Today, I got my first bottle of Glenfarclas, 105 Casket Strength from a friend (the old style bottle, longer bottle and fancy design label, I bet he had it in the cupboard for years! ) I've been watching reviews on RUclips for about two hours on this whisky and your review is the best, specially because of you laidback style, it's refreshing actually, in contrast with the other reviews who just put their nose in the glass and start saying whatever comes to their heads :) You even talk about tax on your review. Whisky and good conversation goes together. Thank you!
Thank you Ralfy.As usual, it's your tips and advice that are as important as the evaluation of the whisky itself. As at May 4 2020, a NZ mail order firm is offering this whisky in 1000ml bottles for $NZ83, a remarkably good price by the standards of today's inflated taxation.
Hi Ralfy - just bought and opened my 3rd Glenfarclas 105 (three in 15 years ). The trick is finding the right balance with water and time in the glass. What an excellent dram. A lot of whisky - a lot of alcohol - all who want to try this one must approach with due respect. Lovely... flavour!
Just 83! This malt is never absent from my cabinet and is, I think, the best value cask strength dram there is alongside A'bunadh. It does take a big old drop of water though...
I had a bottle of this and a bottle of the 15 year old. I have to say I preferred the 15 but the aroma you get from this one is amazing thanks to the strength. Mixing them together was surprisingly good.
I love the information I pick up on your whisky vlogs Ralfy. The Funnel/Jug tip for opening up young whisky's is just another great example. All my knowledge & appreciation of whisky's I've learned from watching your videos~ Thenk ye uncoly.. do dheagh shlàinte!
Just finished a bottle of this, shame you did not review it in time, had my eyes on the bottle for over a year. I really enjoyed the rollercoster ride on this one, albeit simple. You cannot dislike age mentioned, cask strength whiskies for this price. The spicy butterscotch nose is a winner really. Although I watered it down too, mini neat sips are to be tried.
Just got a bottle of this as a gift. And I was missing a cask strength in my shelf... I was even watching this review a couple days ago not knowing I was gonna get one as a gift. Looking forward to sipping this!!
Update: I just got an email from the distillery answering my question regarding the 105 age. Looks a bit like the age statement is off again and only older bottles in stock are 10 years old. Kudos to Mr Grant, I love first hand info, but not every distillery is so forthcoming. Here's the email: "Thanks for your message. 105 was labelled as a 10yo from 2009 till early 2014. Thanks. George Grant Sales Director"
very interesting. i think , just because it is about to become NAS it doesnt mean that it will be younger immediately. maybe they'll just keep the option of making it younger when hard times hit them. until then there are enough old style bottles. im actually surprised they didnt go the NAS route much earlier.
Hi Ralfy, I've been enjoying this malt for years, and fondly refer to it as "The Howitzer", as the howtizer cannon that our army (and maybe yours) uses has a 105mm bore. Of course, it's as powerful as the field piece (undiluted) and not a few of my malt mates have been "blown away" by the intensity of this dram. But I'm all about these cask strength Speys, and share Ein Stien's fondness for this dram as well as the Aberlour entry in this niche. Thanks much for this review Ralfy - keep them coming!
An old favorite of mine, the 'farclas 105... Scores a bit higher in my book. But that's personal taste. Maybe it's my under developed taste buds, but I regard A'bunadh pretty much equal, if not slightly better than 105. If I recall correctly A'bunadh scored some 10 malt marks higher?
I second that. While the a'bunadh was superior during the first years, quality decreased in the last few years (exceptions prove the rule). When I compared them last year the 105 had the upper hand. To be fair, I tried batch #49 recently and it was pretty good, although in a different, non sherry-heavy way. Never thought I wouldn't recognize an a'bunadh... :-)
Nick Scott-Turner Indeed. If you take price level of the 105 into account, it's a no-brainer. The 1 liter version can be found at bargain prices online.
just got a bottle of this. bit late to the party yes young and aggressive but cut 50 50 with water and a good old stir fantastic stuff. don't need much! cheers Ralfy.
Thanks Ralfy. I really liked this 105. Maybe a bit younger than it could be, but fun and exciting all the way through the bottle. Curious if they are more consistent than Aberlour...
Great tips Ralfy! Just opened a bottle of Kilchoman Machir Bay and it is terrific! 46% here in the USA, and non-chilled filtered natural color stated on the bottle. I'll be picking up another bottle of this to save for a later date. Stay well. Ossie
Ossie, I have seen 3 Kilchoman options available. Have you only had the Machir? Any idea how the rest of that line compared? Also, is it more like Springbank or Bruichladdich? I assume it is somewhat phenolic b/c of it being on Islay... I can also get the 4th edition and the original CS.
Brian DeSutter Hi Brian. This is my first Kilchoman. It's not like Springbank, at least not like the 12 year old Springbank. It's more peaty, but not intense. It's a young whisky. The 2013 release I have has been bottled from four and five year old single malt vats, the four year old finished in oloroso sherry butts for four weeks prior to bottling. For such a young whisky it is very good and worth a try.
I just drank my last drop of this dram. This is something to be enjoyed when in need of a pick up. Be safe. Thank you for some great content. Big love from sweden.
I personally like the 105 better than the abunadh, its got more dried fruit characteristics and is sweeter. Whereas, the abunadh is more spiy, dark chocolate, and oaky
Hia Ralfy, thanks for the video. I tried the 105 next to a glass of A'bunadh when I first bought it and it was a bit sharp, but I tried your decanting trick and it seems a lot smoother now.. Can't wait to try it next to a glass of A'bunadh to see the defference!
Another grand review i love the glenfiddich 14 rich oak and saw glenfiddich recently changed its packaging before xmas looks a cool packet and have recently seen the whisky being marketed more in shops just wondering ralfy what do you make of ledaig? I bought a bottle for £17 i wasn't expecting anything good opened it and was highly impressed it rivals some of the islay whisky for a fraction of the price mull has some grand whiskys similar to islay would be intrested in your thoughts on the matter
I think I will buy myself a Bunnahabhain 12 year old in time for new year, it feels like a safe bet. If there's any other non chill filtered and natural colour islay single malt that is as good but at a better price please share it with me. Great video as usual Ralfy, very informative!
I just re-sampled my B-12 last night after a long hiatus. Very good stuff. What the B-12 lacks in peat (I like peat) it makes up in flavor and nose. Good choice
Great review ralfy. Long time watcher of your channel. You never dissapoint in providing unbiased and informative reviews aimed at all levels of whisky drinkers. Iv grown over the past few years from having very little knowledge to being quite knowledgable about whisky mainly down to your vlogs. Thanks. I have a question. Iv tried a wide variety of malt whiskys now, usually £50 and below is my budget. My favourite so far is Caol Ila 12, followed by Highland Park 12. Based on this do you have any recommendation of something new to try thats not overly priced?
Ralfy, this whisky seems to be quite similar to Aberlour A'bunadh where people compare it alot on the Internet. What is your take on such comparison (i) in general; (ii) in terms of aggressiveness; and (iii) in terms of consistency? I am sure many of us will greatly enjoy a video on such comparison.
Ahh. just watched the vlog. Very nice. They also make a "spirits aerator" version of the device you were showing. The difference: it has a built-in jigger measure (shot) and a magnetic release valve. So, you pour your dram (in the stand) and then dispense into the Glencairn. Works brilliant. Got mine on clearance at the local shop--cheap as chips! 'Fraid I don't drink my bottles fast enough to risk oxygenating the whole bottle. Makes a lovely holiday gift... and works great on those young 'no age statement' spirits. chuckle. Another great review, can't wait for the end of the year speech you hinted on.
Thanks for another great review Ralfy. Need some help sir. My son-in-law bought me a nice Whisky Decanter for the 2013 holidays. Watching your review of the three glasses of Mortlach 26yo, I was wondering if you could recommend a decent Single Malt Scotch that would develop nicely and open up in a decanter over a long period. All that you’ve taught us about exposure to the air and all that. I don’t want to take a high quality expensive Scotch and ruin it in a decanter. Son-in-Law is coming home for this Christmas. I need to fill before he get here. Thank you!
Generally speaking, the older the whisky the more it has already oxidized in the cask and is thus less influenced (negatively) by more oxygen exposure. Imho they worst you could do is take a young peated whisky and keep it in a decanter for a prolonged period of time. Did not work out with a Laphroaig QC in my case. It's helpful in any case if the decanter has an air-tight plug to prevent vaporization as well.
i guess you would use that decanter for christmas eve? dont pour more than youre willing to drink on that evening, and there will be no risk. besides if your Son in Law only stays over the holidays , dont worry. Whisky doesnt go off in just a couple of days. i have sample bottles here which are sealed by a cheap generic cork. they didnt become stale. even after 1 year.
Ralfy, I think you made a mistake with your oxygenating procedure. Why not used the mini to oxygenate a small sample first to make sure it wen in the right direction? Once you do the whole bottle, there is no going back
This one and the Aberlour A'Bunadh are always on my shelf when I want my palate destroyed with sherry. I generally find Glenfarclas to be a decent whisky, but nothing that I crave. Have you had the 15 Year Old 103 from TWE at a higher strength? Cheers!
Ralfy, I was wondering if you still highly recommend the Glendronach range. There was a reddit post saying Glendronach will be and has been putting far older whisky into their core range from their 12 to their 21. I remember you only had good things to say about the 15 (and not the nicest things to say about the single px cask bottling), but what about their 14 virgin oak and various others?
I love any of the whiskies that appear, out of Glenfarclas. I really like, 105. And to be honest I would have given it, 87/100. Some great tips at the end of the Vlog, thanks very much, Ralfy.
I love these reviews - someone has bought me this bottle as a gift (Xmas 2016) cant wait to open it... (note to Ralfy at 10min 23sec..... 105 not 501 - LOL) arf arf!
Is the Glenfarclas 21 any good? I tried a glass and liked it a lot but I don't know what is normal to expect from a 21yo whisky. I've never had one that old. I'm considering buying a bottle (for €70 / £54), but I'd like to know if that's value for money going by what's in the bottle!! Thanks!!!
The bubble test is the exact opposite with new make spirit, where larger, faster dissipating bubbles indicate a higher proof. With aged whisky, the longer retention of bubbles is associated with the concentration of wood extracts, which is naturally going to be higher the closer you get to cask strength.
Mighty Malty Mastiffs..... would make a great Malt mention.... And I strongly second the request for some more cognac reviews...very hard to choose and try here in the states. There was a lovely Bache Gabrielsen XO or VSOP that was quite affordable. Not really available in the states anymore.... And, I think blind tastings are a hoot! Especially after a pint or a glass or two. Very embarrassing to mistake Macallan for Cognac.... Not that I've ever done that. ;) Love your channel. Cheers.
Tried this at a festival (my first ) today and was so impressed I bought a bottle. Not generally a big sherry bomb fan but like Glenfarclas stuff. Thought it was surprisingly mellow, given the strength, but was a 'few in' by then so perhaps a bit immune at that point . . . Have to say a big well done to all those who helped organise the Bristol Festival - tried some cracking and unusual drams (a 20 yo Arran and a 12 yo Port Charlotte by IBs were superb; the 15 Benromach and a 42 yo grain whisky were also pretty stand out) and actually won a 12 Glendronach! Happy days :)
I haven’t seen a bottle of this available locally, but usually see it advertised as a 10 Year Old... Interesting how there is more than one version, depending where you are, or when it was released. Tried it once though, and found it quite potent! I suspect it was similar the bottle you have there.
is there a better value for money CS than this one ? i bought a 1L bottle for 33 euros on discount(~28 pounds). i think not even Ileach of Finlaggan can beat that. Ralfy im considering the Glenfarclas 30. i have 2 options: the current one and the older version (oval label,purple tube) that you reviewed in WR 200. i read that the quality of 30 did vary over the years. so what would you go for?
Frankly no and thus I purchased 5 bottles of 1L for 38 euros a piece. This whisky separates men from boys and only my most experienced malt mates even finish their glass. For a cigar pairing the christmascake spices of this remind me of Partegas P2.
The Balvenie 12 Doublewood is $39.99 in my area but the Balvenie 17 Doublewood is $139.99 and at the same store! Is the 17 that better? Does the extra 5 year make that big of difference?
A "difference" does exist. If that difference is "worth it?" Is down to personal preference. It's worth noting that Signet was among first global NAS releases & to counter early notions that NAS= young the folks at Glenmorangie added in older stock to suggest 'hidden value' since, after all, how many of us can afford 35 & 35+ y.o. single Malt? If one looks at that value included in the price, it's not so cold a move to jack up profits. What Distiller in their right mind would take a 35 y.o. Cask & mix in 50% 6 y.o. Whisky? Bottles of good 35-40 year old Scotch much pricier than Signet. No other Distiller has promoted a secret amount of 35y.o. Vintage into NAS have they? Will Signet even continue to include a drop or two of older spirit? Time will tell...
My experience with buying 10-30 year olds.... I find the sweet spot (in the USA) lies between the 12 yo and 18 yo. A massive generalization, true, but IMHO it's pretty much true. I can easily pick 2 10-15 yo bottles for the price of one 18-21 yo and have two lovely drams to enjoy with more friends etc.... without the experience of being let down by batch number xxx (Glenlivet 21 and Glenfiddich 21 both let me down compared to 12/15/18). I have 3 Balvenies: they are all good, but I think the 12 DW holds it's own nicely. And, you $$ left over for a Mac 12 or Ardbeg or ? JMHO
Hey Ralfy. Just curious if you (or anyone else) has noted the (sometimes undesirable) effect one whiskey has on another when drank in sequence. For instance, I recently had a few drams of Glenfiddich 18 and Lagavulin 16, but on different days, then one right after the other. I noticed a profound difference in the taste of the Lagavullin after having some of the Glenfiddich, and wasn't all that please to be honest. Any thoughts on this?
I love this malt, its among my favourites. I really enjoy cask strength sherry bombs and this is a real punch. It's got that warm, slightly fuzzy feeling in the mouth if you hold it with a few drops of water added. It's also relatively inexpensive in my neck of the woods (or at least my home province). I was going to point out the age statement on the rear of the tin, but someone already did. Thanks for the video Ralfy!
That "warm fuzzy" feeling I was referring too is summed up nicely by Ralfy when he says its aggressive but not rough, I think we are detecting the same quality, but describing it differently.
The version i picked up had an age statment of 10 years. It appears to be the same bottling, with identical packaging. Maybe the international bottling differs.
I seen the Laphroaig tour guide put his hand over the glass and give it a quick shake then swirl it around and taste it.....seemed kind of odd I mean the whisky will take in all the oils off your hand..but that being said ive tried it and it really seems to open up whiskys fast....instead of slowly swirling it in the glass give it a quick shuck and its brilliantly settled and aerated
I can get these bottles for 32 euro's a for a full 100CL. That's effectively 150CL of very good single malt for 32 euro's. At that price I'd recommend it to everyone! And I prefer to drink this with about 1/3rd water (;
The Glenfarclas 12 is good stuff with a bit of water. You can get it for a steal at the big wholesale chains. Probably the best single malt for the buck.
good question, also curious. So the 20 year cask if more used than the 12 year, but might have some of the older aged influence left from the first fill. hmmm.
Brian DeSutter ...indeed! it'd be interesting to have Ralfys take on this one as this issue is among the more secretive variables that imho can truly affect a 2nd fill cask. Rarely (save for Ralfy) do we hear about the tactics or methodology behind 2nd or 3rd fills. Happy New year maltmate.
Can you do some more cognacs? theres a lot of value for the money to be had and some quality moments if you do some homework and go shopping a bit. (for around 17 pounds i got a great bottle of Hardy VSOP(8 years, twice the VSOP requirement) The way whisky prices are going im sure a lot of folks would appreciate it. I got an older bottle og 105 that said "10 years old" on the back side label. I thought it was more mature than yours maybe? with water down to 30% it was rather nice and very sherried wich I like alot. I prefer Aberlour Abunadh though. I find your reviews very informative, helpful and entertaining so thank you :)
I quite enjoy Glenfarclas 12 and 15, must try the 18 and 24 at some point too. When I tried this I was a little underwhelmed in comparison but might give it another go. The Germans seem to like it, perhaps its the mix of red and black with a bold label ^^
and I have been asked if it was 105 years old. I don't know why they don't just call it Cask Strength and be done with this number business as well. Marketing maybe?
At 60% ABV, in terms of alcohol, that's TWO standard bottles (1400ml) of 43% in one! (If indeed you add about 40% as much water to this whisky, which I do: 60% x 1000ml = 600ml = 43% x 1400ml.) At €36 per 1 litre bottle, GF105 remains the all-time best bang for your buck! Good luck finding another single malt scotch at this level of quality for less than €18 per standard bottle...
@@FEWGEE1 Let me add a few more words to my calculation for you to follow my thought process. I add 40% water to any glass of GF105. Doing this consistently for a 1000ml bottle yields 1400ml of fluids enjoyed. Which is exactly the equivalent of 2 normal 700ml bottles. Get it? Easiest maths on the planet. To make this relatable, I already provided another perspective on this calculation as well: my preferred drinking strength is about 43% abv. Which is what you'll find applies to 1000ml of 60%abv whisky topped off with 400ml of water: 60%abv in 1000ml yields 600ml of alcohol. Divide this by 1400ml of (whisky + water), and you'll get 42,85% abv. Which leaves me to conclude, in less words, as mentioned in my OP, that 60% x 1000ml = 600ml = 43% x 1400ml, and that I made sound use of maths. Please enjoy your GF105, or any gf really, after visiting the comment section, not before. It may make your brain go just a little fuzzy...
I guess there is quite a bit of batch variation with 105. I've got two bottles of 105 this year. One was bottled in february 2014, and had 10y age statement on the back label. It was great, full of flavour, oily, mouth coating, and not at all aggressive. It tolerated addition of water really well. Then just a month ago I bought another one, because I thought that it's great value for money. This one is just alcohol, aggressive, much less complex (or no complexity at all), and with addition of water it loses more flavor than it loses the alcohol bite. The worst whisky purchase of the year (among approx. 25 bottles of single malt I've purchased). Oh, and this one is without the 10y age statement on the back, and is bottled in september 2014. Witch such a dramatic batch variation I think I will skip Glenfarclas for a while, they really turned me off. Young whisky doesn't need to be so aggressive in my opinion, if it's of decent quality. Which for example Klchoman Machir May 2014 is demonstrating to me really well. Although it's 5 to 6 years old whisky, it really is one of the best drams of the year for me. Not to mention the Ardbeg Uigeadail L5 that I recently found at the back of the shelve in our supermarket (unfortunately there was only one). :)
I haven't had this whisky in a few years so who knows it might be better now but I didn't think it's a tremendous whisky. It's a very good smelling whisky if you like that cakey smell, but as an all around whisky it's pretty mediocre. That's not to say I have a problem with smelling whiskies. I love the standard 10yo Laphroaig and I consider it a smelling whisky as well... as a tasting whisky it doesn't really carry very much but as a smelling whisky I have 4 pages of smelling notes from it!
Dramatic stuff pouring this malt into a jug to oxygize the spirit and makes for great entertainment but how does this method compare to your previous suggestion which was to simply leave the cork off the bottle overnight? I have used the latter method a few times to great effect.
Hello. please tell me. Thatcher, the British Prime Minister, loved Glenfar Class 105. It is a rumor said in Japan. Have you heard this story? If you have heard, I want to know more.
Ralfy, thanks for another great video. I think your videos should come with a warning. When I discovered you a few months ago, I had one bottle of single malt scotch in the cupboard (Laphroaig 10 year old). At last count, I'm up to 18, and I have about that many more on my wish list! Viewer beware!
Very little. I have aerated into a mason jar, covered with a coffee filter and allowed to sit over night. Using an accurate hydrometer, even this resulted in less than a 0.5% loss of ABV. I would not be concerned at all.
Aaah, never tought you would do a review on the 105. Before watching the review, my own toughts on it.. The first dram I disliked. I tought it was too spicy, too peppery, too much burn.. maybe too much alcohol, even with water... but the second dram, 2 days later, was more fruity but still with some spicy notes.. I personally liked the 15 year old more.
currently I study in Sweden. When I am back in Germany I will buy some bottles of them and bring them to Sweden. I can get a bottle 1 litre 60% whiskey for 35€, I almost have to pay the same money for beer here (bases on money for pure ethanol). It is very good to get drunk cheap. Taste of that stuff is still way better than beer.
Hi Ralfy, thank you for the review! For a while now, the 105 bottles state 10 years of maturation on the back label like the one I have at home. Either your bottle is older from when they were NAS or you did overlook it, 'cause it's admittedly not "in-your-face" and Glenfarclas do not explicitly market the feature. Or do they serve European countries variations of the 105? Here I found a pic: www.lillionwine.com/image/cache/data/Glenfarclas/glenfarclas_105_back-746x1000.jpg
Although it's second-hand information, I understand that the 105 is about to go NAS anyway. Looking at the Glenfarclas website, there's no current mention of an age with regard to the 105.
I could not spot an age statement on their website either, but as far as I know, the 10 years popped up one day without much fuss and they never really marketed the feature anyway, that's why many people don't know about it. Maybe everything stays as it is for now? :-)
Hogibaer It's my understanding that the age statement is leaving and the (lower end) 105 is going completely NAS. There has been a 105 20 y.o. release and it may survive as a special, and there was a 105 40 y.o. 40th Anniversary release, but I think it, of course, was a one-off.
Francis Ducharme Ralfy has recommended that particular whisky several times in various vlogs. He reviewed the 16yo Nadurra in whisky review 193. He marked it an 87.
Last summer I spent £99 for a 19 year old cask strength Lagavulin Feis Ile 2014 at the distillery. Was my first time in Scotland. Given the chance, I'd buy this whisky over and over again although I did not try it yet, only something similar on the warehouse tour. Easily joined my all time top 5. Haven't had an Irish or Bourbon yet I'd spend that much money on, though they probably exist somewhere. ;-)
I may just get myself a bottle of Glenfarclas 17 for Christmas now :D Thanks Ralphy! Two good suggestions from Lagavulin, I see. It's nice to see other options instead of the glorified Lagavulin 16. I've heard people say that Ardbeg 10 and Laphroaig 10 are just as good :)
Ralfy. I was wondering. An age statement is the age of the youngest cask mixed in the blend. This being the case, are there or have there ever been whiskies where the majority of the expression contains matured spirit, say 12 to 20 years plus old casks but a small proportion of the blend also contains some young whiskies, say 4 to 8 year old casks; or is this a silly question as no distillery in their right mind would do such a thing? My point being that a single age statement is sometimes insufficient. Maybe the answer to the potentially dishonest NAS bottling is to list ages of all casks used. Personally I'd be much more inclined to buy a bottle that I know contains some old casks even though it also has some young casks in the blend rather than buy a NAS expression which could be 3 year old fire water at a premium price.
Maybe as a supplement to Ralfy's answer some general thoughts. As a rule we can assume distilleries try to sell their older whisky for more money on its own, so why mix 20 y.o. whisky in blend of, say, 10 y.o. casks and only sell it as a 10 y.o. bottling? Three reasons spring to my mind. 1. Like some decades ago the whisky industry is struggling and trying to increase sales by upping the quality by the method described above. The frequent use of 1st or 2nd fill casks was another tool used to achieve great quality. 2. The distillery suffered periods of closures and after reopening wants to establish a core line of 12, 15, 18... asap like Glendronach and to accomplish this, has to put older stock into some of their younger age-rated bottlings. 3. There is sufficient stock of old whisky, but the quality is seriously sub-par (dead casks), so they have to mix it up with young spirit to be able to sell it.
That mix of older with young whisky is Signet, right? Signet claims to include some 35-40 y.o. Spirit, along with younger stuff & the chocolate-y barley strain. If memory serves, this fact -- some great old stock included -- was promoted substantially in print & video marketing of Signet.
The Signet is a worthy NAS. Tastes like chocolate, coffee, black cherries... I found it as a gift, but it's a taste worth paying for. It feels like the spirits are 18+, even 25+ years old.
I came for the review and stayed for the lesson! Really great insight on age statements or lack thereof, Ralfy. One of my favorite ryes is a 2 year, yes a 2 year old rye distilled by the Willett Family Estate that is bottled at cask strength. This however doesnt go over too well with the price that people are willing to pay for such a young whisk(e)y.
@@markciso1028 Well I believe some friends of mine checked it out on the packaging last time we drank it. I'm pretty sure it does not say anything about NOT having colour in it, and it may even say that it does, I can't remember where I heard it - but after all this is a comparatively cheap offering ...
@@markciso1028 Sometimes you get conflicting information about the same bottling doing that. Doesn't say anything on the bottle about NOT adding colour as far as I can see. So how do you know, really?
I bought one of these that I came across without having watched the review first. I knew its reputation as a sherry monster and wanted to branch out from Aberlour, Glendronach and Macallan. Hmmm.... Perhaps I'll leave it in my wine cellar for 20 or so years unopened to see if I can mellow it down.
A. Z. BAM~!!! Bulls eye! How astute! You adroitly and quickly knew EXACTLY which Ralfy review and very specifically where he discusses the issue. I raise my glass to you A.Z. both in admiration and appreciation. We learn ALOT from Ralfy don't we? Cheers!
Regarding your statement towards the bump in scotch whisky marketing, it's no surprise to me. The marketing materials have to keep up with demands to sell product, and the prices are doing the same. I'm now moving towards bourbons and rums because scotch whiskys are just too expensive for me now.
***** same here, th bourbon trail is long n windn - mny great flvrz ...bin n2 sum very dif. tastn bourbons myself n seems the les th hyp the mor they spen on quality!
Ralfy, I would suggest using glass, stainless steel or even a copper funnel for such aeration. Plastic and high ABV spirits don't mix well, and it would be a shame to taint such great spirits with plastic. Not a huge concern, but a SS funnel is cheap insurance. Keep up the great work!
I got one of the arianators for my Tullamore Dew Phoenix , it will probably take me over a year to drink the whole bottle so I just aireate the glass I'm drinking till I'm half done with the bottle
My bottle has not indication of 10 YO anywhere, but if i tell you how much it costs here in Bulgaria you would probably kill me of envy. I should start re exporting ;-) This single malt is to whiskies what AK47 is to weapons - rough, tough and unrefined, but yet uncompromising.
heh, the box knock, and the "501" at 10:20... think the high alcohol content affected this review more than you'd admit to, sir. Love your reviews nonetheless!
I find myself being in the same 'ballpark' as you, Ralfy, on most occasions regarding malt marks (not that my whisky repertoire is a patch on yours) but I must disagree with you on this particular whisky. I love Glenfarclas 105 and think this is closer to a 90-score whisky than an 83. But, as you are wont to say, 'just saying' and 'just my opinion'!
Do you think you would have approached this differently if you had known from the start that it is indeed a 10 year old, Ralfy? As applies to any of us, our expectations can influence our perceptions.
fuckthisfuckbullshit . . . no, for a 10yo malt it comes over to me as a lot younger, probably because it has matured in larger casks which take longer to tone down young spirit. Your right though, expectations do influence perceptions.
In the big picture, a 10 year old is a young single malt Scotch. At least for now. As the NAS take over, and the aged Scotch is no longer available, that might even be considered OLD. For the price the Scotch manufacturers demand for NAS these days - there is no added value to shelling out hundreds of dollars more for aged Scotch. They themselves have told us age has no value any longer. In the meantime, drink up and enjoy the intrinsic value of the old non-corporate determined value place in the time and personal labor put into producing and lovingly maturing an aged Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Our next generation of Scotch Drinkers may not be so lucky as the corporations demand a higher return on the product over value. slàinte!
I once saw this shut up a loud mouth Irishman when he downed it in one :-) Very strong stuff and water is a must. But well worth picking up a bottle, not over priced in my experience.Lovely sherry notes.
Dude. Been following you for over 3 years now. And i am speechless. Your awesome.
Today, I got my first bottle of Glenfarclas, 105 Casket Strength from a friend (the old style bottle, longer bottle and fancy design label, I bet he had it in the cupboard for years! ) I've been watching reviews on RUclips for about two hours on this whisky and your review is the best, specially because of you laidback style, it's refreshing actually, in contrast with the other reviews who just put their nose in the glass and start saying whatever comes to their heads :) You even talk about tax on your review. Whisky and good conversation goes together. Thank you!
wow, my second malt-mention! going to celebrate that with a dram of a fine old caol ila.
here´s to you, ralfy!
Thank you Ralfy.As usual, it's your tips and advice that are as important as the evaluation of the whisky itself. As at May 4 2020, a NZ mail order firm is offering this whisky in 1000ml bottles for $NZ83, a remarkably good price by the standards of today's inflated taxation.
Colin, its a long ago review ..I recon its more like 87, its a great drop when W&M have a sale.
Hi Ralfy - just bought and opened my 3rd Glenfarclas 105 (three in 15 years ). The trick is finding the right balance with water and time in the glass. What an excellent dram. A lot of whisky - a lot of alcohol - all who want to try this one must approach with due respect. Lovely... flavour!
Just 83! This malt is never absent from my cabinet and is, I think, the best value cask strength dram there is alongside A'bunadh. It does take a big old drop of water though...
I had a bottle of this and a bottle of the 15 year old. I have to say I preferred the 15 but the aroma you get from this one is amazing thanks to the strength. Mixing them together was surprisingly good.
I love the information I pick up on your whisky vlogs Ralfy. The Funnel/Jug tip for opening up young whisky's is just another great example. All my knowledge & appreciation of whisky's I've learned from watching your videos~ Thenk ye uncoly.. do dheagh shlàinte!
Just finished a bottle of this, shame you did not review it in time, had my eyes on the bottle for over a year. I really enjoyed the rollercoster ride on this one, albeit simple. You cannot dislike age mentioned, cask strength whiskies for this price. The spicy butterscotch nose is a winner really. Although I watered it down too, mini neat sips are to be tried.
Just got a bottle of this as a gift. And I was missing a cask strength in my shelf... I was even watching this review a couple days ago not knowing I was gonna get one as a gift. Looking forward to sipping this!!
Update: I just got an email from the distillery answering my question regarding the 105 age. Looks a bit like the age statement is off again and only older bottles in stock are 10 years old. Kudos to Mr Grant, I love first hand info, but not every distillery is so forthcoming. Here's the email:
"Thanks for your message.
105 was labelled as a 10yo from 2009 till early 2014.
Thanks.
George Grant Sales Director"
very interesting. i think , just because it is about to become NAS it doesnt mean that it will be younger immediately. maybe they'll just keep the option of making it younger when hard times hit them. until then there are enough old style bottles. im actually surprised they didnt go the NAS route much earlier.
Hi Ralfy, I've been enjoying this malt for years, and fondly refer to it as "The Howitzer", as the howtizer cannon that our army (and maybe yours) uses has a 105mm bore. Of course, it's as powerful as the field piece (undiluted) and not a few of my malt mates have been "blown away" by the intensity of this dram. But I'm all about these cask strength Speys, and share Ein Stien's fondness for this dram as well as the Aberlour entry in this niche. Thanks much for this review Ralfy - keep them coming!
Ralfy, my 105 says 10 years old, is this a thing of the past?
An old favorite of mine, the 'farclas 105... Scores a bit higher in my book. But that's personal taste. Maybe it's my under developed taste buds, but I regard A'bunadh pretty much equal, if not slightly better than 105. If I recall correctly A'bunadh scored some 10 malt marks higher?
Agree. I'd put this in the 90's easily. Good comparison with A'bunadh. Two of my go-to whiskys.
I second that. While the a'bunadh was superior during the first years, quality decreased in the last few years (exceptions prove the rule). When I compared them last year the 105 had the upper hand. To be fair, I tried batch #49 recently and it was pretty good, although in a different, non sherry-heavy way. Never thought I wouldn't recognize an a'bunadh... :-)
I agree, at least the previous version (tall bottle), it's one off my favorite whiskies, I would probably mark it about 91.
Yeah, I'm surprised by this relatively "low" score of 83, I havent opened my bottle of 105 yet but I have heard only good things about this whisky
Nick Scott-Turner Indeed. If you take price level of the 105 into account, it's a no-brainer. The 1 liter version can be found at bargain prices online.
just got a bottle of this. bit late to the party yes young and aggressive but cut 50 50 with water and a good old stir fantastic stuff. don't need much! cheers Ralfy.
Thanks Ralfy. I really liked this 105. Maybe a bit younger than it could be, but fun and exciting all the way through the bottle.
Curious if they are more consistent than Aberlour...
Great tips Ralfy! Just opened a bottle of Kilchoman Machir Bay and it is terrific! 46% here in the USA, and non-chilled filtered natural color stated on the bottle. I'll be picking up another bottle of this to save for a later date. Stay well. Ossie
Thanks for the recommendation. I'll look out for it. Always wanted to try a Kilchoman.
Ossie, I have seen 3 Kilchoman options available. Have you only had the Machir? Any idea how the rest of that line compared? Also, is it more like Springbank or Bruichladdich? I assume it is somewhat phenolic b/c of it being on Islay... I can also get the 4th edition and the original CS.
Brian DeSutter Hi Brian. This is my first Kilchoman. It's not like Springbank, at least not like the 12 year old Springbank. It's more peaty, but not intense. It's a young whisky. The 2013 release I have has been bottled from four and five year old single malt vats, the four year old finished in oloroso sherry butts for four weeks prior to bottling. For such a young whisky it is very good and worth a try.
I just drank my last drop of this dram. This is something to be enjoyed when in need of a pick up. Be safe. Thank you for some great content. Big love from sweden.
I personally like the 105 better than the abunadh, its got more dried fruit characteristics and is sweeter. Whereas, the abunadh is more spiy, dark chocolate, and oaky
Hia Ralfy, thanks for the video. I tried the 105 next to a glass of A'bunadh when I first bought it and it was a bit sharp, but I tried your decanting trick and it seems a lot smoother now.. Can't wait to try it next to a glass of A'bunadh to see the defference!
Another grand review i love the glenfiddich 14 rich oak and saw glenfiddich recently changed its packaging before xmas looks a cool packet and have recently seen the whisky being marketed more in shops just wondering ralfy what do you make of ledaig? I bought a bottle for £17 i wasn't expecting anything good opened it and was highly impressed it rivals some of the islay whisky for a fraction of the price mull has some grand whiskys similar to islay would be intrested in your thoughts on the matter
I think I will buy myself a Bunnahabhain 12 year old in time for new year, it feels like a safe bet. If there's any other non chill filtered and natural colour islay single malt that is as good but at a better price please share it with me.
Great video as usual Ralfy, very informative!
I just re-sampled my B-12 last night after a long hiatus. Very good stuff. What the B-12 lacks in peat (I like peat) it makes up in flavor and nose. Good choice
That one is on my wish list too but they don't stock it here. I have to order it from the giant NSLC warehouse.
Great review ralfy. Long time watcher of your channel. You never dissapoint in providing unbiased and informative reviews aimed at all levels of whisky drinkers. Iv grown over the past few years from having very little knowledge to being quite knowledgable about whisky mainly down to your vlogs. Thanks. I have a question. Iv tried a wide variety of malt whiskys now, usually £50 and below is my budget. My favourite so far is Caol Ila 12, followed by Highland Park 12. Based on this do you have any recommendation of something new to try thats not overly priced?
Ralfy, this whisky seems to be quite similar to Aberlour A'bunadh where people compare it alot on the Internet. What is your take on such comparison (i) in general; (ii) in terms of aggressiveness; and (iii) in terms of consistency?
I am sure many of us will greatly enjoy a video on such comparison.
Ahh. just watched the vlog. Very nice. They also make a "spirits aerator" version of the device you were showing. The difference: it has a built-in jigger measure (shot) and a magnetic release valve. So, you pour your dram (in the stand) and then dispense into the Glencairn. Works brilliant. Got mine on clearance at the local shop--cheap as chips! 'Fraid I don't drink my bottles fast enough to risk oxygenating the whole bottle. Makes a lovely holiday gift... and works great on those young 'no age statement' spirits. chuckle. Another great review, can't wait for the end of the year speech you hinted on.
Thanks for another great review Ralfy. Need some help sir.
My son-in-law bought me a nice Whisky Decanter for the 2013 holidays. Watching your review of the three glasses of Mortlach 26yo, I was wondering if you could recommend a decent Single Malt Scotch that would develop nicely and open up in a decanter over a long period. All that you’ve taught us about exposure to the air and all that. I don’t want to take a high quality expensive Scotch and ruin it in a decanter. Son-in-Law is coming home for this Christmas. I need to fill before he get here. Thank you!
B Basidium Try Springbanks or GlenDronachs
Generally speaking, the older the whisky the more it has already oxidized in the cask and is thus less influenced (negatively) by more oxygen exposure. Imho they worst you could do is take a young peated whisky and keep it in a decanter for a prolonged period of time. Did not work out with a Laphroaig QC in my case. It's helpful in any case if the decanter has an air-tight plug to prevent vaporization as well.
i guess you would use that decanter for christmas eve? dont pour more than youre willing to drink on that evening, and there will be no risk. besides if your Son in Law only stays over the holidays , dont worry. Whisky doesnt go off in just a couple of days. i have sample bottles here which are sealed by a cheap generic cork. they didnt become stale. even after 1 year.
***** thank you Ralfy. Will alcohol evaporate? So if I go with like a Springbank 12 CS, that would be OK?
Ralfy, I think you made a mistake with your oxygenating procedure. Why not used the mini to oxygenate a small sample first to make sure it wen in the right direction? Once you do the whole bottle, there is no going back
Picked up a bottle today. Discount price at our local whisky specialist shop was only 30 Euro (regular price 49,99). Can't beat that price I think.
This one and the Aberlour A'Bunadh are always on my shelf when I want my palate destroyed with sherry. I generally find Glenfarclas to be a decent whisky, but nothing that I crave. Have you had the 15 Year Old 103 from TWE at a higher strength? Cheers!
Ralfy, I was wondering if you still highly recommend the Glendronach range. There was a reddit post saying Glendronach will be and has been putting far older whisky into their core range from their 12 to their 21. I remember you only had good things to say about the 15 (and not the nicest things to say about the single px cask bottling), but what about their 14 virgin oak and various others?
I love any of the whiskies that appear, out of Glenfarclas. I really like, 105. And to be honest I would have given it, 87/100. Some great tips at the end of the Vlog, thanks very much, Ralfy.
I love these reviews - someone has bought me this bottle as a gift (Xmas 2016) cant wait to open it... (note to Ralfy at 10min 23sec..... 105 not 501 - LOL) arf arf!
Is the Glenfarclas 21 any good? I tried a glass and liked it a lot but I don't know what is normal to expect from a 21yo whisky. I've never had one that old. I'm considering buying a bottle (for €70 / £54), but I'd like to know if that's value for money going by what's in the bottle!!
Thanks!!!
Ralfy,
Dark chocolate, orange, caramel, cherry - anything you can recomend ? Oh, and smooooth, please.
Thanks Ralfy,
Merry Christmas
Glen Garioch and GlenDronach
The bubble test is the exact opposite with new make spirit, where larger, faster dissipating bubbles indicate a higher proof. With aged whisky, the longer retention of bubbles is associated with the concentration of wood extracts, which is naturally going to be higher the closer you get to cask strength.
Mighty Malty Mastiffs..... would make a great Malt mention....
And I strongly second the request for some more cognac reviews...very hard to choose and try here in the states. There was a lovely Bache Gabrielsen XO or VSOP that was quite affordable. Not really available in the states anymore.... And, I think blind tastings are a hoot! Especially after a pint or a glass or two. Very embarrassing to mistake Macallan for Cognac.... Not that I've ever done that. ;)
Love your channel.
Cheers.
Tried this at a festival (my first ) today and was so impressed I bought a bottle. Not generally a big sherry bomb fan but like Glenfarclas stuff. Thought it was surprisingly mellow, given the strength, but was a 'few in' by then so perhaps a bit immune at that point . . .
Have to say a big well done to all those who helped organise the Bristol Festival - tried some cracking and unusual drams (a 20 yo Arran and a 12 yo Port Charlotte by IBs were superb; the 15 Benromach and a 42 yo grain whisky were also pretty stand out) and actually won a 12 Glendronach!
Happy days :)
I haven’t seen a bottle of this available locally, but usually see it advertised as a 10 Year Old... Interesting how there is more than one version, depending where you are, or when it was released. Tried it once though, and found it quite potent! I suspect it was similar the bottle you have there.
is there a better value for money CS than this one ? i bought a 1L bottle for 33 euros on discount(~28 pounds). i think not even Ileach of Finlaggan can beat that.
Ralfy im considering the Glenfarclas 30. i have 2 options: the current one and the older version (oval label,purple tube) that you reviewed in WR 200. i read that the quality of 30 did vary over the years. so what would you go for?
Antoine M . . . I think you should check whiskybase for time-line opinions/marks. and yes, 30yo quality is known to vary.
I've been very happy with the Laphroaig CS, unchillfilltered and for my area, cheaper than most CS bottlings, including this Glenfarclas.
fuckthisfuckbullshit where on earth is Laphy CS cheap? i had to pay 75 Euros for the latest version of the 10 CS.
Frankly no and thus I purchased 5 bottles of 1L for 38 euros a piece. This whisky separates men from boys and only my most experienced malt mates even finish their glass. For a cigar pairing the christmascake spices of this remind me of Partegas P2.
Antoine M Oh my, I've found it for ~60 Ameri-dollars.
The Balvenie 12 Doublewood is $39.99 in my area but the Balvenie 17 Doublewood is $139.99 and at the same store! Is the 17 that better? Does the extra 5 year make that big of difference?
Certainly not, price just increases exponentially with age.
A "difference" does exist. If that difference is "worth it?" Is down to personal preference. It's worth noting that Signet was among first global NAS releases & to counter early notions that NAS= young the folks at Glenmorangie added in older stock to suggest 'hidden value' since, after all, how many of us can afford 35 & 35+ y.o. single Malt? If one looks at that value included in the price, it's not so cold a move to jack up profits. What Distiller in their right mind would take a 35 y.o. Cask & mix in 50% 6 y.o. Whisky? Bottles of good 35-40 year old Scotch much pricier than Signet. No other Distiller has promoted a secret amount of 35y.o. Vintage into NAS have they? Will Signet even continue to include a drop or two of older spirit? Time will tell...
My experience with buying 10-30 year olds.... I find the sweet spot (in the USA) lies between the 12 yo and 18 yo. A massive generalization, true, but IMHO it's pretty much true. I can easily pick 2 10-15 yo bottles for the price of one 18-21 yo and have two lovely drams to enjoy with more friends etc.... without the experience of being let down by batch number xxx (Glenlivet 21 and Glenfiddich 21 both let me down compared to 12/15/18). I have 3 Balvenies: they are all good, but I think the 12 DW holds it's own nicely. And, you $$ left over for a Mac 12 or Ardbeg or ? JMHO
Thanks for the comments, I need to get that $39.99 bottle of Balvenie, the price is going to go up in the spring, per the owner Suntory.
Ralfy, that sulphur note, would it get worse with additional aging? I.e. is that possibly why they chose to release those casks young?
The aeration reduces alcohol by evaporation yes? Less phenolics and more depth.Or am i oversimplifying?
Great stuff this 105.
Thanks for reviewing it!
Just tried this and to me this goes much higher than 83. Very interesting whisky. Didn't add that much water.
Hey Ralfy. Just curious if you (or anyone else) has noted the (sometimes undesirable) effect one whiskey has on another when drank in sequence. For instance, I recently had a few drams of Glenfiddich 18 and Lagavulin 16, but on different days, then one right after the other. I noticed a profound difference in the taste of the Lagavullin after having some of the Glenfiddich, and wasn't all that please to be honest. Any thoughts on this?
Will oxygenating the bottle like Ralfy demonstrates here influence the 'shelf life' of the open bottle? i.e. should it be finished faster?
. . . not really !
ralfydotcom thank you!
I’m a big fan of you! Your comment is absolutely beautiful. Thanks from Japan 🇯🇵
I love this malt, its among my favourites. I really enjoy cask strength sherry bombs and this is a real punch. It's got that warm, slightly fuzzy feeling in the mouth if you hold it with a few drops of water added. It's also relatively inexpensive in my neck of the woods (or at least my home province). I was going to point out the age statement on the rear of the tin, but someone already did.
Thanks for the video Ralfy!
That "warm fuzzy" feeling I was referring too is summed up nicely by Ralfy when he says its aggressive but not rough, I think we are detecting the same quality, but describing it differently.
The version i picked up had an age statment of 10 years. It appears to be the same bottling, with identical packaging. Maybe the international bottling differs.
I seen the Laphroaig tour guide put his hand over the glass and give it a quick shake then swirl it around and taste it.....seemed kind of odd I mean the whisky will take in all the oils off your hand..but that being said ive tried it and it really seems to open up whiskys fast....instead of slowly swirling it in the glass give it a quick shuck and its brilliantly settled and aerated
+TheJusnic82 Showmanship
I can get these bottles for 32 euro's a for a full 100CL. That's effectively 150CL of very good single malt for 32 euro's. At that price I'd recommend it to everyone! And I prefer to drink this with about 1/3rd water (;
The Glenfarclas 12 is good stuff with a bit of water. You can get it for a steal at the big wholesale chains. Probably the best single malt for the buck.
Ralfy which would you say is a more desirable cask?...a second-fill 12yo cask or a second-fill 20yo cask.
Ive heard viable arguments on both sides.
Anyone??
good question, also curious. So the 20 year cask if more used than the 12 year, but might have some of the older aged influence left from the first fill. hmmm.
Brian DeSutter ...indeed! it'd be interesting to have Ralfys take on this one as this issue is among the more secretive variables that imho can truly affect a 2nd fill cask. Rarely (save for Ralfy) do we hear about the tactics or methodology behind 2nd or 3rd fills.
Happy New year maltmate.
in singapore, both Glenfarclas 15 year old and Glenfarclas 105 (10 y.o.) cost the same.
Which one should I buy?
Hong Fu Teo get both.
Add a few bucks for the 18 year old, it's a 1 litre bottle
Can you do some more cognacs? theres a lot of value for the money to be had and some quality moments if you do some homework and go shopping a bit. (for around 17 pounds i got a great bottle of Hardy VSOP(8 years, twice the VSOP requirement) The way whisky prices are going im sure a lot of folks would appreciate it.
I got an older bottle og 105 that said "10 years old" on the back side label. I thought it was more mature than yours maybe? with water down to 30% it was rather nice and very sherried wich I like alot. I prefer Aberlour Abunadh though.
I find your reviews very informative, helpful and entertaining so thank you :)
I quite enjoy Glenfarclas 12 and 15, must try the 18 and 24 at some point too. When I tried this I was a little underwhelmed in comparison but might give it another go. The Germans seem to like it, perhaps its the mix of red and black with a bold label ^^
and I have been asked if it was 105 years old. I don't know why they don't just call it Cask Strength and be done with this number business as well. Marketing maybe?
At 60% ABV, in terms of alcohol, that's TWO standard bottles (1400ml) of 43% in one!
(If indeed you add about 40% as much water to this whisky, which I do: 60% x 1000ml = 600ml = 43% x 1400ml.)
At €36 per 1 litre bottle, GF105 remains the all-time best bang for your buck!
Good luck finding another single malt scotch at this level of quality for less than €18 per standard bottle...
You need to work on your maths skills lol. It's actually the equivalent of 1025ml/1½ bottles of 40% ABV whisky.
@@FEWGEE1 Let me add a few more words to my calculation for you to follow my thought process. I add 40% water to any glass of GF105. Doing this consistently for a 1000ml bottle yields 1400ml of fluids enjoyed. Which is exactly the equivalent of 2 normal 700ml bottles. Get it? Easiest maths on the planet.
To make this relatable, I already provided another perspective on this calculation as well: my preferred drinking strength is about 43% abv. Which is what you'll find applies to 1000ml of 60%abv whisky topped off with 400ml of water: 60%abv in 1000ml yields 600ml of alcohol. Divide this by 1400ml of (whisky + water), and you'll get 42,85% abv.
Which leaves me to conclude, in less words, as mentioned in my OP, that 60% x 1000ml = 600ml = 43% x 1400ml, and that I made sound use of maths. Please enjoy your GF105, or any gf really, after visiting the comment section, not before. It may make your brain go just a little fuzzy...
I guess there is quite a bit of batch variation with 105. I've got two bottles of 105 this year. One was bottled in february 2014, and had 10y age statement on the back label. It was great, full of flavour, oily, mouth coating, and not at all aggressive. It tolerated addition of water really well. Then just a month ago I bought another one, because I thought that it's great value for money. This one is just alcohol, aggressive, much less complex (or no complexity at all), and with addition of water it loses more flavor than it loses the alcohol bite. The worst whisky purchase of the year (among approx. 25 bottles of single malt I've purchased). Oh, and this one is without the 10y age statement on the back, and is bottled in september 2014.
Witch such a dramatic batch variation I think I will skip Glenfarclas for a while, they really turned me off. Young whisky doesn't need to be so aggressive in my opinion, if it's of decent quality. Which for example Klchoman Machir May 2014 is demonstrating to me really well. Although it's 5 to 6 years old whisky, it really is one of the best drams of the year for me. Not to mention the Ardbeg Uigeadail L5 that I recently found at the back of the shelve in our supermarket (unfortunately there was only one). :)
Lots of good information once again. Thanks!
I haven't had this whisky in a few years so who knows it might be better now but I didn't think it's a tremendous whisky. It's a very good smelling whisky if you like that cakey smell, but as an all around whisky it's pretty mediocre.
That's not to say I have a problem with smelling whiskies. I love the standard 10yo Laphroaig and I consider it a smelling whisky as well... as a tasting whisky it doesn't really carry very much but as a smelling whisky I have 4 pages of smelling notes from it!
nobody's gonna mention it so I guess it's up to me .. Tardis ftw! :D
Dramatic stuff pouring this malt into a jug to oxygize the spirit and makes for great entertainment but how does this method compare to your previous suggestion which was to simply leave the cork off the bottle overnight? I have used the latter method a few times to great effect.
Reb Mordechai more drastic effect quicker !
What about a fish tank aerator? Drop the tube in and leave it for a few moments. No chance of spills.
if this really is 10 true yers old, should it not be stated a bit more clear than just on the back of the box?
got a litre of this for 100 AUD earlier this year, best value whisky purchase i ever made
Are you still drinking this 105? Thank you
Hello. please tell me. Thatcher, the British Prime Minister, loved Glenfar Class 105. It is a rumor said in Japan. Have you heard this story? If you have heard, I want to know more.
. . . not heard that it was Glenfaclas, but she was considered an alcoholic, mainly on whisky !
@@thewhiskybothy
Thank you for your quick reply. It was profitable. I support your success. 👍
Ralfy, thanks for another great video. I think your videos should come with a warning. When I discovered you a few months ago, I had one bottle of single malt scotch in the cupboard (Laphroaig 10 year old). At last count, I'm up to 18, and I have about that many more on my wish list! Viewer beware!
He has given me the same problem. (Also a bit of an unfriendly look from the wife.)
Tell me about it. I've bought a number of good rums thanks to Ralfy. It's not just the whisky.
I wonder how much of the alcohol could evaporate during the oxygenating process. Especially at 60%.
not a lot, if your quick !
Very little. I have aerated into a mason jar, covered with a coffee filter and allowed to sit over night. Using an accurate hydrometer, even this resulted in less than a 0.5% loss of ABV. I would not be concerned at all.
Aaah, never tought you would do a review on the 105. Before watching the review, my own toughts on it.. The first dram I disliked. I tought it was too spicy, too peppery, too much burn.. maybe too much alcohol, even with water... but the second dram, 2 days later, was more fruity but still with some spicy notes.. I personally liked the 15 year old more.
currently I study in Sweden. When I am back in Germany I will buy some bottles of them and bring them to Sweden. I can get a bottle 1 litre 60% whiskey for 35€, I almost have to pay the same money for beer here (bases on money for pure ethanol). It is very good to get drunk cheap. Taste of that stuff is still way better than beer.
löl!
Anno1602player Mackmyra 10 years from Sweden is great, btw
greetings sir, good suggestion to bring down the vol level, thanks and regards
Hi Ralfy, thank you for the review! For a while now, the 105 bottles state 10 years of maturation on the back label like the one I have at home. Either your bottle is older from when they were NAS or you did overlook it, 'cause it's admittedly not "in-your-face" and Glenfarclas do not explicitly market the feature. Or do they serve European countries variations of the 105?
Here I found a pic: www.lillionwine.com/image/cache/data/Glenfarclas/glenfarclas_105_back-746x1000.jpg
Hogibaer . . . I missed the age statement on the back of the label so I will add an adendum to the vlog, thank for pointing this out.
appearantly its 10 years old since 1989.
Although it's second-hand information, I understand that the 105 is about to go NAS anyway. Looking at the Glenfarclas website, there's no current mention of an age with regard to the 105.
I could not spot an age statement on their website either, but as far as I know, the 10 years popped up one day without much fuss and they never really marketed the feature anyway, that's why many people don't know about it. Maybe everything stays as it is for now? :-)
Hogibaer It's my understanding that the age statement is leaving and the (lower end) 105 is going completely NAS. There has been a 105 20 y.o. release and it may survive as a special, and there was a 105 40 y.o. 40th Anniversary release, but I think it, of course, was a one-off.
My xmas "self gift" might be Glenlivet Nadurra, would you recommend?
Francis Ducharme Ralfy has recommended that particular whisky several times in various vlogs. He reviewed the 16yo Nadurra in whisky review 193. He marked it an 87.
Addendum.... I had forgotten about the Magic Decanter - one of which I have. Must do this for my new bottle of 105 - it's definitely aggressive :)
If you had £100 and had to choose between a Scotch, Bourbon or Irish whiskey; which would you choose and why? :)
Stephen O' Connor Scotch, better range of natural cask aged options for the cash. 17yo Glenfarclas would be on my list !
I would buy a 12 yo lagavulin cask strength. Yummy!
roberto baggio Thumbs up to that. Bought a bottle in October. Loving it.
Last summer I spent £99 for a 19 year old cask strength Lagavulin Feis Ile 2014 at the distillery. Was my first time in Scotland. Given the chance, I'd buy this whisky over and over again although I did not try it yet, only something similar on the warehouse tour. Easily joined my all time top 5. Haven't had an Irish or Bourbon yet I'd spend that much money on, though they probably exist somewhere. ;-)
I may just get myself a bottle of Glenfarclas 17 for Christmas now :D Thanks Ralphy! Two good suggestions from Lagavulin, I see. It's nice to see other options instead of the glorified Lagavulin 16. I've heard people say that Ardbeg 10 and Laphroaig 10 are just as good :)
i think i've learned more from ralfy than from anyone else on youtube
Ralfy there is another person posting your videos on youtube? Just seen them post this video
Is the 105 a GB measurement? Divided bij two you don't get 60%.
John PS it is GB proof, not U.S. proof which would be 120
Go see whisky. Com review he tells what 105 stands for
Ralfy. I was wondering. An age statement is the age of the youngest cask mixed in the blend. This being the case, are there or have there ever been whiskies where the majority of the expression contains matured spirit, say 12 to 20 years plus old casks but a small proportion of the blend also contains some young whiskies, say 4 to 8 year old casks; or is this a silly question as no distillery in their right mind would do such a thing?
My point being that a single age statement is sometimes insufficient. Maybe the answer to the potentially dishonest NAS bottling is to list ages of all casks used. Personally I'd be much more inclined to buy a bottle that I know contains some old casks even though it also has some young casks in the blend rather than buy a NAS expression which could be 3 year old fire water at a premium price.
Maybe as a supplement to Ralfy's answer some general thoughts.
As a rule we can assume distilleries try to sell their older whisky for more money on its own, so why mix 20 y.o. whisky in blend of, say, 10 y.o. casks and only sell it as a 10 y.o. bottling? Three reasons spring to my mind.
1. Like some decades ago the whisky industry is struggling and trying to increase sales by upping the quality by the method described above. The frequent use of 1st or 2nd fill casks was another tool used to achieve great quality.
2. The distillery suffered periods of closures and after reopening wants to establish a core line of 12, 15, 18... asap like Glendronach and to accomplish this, has to put older stock into some of their younger age-rated bottlings.
3. There is sufficient stock of old whisky, but the quality is seriously sub-par (dead casks), so they have to mix it up with young spirit to be able to sell it.
That mix of older with young whisky is Signet, right? Signet claims to include some 35-40 y.o. Spirit, along with younger stuff & the chocolate-y barley strain. If memory serves, this fact -- some great old stock included -- was promoted substantially in print & video marketing of Signet.
The Signet is a worthy NAS. Tastes like chocolate, coffee, black cherries... I found it as a gift, but it's a taste worth paying for.
It feels like the spirits are 18+, even 25+ years old.
I came for the review and stayed for the lesson! Really great insight on age statements or lack thereof, Ralfy. One of my favorite ryes is a 2 year, yes a 2 year old rye distilled by the Willett Family Estate that is bottled at cask strength. This however doesnt go over too well with the price that people are willing to pay for such a young whisk(e)y.
I believe this has colour added though?
No colour added with Glenfarclas
@@markciso1028 Well I believe some friends of mine checked it out on the packaging last time we drank it. I'm pretty sure it does not say anything about NOT having colour in it, and it may even say that it does, I can't remember where I heard it - but after all this is a comparatively cheap offering ...
@@whynottalklikeapirat try Google next time
@@markciso1028 Sometimes you get conflicting information about the same bottling doing that. Doesn't say anything on the bottle about NOT adding colour as far as I can see. So how do you know, really?
I bought one of these that I came across without having watched the review first. I knew its reputation as a sherry monster and wanted to branch out from Aberlour, Glendronach and Macallan. Hmmm....
Perhaps I'll leave it in my wine cellar for 20 or so years unopened to see if I can mellow it down.
Aren't there 100> year old casks used in the ultra expensive Dalmores?
Do the ultra expensive Dalmore's suck any less than their basic 12 and 15 year old regular folk fanfare?
B Basidium Ralfy commented on this in review 342 skip to 8:24 if you're in a hurry.
A. Z. BAM~!!! Bulls eye! How astute! You adroitly and quickly knew EXACTLY which Ralfy review and very specifically where he discusses the issue.
I raise my glass to you A.Z. both in admiration and appreciation. We learn ALOT from Ralfy don't we? Cheers!
Regarding your statement towards the bump in scotch whisky marketing, it's no surprise to me. The marketing materials have to keep up with demands to sell product, and the prices are doing the same. I'm now moving towards bourbons and rums because scotch whiskys are just too expensive for me now.
Quan Dang I too am buying more rums, and cognacs.
***** same here, th bourbon trail is long n windn - mny great flvrz ...bin n2 sum very dif. tastn bourbons myself n seems the les th hyp the mor they spen on quality!
*****
Ron Zacapa
I still don't get what the 105 means. 60% alcohol would be 120 proof not 105 proof
TomatoShips 100 proof is about 57% abv. for each 3% icrease you add 5 proof.
I've always wondered: How do you know so much about whisky? It's like you own a distillery lol
Ralfy, I would suggest using glass, stainless steel or even a copper funnel for such aeration. Plastic and high ABV spirits don't mix well, and it would be a shame to taint such great spirits with plastic. Not a huge concern, but a SS funnel is cheap insurance.
Keep up the great work!
I got one of the arianators for my Tullamore Dew Phoenix , it will probably take me over a year to drink the whole bottle so I just aireate the glass I'm drinking till I'm half done with the bottle
So you "aireate" one glass for six months? You need to film that. I'd love to watch in fast motion!
THANKS Ralfy!
My bottle has not indication of 10 YO anywhere, but if i tell you how much it costs here in Bulgaria you would probably kill me of envy. I should start re exporting ;-)
This single malt is to whiskies what AK47 is to weapons - rough, tough and unrefined, but yet uncompromising.
. . . and it works well in bad conditions too !
120 proof ! strong malt-moment ) thank you Ralfy!!
Do a series ON ALL the glens
heh, the box knock, and the "501" at 10:20... think the high alcohol content affected this review more than you'd admit to, sir. Love your reviews nonetheless!
I find myself being in the same 'ballpark' as you, Ralfy, on most occasions regarding malt marks (not that my whisky repertoire is a patch on yours) but I must disagree with you on this particular whisky. I love Glenfarclas 105 and think this is closer to a 90-score whisky than an 83. But, as you are wont to say, 'just saying' and 'just my opinion'!
Do you think you would have approached this differently if you had known from the start that it is indeed a 10 year old, Ralfy? As applies to any of us, our expectations can influence our perceptions.
fuckthisfuckbullshit . . . no, for a 10yo malt it comes over to me as a lot younger, probably because it has matured in larger casks which take longer to tone down young spirit. Your right though, expectations do influence perceptions.
***** +fuckthisfuckbullshit
I agree, strongly. Thats why It is so useful and entertaining to do some blind tastings as well.
In the big picture, a 10 year old is a young single malt Scotch. At least for now.
As the NAS take over, and the aged Scotch is no longer available, that might even be considered OLD.
For the price the Scotch manufacturers demand for NAS these days - there is no added value to shelling out hundreds of dollars more for aged Scotch. They themselves have told us age has no value any longer.
In the meantime, drink up and enjoy the intrinsic value of the old non-corporate determined value place in the time and personal labor put into producing and lovingly maturing an aged Single Malt Scotch Whisky.
Our next generation of Scotch Drinkers may not be so lucky as the corporations demand a higher return on the product over value.
slàinte!
Back when Ralfy reviewed N.A.S whiskies!
In saying that the back of the tube apparently says that it's 10 years old?!
Correction Ralfy ... I prefer to use the term 'Hyperbollocks' ...
I once saw this shut up a loud mouth Irishman when he downed it in one :-) Very strong stuff and water is a must. But well worth picking up a bottle, not over priced in my experience.Lovely sherry notes.
"Mountainous Mariners" might be a good Malt Mention, says one who lives by the sea and under a mountain.
Very interesting review.
Jug 'n' Funnel..... good name for a pub