ralfy review 931 - Bunnahabhain 18yo @46.3%vol: (2022)
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
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Thanks for all you do Ralfy! Prices are getting ridiculous across the board - luckily, I'm a simple man who can get by just fine with a bottle of Laphroiag 10 and Bunnahabhain 12.
Me too - and Ardbeg 10!
Me too. There are a lot of good whiskys around the world for less than 50 euros, at least for me.
We're also paying a third tax: inflation has long been viewed as a "stealth tax". I think that's correct, and like the ever-regressive sales tax, it always falls heaviest on the poor.
. . . agreed.
Beeing from argentina my self I long well know inflation as a permanent form of poberty
So true...People almost NEVER look to blame the rich. That must change, at least in the States. Cheers.
And it’s been rampant in America since about January 2021, seen liquor sky rocket
@@robfut9954 honestly since 2019, I remember when I could buy a bottle of antique Weller 12 at 107proof for 40 dollars. Now you have the option of the 12 at 90 proof for usually around 80 and the 107 w/out an age statement (allegedly 6-8 years old, but let's be honest and put that on a label if that's true) for upwards of 100 dollars. Between the whiskey boom, greed from distributers, and the lack of transparency inthe three tier system, it's gone mad. With the old tariffs scotch went mad in price stateside and is only just now starting to come down, and sourcing has been so spotty. Finding a trustworthy store with good folk who run it has become more important than ever.
RALFY we are blessed to have you. You are a straight shooter and state how it really is. I love you my friend! You are such a friend and true. Having a dram or a few of Bunnahabhain Toiteach A DHA, love Bunnahabhain Distillery for sure. You are in my heart RALFY. Tobermory and Bunnahabhain are my favorites!
Had my first Bunnahabhain at Sandy Bell's, Edinburgh in 1995 & have never enjoyed any whisky as much & still swear by and recommend Bunnahabhain to anyone who asks.
Always been superb.
Whisky industry, listen to what he is saying! Ralfy you're damn right. I do buy less than I used and you have just told everybody the reason why. Recently decided to take bottles of my collection for drinking instead of buying expensive stuff of poorer quality.
Damn good video. It's disappointing that so many other independent reviewers fail to properly challenge whisky producers' exploitation of the marketplace. They were remorselessly upping prices well before this current inflation set in. I loved the birdsong in the background, too.
This is currently a ghost in Canada but I managed to get one last Father’s Day. This is an absolutely spectacular revelation of a scotch. Oaky and complex beyond anything I’ve had to date. 10/10
I love that you added what you think it's worth. Very informative and helpful guide. Cheers!
Nice one! Great to hear some down to earth straight talking from the heart! 😁👍🇬🇧
I always love the honesty of the reviews ralfy. I've gone for some older bottlings in the past, but really struggle to justify the costs these days.
Been considering this for a while. Considering the price here in China I'm very glad I've seen this.
That’s no joke, and a great deal of whisky in China is fake. Go to Taiwan and you will see some nice bottles for reasonable prices. Also, Korea and Japan have a lot to offer and all are legit original bottles.
@@scottyblog I've never had a fake bottle. They tend to fake the mass produced stuff like JD and Chivas.
@@scottyblogno body is faking whisky in China because the consumption is so low. There used to be a lot fake Baijiu (Chinese Bourbon or whatever that is) but even that is very rare now because of tightened laws
Love this honest reviews! I think the same since quite a time. Bunna 18 is way too expensive for what you get. Like many other brands. They think, it’s the lucky time now. They can bottle what they want, it will fly of the shelves. But no! This is not true. Long term view, the brands with quality and fair prices will be the winners. Like all other products too.
It's hard to see you genuinely upset. I continue to be impressed by the amount I'm learning about the role of casks, and the means to see the results of poor ones. Thank you!
Hi Ralfy!
Pretty animated there and righteously so, I guess.
With the current world demand for quality malts, it's virtually impossible for all the distilleries to get the better casks.
There's always a limited number of them and they cost dearly.
It's a war out there!
All the marketing suits should get the boot!
Packaging kept to minimum or even done completely away with; the bottle is enough ( Springbank is said to be seriously contemplating that)
Personally, I'm starting drinking my stash up, I'm good for a number of years, and waiting for the inevitable bust.
Last bottle was an Aultmore 18, found by my innocent retailer for 103 Euro, It was going 140-150 online here in Holland.
Cheers mate, take care.
I love the birds sounding in the background. Hearing the description of the future, for the whisky, that you have started to mention several videos ago; I have started to create my own reserve with with the best whiskys that have arrived to Argentina, through the Argentine Whisky Museum (soon to be named the biggest in the world), like Aberlour, Arran, Bruichladdich, Caol Ila, Clynelish, Glenfarclas, Glenmorangie, Glenfiddich, Kilchoman, and so on; trying to avoid blends, and double or triple casks of main trademarks. I'm expecting that more brands like Bunnahabhain and others, arrives soon, but it's difficult. In the meantime, can you check for a new distillery from Tel-Aviv called M&H (Milk & Honey)?, it will be great if you get a bottle from them to review it. Cheers!
This is one of the 18 year olds I've been considering as a special birthday and Christmas treat. Glad to have seen this review. Nothing worse than forking out £100+ and it just not being what you'd hoped. Still somewhat regretting that Tamdhu 18 purchase!
The tamdhu 18 not good?
@@maltmoments1242 it's a lovely whiskey! But; whereas the 15 year old is worth its (steep enough) price - I don't think the 18 is at £140. Not even close.
@@mincey808 My thoughts on it too. It's interesting how price can affect enjoyment of what is admittedly a solid whisky. If it was equivalent to £100 it'd be a no brainer.
Yes the 18 is expensive, but my bottle is superb, I love it and it was a treat, but then again, I got mine in a flash sale so cost £90, which to me is what it should be. Whisky prices seem to be going up and up, it was only a couple of years ago, you could pick up the Balvenie 21 Portwood for £120, look at the price of that now 😲
You might want to check a few sources.
A wise man once said, taxes are the best example of Legalised Theft, I couldn't agree more!
At this rhythm in a few years we'll only able to talk about NAS versions of Single Malts, bad signs for the next years!
Looking forward to the next extra, Thanks Ralfy! Cheers..
Regarding Sherry casks, you are spot on Ralfy. The Sherry Cask has changed dramatically over the past 50 years. It's continued to evolve/mutate/transform into a very different cask type even more over the last 20 years. We've gone from the transport casks of the 1970s to the re-seasoned casks to the heavily customised Sherry Seasoned Sherry casks we see today. These casks are so impregnated with sherry wine that the natural Oak flavours are struggling to get through. Most are now made of American oak rather than the traditional European Oak so you are missing all those heavy dominant spicy Spanish flavours (which in my opinion, contribute to a longer finish), and this has been replaced with the vanilla/caramel/toffee and honey flavours which you used to exclusively associate with Bourbon Barrels.
In my opinion, the quality of the casks has NOT gone down. If anything, distillery investment in casks and QA has gone up. It is the very nature of those Sherry casks which have changed radically and you can taste this.
The old casks would have conveyed subtle hints of sherry, sulfur burnt matches and lots of complex oaky spices. Today's modern Sherry casks will give you dominant raisin, prunes and red wine flavours with vanilla and honey, with a touch of soft spices.
Today, when Cask Managers order stock from Spain, they have the choice of Oak types.
Next are Cask sizes. The traditional 500L is still popular but becoming increasingly popular is the 250L Hogsheads or even 125L Quarter Casks which gives the distillery the option for shorter maturation times.
After that we get to choose the Sherry Seasoning types where you have the choice of levels of quality as well as sherry styles. Then you decide on the number of months to season your casks. It used to be 2 years was standard but you are now seeing 1 year / 18 months which, in my opinion is too short. You get a massive sherry blast but some of those off notes from raw wood will creep in.
The comment is already getting too long so I'll end here.
Ralfy's *face* is just SO priceless (weird enough while holding that cash) at 18:09 as soon as he mentions SpringBank !!! 🤣🤣 Made my day! 😁😃
Hi Ralfy, I may have told you before that my whisky journey started in 1985 with 4 - 6 weekly work trips to Scotland, primarily Aberdeen. I said to my wife at the start we will educate ourselves to Malt Whisky flavours by buying a different bottle each trip. A bottle of Bunnhabhain was an early recommended purchase from the merchant on Rose Street. Unforgettable but not seen or found in subsequent years, our stash is more limited. Great to se this review. Nick from York
Same goes for the Bunnahabhain 12. Before it was richer and deeper. Even the Lagavulin 16 is not the same anymore. Good to have some old bottlings. Cheers Mate.
Good man Ralfy! I am one of the quiet ones. Agree with everything you said. I have a limited budget and do my research to avoid these type of bad batches now. Learnt my lesson with Bunna. 4 bottles of Bunna 12 over the last 6 or 7 years and 2 were bad batches. They smelt and tasted like off rice wine / sake. Been getting into quality bourbons lately to be honest and putting some away in the stash as advised. Got a bottle of Bladnoch 11 Australian Release today as well for the stash. Adam from Sydney. Keep up the good work mate!
With the prices whisky goes for these days there are no excuses for “bad batches”, the industry seems to be operating on the rules of investment banking whereby as long as eager customers want to buy something they will sell it irrespective of its quality. I, like many, are reaching a point were I simply don’t want to buy anymore whisky. The days of finding something special for retail seem long gone, the days of finding something half decent for a decent price are becoming scarcer - what’s the point? Whisky is a luxury product not a life essential, and at a time in which we are having to be ever more conscious of where we spend our money whisky just isn’t providing anywhere near enough quality to justify the cost of entry. Good video Ralfy, you’re saying things that need to be said.
Love the bunn 12. One of my favorite scotches. The 18 is about $100 more in USA which is unattainable. They need to release something in between the 12 and the 18.
I always was a big fan of the Bunna 18. Last year I grabbed a bottle for 100€, which I thought was max for what it was like. Now if it got worse, it will be a sad story for Bunna, I hope to find some interesting Indipendent Bottlings of it, maybe it can be kind of an alternative.
Regarding stopping to buy Whisky, at least I started to look around where I live (Germany). Asbach sadly is using E150 and are bottling at 40%, but still you can feel the quality of the spirit and the casks, more so compared to many of the known Whisky brands. They have their own coopers on-site and only use French and German oak. When I visited the distillery in Rüdesheim am Rhein i left the Feedback to please at least launch some enthusiast Bottlings at cask sthrength without Color, maybe single casks. I would love to taste that!
The 21 year old is available here for 70€, complex and deep stuff, good value…
So regional things like this, Elsburn Whisky, certain Cognacs etc. really can be an alternative if more whisky producers go that route of raising prices while lowering quality and stuff like Arran or Springbank gets harder to find. I will stock up all Ardbamurchan Bottlings as long as they stay reasonable priced, really wonderful tasty Scotch!
I've been doing this for 30 years..... dramatic pause.... that was damn long, and damn dramatic... love it
Weird thing is the 2021 Bunna 12yo cask strength is really good and probably worth an 88-90 score. Yet the last standard Bunna 12yo I had two or three years ago was probably an 80. Strange things are happening at that distillery.
bought a bottle for £69 on that comment.... I'll hold you responsible if disappointed ;)
@@tomtomtommyism Verdict?
And I thought it was only me. Used to love and recommend the 12, but my last bottle was disappointing, flat and sprit-y.
I think I'll skip this and buy a couple more bottles of the 12 and keep the extra cash saved for a rainy day, great review.
Ralfy, I've been watching you regularly for well over a decade now. cheers and thankyou 🥃
Classical Ralfy! Thank you for saying what has to be said! 👍
Scared we might lose you from the world of RUclips one day. But no issues.. If that ever happens, we know how to find you. Great work, Ralf.
Wow that was brutal. I've been holding off getting this one. Glendronach, Deanston, Arran, Clynelish, Kilkerran, and Springbank already got my money. Thank you sir..!
Thanks, Ralfie for the latter part of this review. I'm from Bulgaria and here is what I recently bought for roughly the equivalent of GBP 120 - Caol Ila 12 YO, Glen Garioch 12 YO, Craigelachie 13 YO and Glen Garioch Founder's Reserve. I believe, even if you gave this 18 YO Bunnahabhain 99/100 I would still never buy it bearing in mind that I could always get at least three, if not four excellent whiskies at this price. Nevertheless, it's always a joy watching your reviews.
I agree Ralfy on the note on quality. Very rarely do bottlings excite me anymore because I know the liquid inside isn't what it used to be.
Hi Ralphie, I bought a bottle of Arran "The bothy" for 42€ here in Italy. It is a NAS bottled at cask strenght and really tasty for my unexpert taste. To me, it was well spent money, despite it's a NAS.
I love it too. 9 year old or so. Very okay, while being young with srs still signature.
You're on point regarding ludicrous prices being charged to consumers these days. Some increase due to inflation, supply chain challenges is warranted but what's being passed on is not justified at all.
Hi Ralfy, I totally agree about paying the price of this kind of stuff. Whisky and rum is becoming absurd. I've been wanting to buy a bottle of this since it's been a while, but the price completely sucks. I don't even think it's that much better than the 12. My collection is becoming extremely personal and I don't care about trendy or unicorn stuff. I know what I like. 82/100 is pretty poor value and I agree with you. I'm well known in the community for griping about value for years. We are on song. WT
Oh, the stash. I am lucky enough to have the budget to stock up when things come around. The latest batch of bottles: Kilkerran 16 year 2021, Cognac Prunier 1940 Lot 40, Nectar of the Daily Dram 1985 35 year old Secret Highland, Thompson Brothers 1996 Unpeated Lediag, and a 1950's Buchanan's Blend.
Isn't unpeated Ledaig just Tobermory
@@simonsherratt1484 No, sir. "Another excellent cask of ‘Unpeated’ Ledaig. As far as we can decipher this stock was created as blending stock to be used within Burn Stewart. The provided paperwork states ‘Unpeated Ledaig’ and the casks marked as Ledaig. We find the style quite different to Tobermory of a similar age/vintage, the spirit is definitely a lot fruiter and has a lovely coating mouthfeel. We think the production process (mainly cut points & fermentation times) were those of Ledaig but the malt was unpeated… whatever it is, we are very happy to bottle it!"
I came to the same conclusion about Bunnahabhain 18, after paying £108 for my last bottle just a few years ago. The previous bottles sporting the old style label were simply fantastic & it's a crying shame the quality of this whisky has slumped.
Another informative review Ralfy, keep the good work up.
Slainte :)
I think there's some extreme batch variation with the 18 lately. I tried it in a pub and it was sensational
Ralfy, you are on point matey. I have not had Bunna 18 for 6 years now, there's a reason and you hit it.
Ralf 'Rage Against The Machine' Mitchell at it again! Can't get enough of those heavy punch videos!
Deal or No Deal.. No Deal! 😁🥃🥃 Well said Ralfy, im defo on a budget, never spent over £70 on a bottle (yet)
A great review and food for thought!! We all want proper value for our hard earned $£€¥. If I have 1 off or bad batch, I don't go back, period.
🥂
Gary
Brilliant Brilliant Review ...And so true ...Quality v Price ..Thats the BIG question
Love the ...Holding the cash up and actually showing us what you think that bottle is worth in your opinion , Please add this as a regular feature of your reviews ...Ya want it straight and honest ...Watch Ralfy !!!!
Speaking truth, Ralfy, as always! Much appreciated. The cost is an ever-present concern, more so in the past year (and foreseeable future). I certainly am much more discerning with my whiskey dollars, and your insight and comments are well received. The concern about cost, however, particularly hits me hard as my whiskey palate is much more inclined toward -- and prefers -- savory, heavy, oily whiskies. So, while we can go out and find younger whiskies (e.g., Deanston Virgin Oak) at a better price point, I am struggling finding my preferred savory and heavier whiskies at that better price point. Loch Lomond 12 has been a good surprise, but generally am at a loss trying to find those meatier/oily/heavy whiskies at that better price point. The chase is still on, but with much more deliberation and fiscal discretion. Cheers.
You’re the best Ralfy, keep up the great work. I love the honesty here and you are 100% spot on, cheers.
With the way you review each spirit, the words you use and even your non-verbal, I can almost always guess spot on the note you will give it in the end. Love your reviews every week! :)
Bunnahabhain 12 is my go to malt, and it's good to see that you still have that Glasgow way of thinking, Partick and Finnieston always has a place in my heart as well, well i served my apprenticeship in Finnieston and my family ran the Driftwood on Argyle st.
A great "show and tell" which really proves your point Ralfy. Well-done!
Right now I am only buying tasting samples ... and a whisky ought to have quite a lot to offer before I buy the bottle. One example of "making maltmates mute": Glenturret 30y (bottled 2018, 43,3%) is still available in Germany for around 350 Euros - like the "new" Glenturret 30 y (2020, 45,7%) "finished" in European sherry casks for around 1.700 Euros. God, dame it ... this amount of money is the equivalent of at least 35 bottles of whiskies which costs around 50 Euros. And I am pretty sure everybody here could name easily 35 bottles which he/she would purchase and enjoy instead.
This was seriously....nearly brutally honest but very important to be shout out in the whisky world!!!
thx for sharing your experience and opinions Ralfy!
A very refreshing viewpoint Ralfy. Loved the content. The quality of liquid inside the bottle is not matching the price index these days. Buying a whisky bottle demands extensive research prior to purchase.
Hello Ralfy - and thank you for your honest work and guidance for whisk(e)y enthusiasts all over the world,
I am a big fan of Bunnahabhain 12yo - and I've just reflected ... should I go for Bunnahabhain 18yo or Ancnoc 18yo which both I have got
in horrizon of my interest... now I am convinced and appreciate your contribution to that.
Ralfy, I am glad that you brought up the price comparison at the end of it. 2 bottles of Longrow Peated anytime!
One of the best videos bringing it exactly to the point what's happening right now. Hype bottles - hype prices, medium or low quality whisky. Standard bottles - medium or low quality whiskies, also high prices. It's almost time to move on to some other spirits although I love Scotch.
Bad value in single malts is one reason that I have found myself buying more rum in the past year or so than ever before. Much bigger bang/buck than scotch at the moment. Distillers should take note.
Ralphy, you Arena right. I stopped buying older Whiskys ohne year ago, The prices are to high for the quality and I'm drinking my older favourites.
Greetings from Germany and thank you for the lot of advices.
William
How on earth can the likes of "Boona" and others demand such high prices when the contents do not deliver? In these ever increasingly inflation rising times coupled with crippling taxes (and yes, your 20% VAT is applied to the Excise duty inclusive value), people will invariably vote with their feet. There's a bread & butter middle ground for us regular fans, so the likelihood of forking out £120 of your finest cash sterling is NIL. Don't get me wrong, I do very much like the old Bunna but alas I will only be in the market for the NAS and 12 y/o. Great comments Ralfy.....keep 'em coming.
. . . "Islay" premium. Bunna is being elevated to a 'aspirational' status by the owners. Big mistake.
@@thewhiskybothy Quite agree my friend. Don't do 'aspirational'......I do realistic.
Many thanks Ralfy for this very important message. The writing is on the wall for an industry increasingly marketing its product at a price beyond the reasonable reach of its core loyal customers. Or even blatant rip-offs - Glen Scotia 25 for £500 anyone ? There has to be a limit and I think £120 is it for an 18 year old - and for that it had better be something special! Here's hoping the bubble bursts soon, especially in the secondary market. Cheers!
Great review as always and I feel the same way about many whiskies out there. Price/quality ratio is where the problem lies in my opinion. Mentioning not buying 21+ year old whiskies is a bald move but it is necessary as the prices are just insane. With everybody tring to “invest” and just paying whatever prices market throws at people it is important to step back and enjoy the quality and availability of whikies we have in our reach rather that mindlessly chasing bottles. Good stuff! Looking forward to another review! Best regards. L.
Agree on the prices Ralfy. In 2023 I plan on buying very few bottles as I only want quality and value (very rare in many things now!)
Thank you for this video!
I firstly didn't want to watch it because it's about an overpriced whisky I wouldn't mention to buy for that reason.
I did end up watching it because I was curious why you are reviewing this whisky anyway.
Wasn't disapointed. I think your criticism is on point. Maybe you didn't make it clear enough at the end of the video: This problem of declining quality and rising prices is not just a Bunnahabhain problem, it affects a large proportion of Scotland's top tier distilleries.
Thank you Ralphy mate.
I was looking at purchasing a bottle of this in Australia for $275 Aussie shekels.
I won’t now.
If it’s recommended by you, it’s good enough for me. You’re my Scotch discovery mentor.
I hope you’re well mate and best wishes from Tasmania.
Bunnahabhain 18yr at Stg120 is still acceptable. In Hong Kong a bottle of 18yr old Macallan is now Stg400+ per bottle. Crazy money. Thx for reviewing these lovely bottles.
I bought a bottle of Bunna 18 for $120 in the States 3 years ago. Very good for that price. Now it is double that and it's now "relationship" bottle along with Springbank (never gets put on the shelf).
Many thanks!👌
I Love the 12 year, also the Arron 10 for sure, for the price. Always appreciate your insight. Take Care.
Managed to find an older Bunnahabhain 18 from 2013 at 46.3% for $135 aud (old prices) sitting in a random store overseas. Glad to have found it considering its half the cost locally for me
I just opened a bottle of this, my first, and was surprised by the lack of fireworks on the palate. Delicate and enjoyable but not the spectacular dram I was hoping for.
If anyone in the whisky industry has an opinion of contempt for you Ralfy I'd be shocked and offended. No one has taught me more about spirits than you have. I think I've said this before, I didn't even drink alcohol when I started watching your channel back in 2010. I was just here for the captivating & informative content! Well done. . .
. . . People can get 'upset' at unflattering reviews in the real world.
@@thewhiskybothy agreed and that "upset"ness would be best put to improving the quality of their product in my humble opinion. Thanks for your reply Ralfy!
I do agree Ralfy and as an Islay boy I am not happy with the lower quality still like it but at £120 I will be going with the 12 more often. Just ordered 2 Arran to give it a go I had some on the ferry and I thought it was pretty good. I like having an evening with 3 bottles for a taste comparison. Sorts out what I like from just a name.
I totally agree with you Ralfy, the whisky industry is somewhat out of sync with its customers if they think the can sell poorer quality spirits for more. Thank you for another quality review, Might have to look at Springbank 10 or 15 as an alternative to 18 yo Scotches. Cheers!
Damn Ralfy, I was looking everywhere for that one. You just tempered my enthusiasm... :)
It's fortunately always been easy to find springbank 12 and 18 around me. I suppose I should stop taking that for granted.
You’re are the best whisky reviewer out there. Americans don’t know what they are talking about, those German guys are sellers themselves, most of them are a bit on the positive side for views or other points….
But when I buy something that is right according Ralfy, my experience matches the Ralfy review.
My local big online store has put glenfiddich 12 "on sale" for what would normally be their standard price. Can't wait to see what price it's at 'off sale' tomorrow
. . . and there you have it.
I love the 12 and bought a bottle of this recently. I loved it! Did not think it was worth anything near that though!
Yes agreed Ralfy! Its interesting how I just read the other day that many whisky fans are getting tired of it. They are starting to move on to other things like Tequila. I hope these distilleries are paying attention. Thanks again Ralfy.
$300 USD as of Feb 2024 in Houston, Texas. I stocked up on the 12 YO old stock, before they changed the packaging....
What is the bottling date for this bottle? My experience is, the bottles from 2021(so perhaps bought in 2022) were much weaker than the bottlings from 2022 and pre-2020. I loved your talk on the casks. Wonderful channel.
I feel bad for you this time. I'm following along with a Bunna18 that I bought in 2018 for 135USD. I've had it set aside with the gas on it. It tastes as good now as I remember back then. This one seems lighter in color than yours but the form evolves with a small amount of water in the same way you describe.
I have to disagree! I truly love and enjoy Bunna 18, todays releases may not be as exceptional as they were back in the 80’s, as mentioned by Ralfy, however this is still a very good delicious single malt. Worth the money in my opinion.
I bought a U.S. bottle from a very small shop about 2 months ago. New label, but maybe it was on the shelf for years? Dunno. It took FOREVER to open up. I was pretty disappointed after the reviews I read, and being a lover of the 12. But after a month of the bottle being below the shoulder, it really started to blossom. Like one of the best whiskies I’ve ever had. But based on this review, I’m not sure I’ll buy again soon. I think I agree with Ralfy about 70% of the time. That’s as good as any reviewer I’ve found so far. Sheesh.
Agreed. I absolutely love Bunna 18
I have 3 bottles on the mantle from 2020-21 and they are fantastic
… mate, it’s a little cringe to disagree with R. on Bunna, he knows them so well … unless … how old are your bottles ?
@@rhodes1591 Ralfy knows his stuff, no doubt about it. But it’s possible he’s got a bad bottle here, an outlier. Not likely, but possible. It does happen. Also possible, as you asked, that some of us may have bought bottles very recently that were actually bottled a couple years ago.
I remember finding Glenfarclas 25, Old Pulteney 21 and Glendronach 21 & Glengoyne 21 for $130. Springbank 12 and Laphroaig 18 and Glendronach 18 for $90. Those days are long gone my friends. Now we really have to do our homework to get value out of our hard earned cash.
Great review and you made some important comments. (See my longer comment below). How about doing a re-review of the Caol Ila 18 which you last reviewed back in 2015!!! Then you gave it a very respectable 88.
Also, with value for money in mind, you could try reviewing some of the Loch Lomond 18 Year Olds. They are all Non Chill Filtered, bottled at 46% and at the lowest prices I've seen for an 18 Year Old, besides the Glen Moray 18.
spot on mate!
The reason why whisky prices are leaving Earth and reaching outer space is simple - China. They will just buy anything for double or triple price, they have lots of money, and are able to spend it. And also whisky auctions, look at any Springbank products. Even when owners are not willing to sell the whole stock to China, the demand for these is so strong, that even EU distributors employees are buying almost all Springbank, Kilkerran, Longrow and Hazelburn bottles for themselfs (so it doesn't even reach retail) and emediately put them into auctions, where it is sold for tripple price. That's the way it is, and it won't get better anytime soon. It is cynical, but true.
Ouch. But I agree with the cask statement. I've had a very bad bottle of Bunna 18 before. The 12 year has consistently provided delicious top tier taste for the money. And lo and behold the 12 year is on offer nearby for 36 pounds. I can get 3 bottles for the price of 1 bottle of 18....no brainer.
Love the cash analogy!!
Very expensive IMHO. I’ll buy the 12.
In order to "reboot" my palate for a bit, I switched over to Bourbon (here in the US). The prices of most good malts here is absolutely ridiculous. The bang for your buck you get here with Bourbon makes me question whether I'll ever go back. Springbank 10...One of my favorite (formerly) daily sippers $120.00 before tax. Never. Ever. They can make all the excuses they want but to the Scotch whisky industry overall.. See ya later. As sad as it is to say, you're just not worth it anymore.
Id love to afford an 18 year old whiskey. Nice to see the Isle of Man Sterling Ralphy. I'm sure you've experienced handing that over on some corner shop in England and getting confused looks followed by flat refusal. Same with Northern Ireland sterling!
I had to pay around 75 USD here in Taiwan for that Bunna. For that price, really nice whisky. Those prices will also be history soon.
Because of the whiskey boom right now, everyone is putting as much out there as quickly as they can. The quality is a non issue for the distilleries. Just get it out and sell, sell, sell. With the prices going through the roof, it not enjoyable anymore. Would just have to buy a cheaper younger bottle and some beer. Companies will lose their quality customers and have to hope the younger ignorant consumer will buy enough for them to stay a float. Rising cost is a huge issue right now.
Perhaps I should be unsurprised that Ralfy has surprised me again. I tried this in the Clachaig Inn in Glencoe last year and it was sensational. Batch variation? (not excusing the extortionate price mind). Mine had no peat about it, was heavily and luxuriously sherried but in a balanced and elegant way, with a nutty and spicy finish that went on and on. A top 5 malt for me and I've been indulging for almost 10 years.
Interesting that Ralfy mentions Deanston as being far better value, and they are owned by the same company as Bunnahabhain. Deanston 18 can be had for almost half the price of the Bunna!. Perhaps it's just cashing in on Bunnahabhain's greater popularity?
My experience was very similar. And by the way, I like Deanston 12 more than the 18, no joke.
We need a monthly Ralfy with John Lydon talk show on RUclips
Recently purchased Bunnahabhin 12 mistakenly for Bruichladdich product and pleasantly surprised!
One of the best SMSW I have ever had. Just tasty as heck.
It’s time to look at American bourbon, ryes and malts. Yes, malts even though they are a little on the younger side right now. Heck, I may as well send you some bottles to review if you think they are up to par.
100% agree! Good video! Thanks!
Just been watching Trevor Nation and R Dunlop on the Norton Rotaries on your island - hairs on the back of the neck or what!