very welcome.
Yes Ralfy, rust is a form of Iron oxide. :)
Ralfy, when you have time please do another vlog with all the issues you haven't tackled in this one. Thank you.
Harlan Wheatley, master distiller of Buffalo Trace, claims that barrel wood from toward top of tree has more vanilla, whereas lower can potentially have coconut... found interesting and wanted to share.
. . . Iv'e heard this one too, apparently to do with cellular structure in wood and associated composites which relate to weight bearing needs of the tree, which can exceed 50 tons.
ralfystuff It was from an informative interview from University of Kentucky "nunncenter" oral history - he even talks about experimenting with single TREE whisky. Please consider reviewing E.H. Taylor... cheers.
Very interesting, very informative, dear malt mate!
Another home run Ralfy. Score!!! Thank you for sharing your knowledge once again with us. Be interested to hear your thoughts on a couple of USA distilleries squeezing the oak wood to extract more flavor. A money making gimmick or a new improvement?
gimmick !
Ralfy how about a quick tour of the bottles behind you next video? I don't recognise any of them. Would also love some more ' on location' reviews as well. Slainte!
Oh and any plans to review any smws bottling? recently tried 'flip flops up a chimney' and found it exceptional. Not cheap though.
Timbo Veight SMWS bottlings are variable in quality, and expensive.
malty mr. magoos what a wonderful we history/whiskey lesson
I like all these interesting videos!
I can understand that, the bottling I tried was $30AUD for a dram! But I've not seen it anywhere else, and it was brilliant stuff.
Regarding " the same spirit into the same oak cask" can taste differently.
I would be surprised if any two oak casks or barrels were ever chemically identical. They may even be from the same tree yet vary as to what part of the tree, inner or outer areas the stave wood was cut from. This would lead to differences in ratios of lignans, cellulose contents etc. in the wood. This then leads to different compounds being produced during charring as well as physical differences of the wood.
Compounding this, if from different oak, not specie of Oak, but the same like American Oak, time of year when cut would affect sap level in the wood and therefore inherent sugar levels.
In other words, there are a great many variables that are present in "the same Oak barrels" from the same barrel factory when considered on a microscopic chemical level, and flavors have an effect at the part per million level, and some at part per billion, so perhaps that is what can make a difference.
I would think that a good analytical chemist with a chromatograph could answer this more exactly.
Think you may need a wee revision of your chemistry Ralphy, other than that very informative!
Do you remember in an episode of Foyles War when he brought out a bottle of The Glenlivet and said that he wouldn't be getting another bottle until the end of the war? "Hello you Malt Merlin Engines..."
Hi ralfy. I'm very curious about these 2 questions:
1) I here the thickness of the staves have diminished over time because of the environment (and costs). That can be seen in warehouses comparing old and new casks - so I here. Is that true?
2) Is the color of the whisky in casks very much determined by the degree of charring? If so you could say that there is "E150" by the burnt natural sugar in the oak.
Thanks :-)
yes, staves are thinner, especially in Euro-oak casks. Charring affects colour but so do other things like tannin content in wood and toasting levels.
E150a can be made to occur naturally.
Excellent . Most informative .
Very well presented information. Anyone that drinks whisky will be significantly better informed and more appreciative the drink they have in their hand. On another note Ralfy, why not get into a bit of merchandising? Ralfy.com flat caps?? Trend setting into yet another direction.....
That was fantastic. Thanks Ralfy
Hi Ralfy,
You appear to be very consistent in the amount of spirit you pour into a Glencairn whisky glass for your reviews. Could you measure the amount & let us know please.
20ml
. . . approximately !
I saw a movie called "the angels share". The movie is about whiskey and the phrase "the angels share" refers to 2% of the spirit gets lost each year due to evaporation, is this true? Or is it just bullshit people say in movies. I just thought that was interesting
Ralfy, I respect you, you malty smarty-pants! 👍
Hello Sir, I was wondering if I may ask your advice/opinion about something. I recently bought a brand new 5 L European oak cask. My plan is to load it with port, wait a year, then drain it and reload it with Nikka From the Barrel. Does this sound like it might work? Any pitfalls I should be aware of? Love the reviews!
Well done, Ralfy!
I love this guy.
Is no one going to comment on the Cyberman in the background? RUN RALFY!
The Dalek has been relegated to the second shelf.... At any rate, The Doctor needs to visit the Bothy...
very informative! Thanks!
To bad I have a job interview in a few hours otherwise I would open a nice bottle now. Cheers
I have a 1950s bottle of HAIG Pinch and In the bottle there is what looks like Cask particles floating
. . . a good sign.
@@thewhiskybothy it’s a tradition of mine every December to open a vintage bottle of Scotch and enjoy it up until December 31st
Ralphy i've been following you for more than 5 years now, i've enjoyed scotch since a wee lad and ive moved to the US now, texas specifically, have you tried some of the fine spirits from tejas yet?
Balcones Blue Corn, very tasty !
Informative
Rust in indeed an oxide (more precisely a family of oxides): iron oxide
bit late with this, but why don't they put extra wood/woodchips in the cask?
. . . can go horribly wrong if not done right.
@@thewhiskybothy hey that was quick, thanks for the reply, I adore your videos btw, I got a bottle of Filey Bay yorkshire whisky last week , I think it'sdelicious, am I wrong?
@@frankcarter6427 . . . you are right, FB has good 'character'.
Amazing!
If there was a degree program in Whisky, you should be an honorary professor.
Just wondering if anyone has seen a distilled maple syrup product, not a liqueur but a real 100 proof maple distillate, and what by the by would it be called, a rum?
Quercus Alba, Ralfy. Bit of a cuss word.
👍❤️🥃
I am Currently reading a document about the effects of casks on maturation. Also gives information about the origin of the chemicals which react in the barrel for vanilla notes etc. As a mechanic engineer I love reading this stuff. etd.lib.msu.edu/islandora/object/etd:1059/datastream/OBJ/view this link is the thesis I'm reading
Is oak wood the cheapest? That sounds a bit weird..
commercial expediency !
Hey Ralfy I undestnd frm coments tht mashes of grain variations dun separately wud yield more control 2 th finl product but dontcha thnk tht a maryd fermntation w/difrent grain ratios n th same ferm wud marry the contnts more thoroly 2 yield a mor consistant quality wort as th ferm materializes?? I red sumwhre that this is a reg practis in the Mts of Appalachia. U know wat I mean??
A richer integratd new-make ready 4 th cask.
just thinkn bout variations on the "craft theme" thnx
L8r
I wish I could eat wood; It's delicious. At least we can chew on it a little.
Ohwwwwwww ! Cybermen ! \o/
Malty Maniacal Megalomaniacs.
forsenE