10 Common Myths About Whisky: BUSTED!

These are 10 of the most common myths that both beginners and whisky enthusiasts believe about whisky.
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*Disclaimer: This video is only a reflection of my personal opinion and perspective.*

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Lots of you aren't on the discord yet! If you wanna chat whisky (beyond just the KZbin comment section) come join the First Phil Fam here: discord.com/invite/jEQfFc737Y I forgot to link to the channels I mentioned 🤦‍♂. Find them here: @TheGrailTastings @MissBrewbird @swedishwhiskygirl @whiskycentral Also, a few corrections for this video (thanks so much for the comments from the First Phil Fam community for pointing these out!): 1. I mistakenly used the word 'corked' when I meant to say 'broken cork' or 'stuck cork.' A 'corked' wine actually refers to one that has been contaminated by TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole), a compound that gives the wine a musty, moldy smell and taste. I have actually had this happen before and it made a wine I had just bought to be undrinkable 🤢. Not sure why I used 'corked' in the recording-my bad! 2. My analogy comparing age statements was off, as Tasmania can indeed have a (generally) cold climate. However, my overall point remains: you can't directly compare the age statements between Scotland and Tasmania due to their different climates as they still won't be equal. I'm really excited to dive into this topic more in future videos. As world whiskies grow, the climate where they are made will become increasingly significant. For example, long countries like New Zealand, Australia (from Queensland to Tasmania), and Japan have varying climates from north to south, leading to potentially very different aging processes and results. Much more to discuss here! 3. Wetting your cork-I'm not entirely sure this works. I've tried it myself, but it might be a myth itself! So, don't take that as definitive advice. There are lots of other minor nuances as well, and I really appreciate the insightful comments explaining them! It's great to have such a knowledgeable community. Grateful to all the First Phil Fam here for your knowledgeable comments for helping me make better content!

[@Panzerkampf1995]

This is the best community I've seen and my only downside is that sometimes my wallet begs for mercy :)

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

@@Panzerkampf1995😅🥃🤝

[@DrumondArt]

@@Panzerkampf1995 100% Ahah

[@johncameron6853]

I'm a retired distiller of 27 years working in Highland and mainly Speyside and found this very interesting.

[@WhoeverNevermind]

About the 7th myth... so in a way, it is true what you say. Whisky doesn't mature in the bottle. But, at least in my opinion, it is not true that whisky doesn't change at all once bottled, even when when well-preserved. This is something that brandy enthusiasts know about brandy, but for some reason whisky enthusiasts can't admit about whisky.

[@GlenLossie]

Seems like a quibble when talking about the difference between mature and change. The fact is that whiskies can change and while it might take a long time to notice a difference a warmer climate will speed it along.

[@richardsmall5514]

Great video, Phil, thanks! A “myth” I often notice is famous brands = better whisky. I’m an old Scotsman and believed this myself for many years. (Decades actually.) Now I’m discovering loads of lesser known distilleries that make fantastic whisky, way better than the household names. It really is a “journey”!

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Great point Richard. Very true.

[@Martinlgn]

A cork breaking doesn’t mean the whisky is corked. Corkage is a bacterial infection of the whisky/wine/whatever, because this bacteria was in the cork. A broken cork is just that, a broken cork.

[@DJMJRyder]

You included a myth. Wetting your cork with whisky will dry it out more due to the high alcohol content

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Ah I think you might be right!

[@6point5]

came here to say the same thing.

[@puggrad96]

Thank you for clarifying that. It sounds logical.

[@terrencemcdermott5840]

I have heard that it’s the alcohol vapor that dries the cork. So “wetting” it not only allows the spirit, which if not cask strength, would have water in it to wet the cork, but more importantly the alcohol vapors that have not escaped to be reabsorbed into the whiskey. Is this not true?

[@raeraeraeth]

In a sealed bottle won't the 'air' inside be saturated with alcohol vapour and therefore the cork has nowhere to 'dry' to?

[@seanzealony9499]

Lastweek at my mates leaving party. I got him a dram of Glenmorangie and he had a chunk of ice in it. He drank it pretty quickly and I offered him another So this time the ice melted in the glass as he was talking to other people. He came back 15mins later and drank the dram. He asked me immediately what was this whisky and I told him it was his normal Glenmorangie. He was amazed with the taste difference and now lets his ice cube melt or adds a dab of water.

[@iainjames03]

On the subject of water, I learned a great technique from a distiller recently. Instead of adding the water to you whisky (which risks ruining the whole glassful by over-dilution) take a small sip of water and hold it in your mouth, then sip your whisky 'into' that and allow it to swirl and dilute in your mouth. This largely achieves the same thing without altering the whisky in your glass. The only downside is it doesn't 'open up' the whisky in the glass and allow those aromas to become more diffuse beforehand.

[@AJHart-eg1ys]

I'm always looking for any excuse to turn something profoundly simple into something that requires more steps. 🤣

[@Lutherson1962]

I prefer to take a sip of water after swallowing a bit of the scotch... It can open up some different notes, or with some scotch wash it away completely

[@Fedorevsky]

If you want a sweeter richer taste, eat a small amount of salt or salt in the water before sampling the whiskey

[@iainjames03]

@@AJHart-eg1ys yeah it’s more steps, I guess - but the point is you’re not altering the whisky in the glass.

[@slark78]

@@iainjames03 You're just altering it in your mouth instead, but with added steps. So what is the point??

[@dnipro72]

The one that always gets me: one should only drink single malts, no whisky enthusiast should touch a blend.

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

So many good blends out there these days!

[@raffaeletroiano1871]

Whisky and tonic water: you can literally put a few whisky drops in a glass of tonic water and will have a great flavour. Also, you can still enjoy it without exaggerating. Finally, living in a warm country, you can still enjoy whisky in the summer👍

[@user-dj3cz5sg3u]

Artificial corks are being used by several producers.

[@supervillan326]

Agree with all of your myth busts. Interesting. Great vid!👏

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Thanks so much!

[@GlenLossie]

Frankly speaking I've never heard people (enthusiasts or otherwise) talking about whiskies improving in bottle, in fact it is the opposite, insisting that a whisky is all but sterile and will not change with time. I believe that changes do occur with time and have experienced it twice. One was a Crown Royal bottled in 1982 (tax tape across the bottle cap) that was opened about 30 years later and the other was a Laphroaig 10 that had sat in a cupboard for about a half dozen years in a tropical climate. Both were unlike what a fresh bottle would have tasted and others in the room agreed. I do however think that some people are under the misconception that a bottle is considered "older" because of the time since purchase. I put that in the category of people who, when talking about single malts, sometimes ask about double malts.

[@iielysiumx5811]

On myth 1 my girlfriend was one of these and then she tried a glass of glenmoranjie 18 infinitas. It’s the only time I’ve seen her have an emotional reaction to alchohol she just smiled and exclaimed “oh wow” and said it was the best drink she had ever tasted

[@thewhiskyenthusiast]

Very cool video Phil! It might take some time for me to get used the screwcaps but I'm fully on board with synthetic corks. Cheers 🥃

[@ShaunSpaeth]

I think a great compromise to a cork that still gives you the same theatre cork gives you are synthetic corks. I wish every distillery used them to be honest....

[@raeraeraeth]

I would add: "Scotch is smoky", usually by people who tried it once 20 years ago and wrote it off. It seems odd when a lot of the best selling single malts and blends haven't seen a lick of peat. "A whisky must be 46% or above to be unchillfiltered", leading to puzzlement and even anger from the community when someone releases something at 45.8% and not the magical 46%. It clearly can't be true when we get 43 and 40% bottlings which are not chillfiltered, but who knows, maybe they are lying or intensely filtering it another way.

[@adamboyle8175]

Totally agree with you on the screw caps. Wish more distilleries were producing with them.

[@sgreatwood]

He he he- “Australia is hot and dry”, uses footage of Overeem from Tasmania

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Haha yeah that was a bad analogy 😅. Australia is a huge place

[@markovucic]

1. Talking about screw cap, some cheap Japanese whiskies had so bad screw caps that there was almost half a bottle remaining due to evaporation on the shop shelf. Hence screw capa can be really a crap. 2. I would add the myth about blended whiskiea. In particular early enthusiasts, who had just discovered the world of single malts tend to deapise blended malts or blended whiskies in general.

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Good points Mark! I do like the Yoichi screwcap though, but I know what you mean - you don't want it to feel like a soda! Agree completly with 2. So many great blends out there these days!

[@ja5361]

Great video other than the idea to wet the cork with Whiskey.... there's a reason you don't store them on their side... 😮😅 what do you think of the sudden rise in Tequila cask whiskey/ what distillery would you be most excited to hear they are releasing a Tequila aged Dram? It's early days but it's the next hype wave in Whiskey 😊

[@busslayer4790]

The linked video on sherry is fantastic. Definitely recommend that for whisky geeks.

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Thanks mate! It took ages to make that, but worth watching for people into whisky

[@maxhalley4373]

Great video, the point about peat smoke flavor diminishing over time makes me want to try younger releases from Ardbeg and Laphroaig. I love the peat smoke flavor of those distilleries' 10 year whisky.

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Definitely. Lagavulin 8 is great too!

[@ALL-il1sw]

The other reason i disregard age statements is due to cask sizes. The whisky interacting with the wood is the whole point, and each cask shape and size will then have a different ratio of volume/internal surface area, meaning two different shaped/size casks will mature at a different rate 🥃

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Oh yes! That's a another reason. Good point!

[@Fedorevsky]

Yes, and not only size but also the shape of the barrel and by that I mean how many times was it used and for how long and for what purpose and where was it placed in the warehouse (impact by temperature shifts and light) under this use and what influences did it get from the environment it was in etc. Was it charred and if so what type of charring? Was it ever re-charred and if so what type of charring this time? All of this along with the type of cask and size means the variables are endless so no direct comparisons can ever be made on age in the barrel(s) alone.

[@reigningwhiskey]

Screw cap shouldn’t be controversial.. it’s common sense at this point. Either transition to synthetic corks or screw caps.

[@Koby616]

At start of my whiskey journey all whiskey tasted the same for me cause I only tried cheap blends 😅 I agree with corks, I would like to have more screw ones. At start I thought adding water to whiskey was for people who love 40 abv whiskey, but it's great addition to getting more out of whiskey. Anyway interesting video, thanks for sharing your knowledge

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

So true! Thanks for watching!

[@Karakondjou]

Regarding the cork cap, a good alternative in my opinion is the plastic cap. It looks the same and you don't lose the effect of opening the bottle and it doesn't break so easily like the cork one. I was wondering why you didn't mention this variant? I have only seen this plastic type of cap on cheaper whiskies, so maybe I am missing something...

[@pavlenikacevic4976]

One should be careful with plastic because if it's not high quality, alcohol can dissolve plasticizers, and you end up with those in your drink

[@andrewbutler7681]

Just a couple of points from a 'grumpy old git'! (Having drunk whisky for 45 years or more can give a different perspective...) In 1986 Spain changed the law so that sherry had to be bottled there before export - prior to that, it would be shipped to Britain in 'transport casks' and then bottled here and it was those casks that were then used for whisky, as it was more economical than shipping them back empty. Because sherry-matured/finished whisky had become so popular, other ways to achieve it had to be found, which led to today's 'seasoned' casks. If the sherry is not transported in casks, then drinking more of it doesn't help... I'm really saddened by the way marketing departments and under-informed consumers have led to corks being used so often. The worst tragedy for me is Gordon & MacPhail's Connoisseurs Choice and Distillery Labels ranges: some of my most treasured (and most expensive) bottles (generally distilled in the 1960s/1970s and bottled in the 1990s) have screw caps - the ROPP cap was 'de rigeur' back then - but more recent ones have corks...

[@peatbull3426]

Andrew, sir; you are real gem in whisky community. Your knowledge and experience you share with us is priceless. Good to have you in coments section, read and learn a lot and always enjoy it. Thank you and slàinte 😁🥂🥂🥂🙋‍♂️

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Agree!

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Yeah great point Andrew. I should have mentioned that the idea of a sherrycask was always a temporary thing. As the seasoned casks are trying to mimic transport casks rather that actual solera sherry casks. Good additional info!

[@andrewbutler7681]

@@FirstPhilWhisky Have you had a chance to try any of the samples I sent yet?

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

I have! Thanks again. My brother came over from Australia. So we cracked a sample of one of the older ones. I'll check which one it was. Such a interesting dram, unlike anything I've had before… I'm trying to think if I can chat about some of them in a stream or video 🤔

[@fortyofforty5257]

Does the transportation of the whisky make a difference? For wines, they are relatively fragile and should be (yes, should, but are not always) moved in temperature controlled shipping containers. Should whisky be transported around the globe in temperature controlled containers or does it not matter?

[@SHHDADDYSWORKN]

Thanks for the info! Not a big fan of adding coloring to the whiskies and just prefer the barrel doing its work, but im not a big drinker of scotchs or irish which ever uses it. just rye, bourbon and mainly american whiskies. But hey maybe my flavor profile will change in the future.

[@Fedorevsky]

Yeah I wish there were rules everywhere against coloring of all liquors.

[@steeno1985]

Great video as always Phil. I think quite a funny myth is that the distillation year is the same as the vintage in wine, like it was a good/bad year. "Oh, the 1964 Macallan" I believe pops up in one of the Bond films. I guess screenwriters drink wine!

[@Fedorevsky]

Well it's obviously not quite the same as wine but when talking about batches of single cask releases this does hold true, batches are different, sometimes very different. But also all brands of whiskey do change over the years and decades, even the blends where they try to make them very similar they will change according to the availability of the components of the blend over the years. You see this a lot with sherried whisky's where the availability of sherry barrels and casks for aging differs over the years and collectors will pay quite large sums for an older variant of the same whiskey that has more or less sherry influence in it and so on and so forth. Which is why a Macallan is actually something where a year could be important as maybe their sherry casks were particularly good around that time. But I suppose in movies with screenwriters this more comes from Brandy where this is definitely true as Brandy has special year releases and they are most definitely different from one another depending on the wine they used to make them and so on. I have bought sets of smaller bottles of Brandy where you get 5 different years of the same Brandy and it's very interesting to taste the differences and similarities. It would be interesting if this was also possible to do with whisky.

[@kurthenke2248]

Re: #1, couldn’t be more true. My first experience was Wild Turkey 101 and it was terrible. This was followed by Old Grand Dad. Thank goodness I have friends who carefully educated me that there’s a huge range.

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Exactly!

[@mikerodriguez4608]

To be fair, Wild Turkey 101 and the Old Grand Dad 100 proof Bonded expression are great examples of mid to high rye content Bourbons at the $20 / 750mL price point, and would be good to use to find out if you like a high rye Bourbon (versus a wheated Bourbon, versus a Bourbon with a more traditional mashbill, etc.). Old Grand Dad is a true high rye, while Wild Turkey drinks a little spicier than its traditional mid rye mashbill, with some spice and cinnamon notes that you usually get from a high rye Bourbon mashbill.

[@whiskywhereabouts]

Nice list of misconceptions. Perhaps the development of more environmentally-conscious packaging can pave the way for alternatives to traditional corks (The Bruichladdich 18 already has a glass stopped with rubber gasket...) without worrying about the stigma of screw caps.

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Yeah good point. Lots of ways to keep the “pop” without resorting to actual cork.

[@peathead4450]

Thanks for sharing Phil. Some great info. Slàinte mhath

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Thanks for watching mate!

[@toddavis8151]

One minor point I’ll sort of correct you on is in regards to Australian whisky. You mentioned that Australian whisky comes from warmer climates,which in a few cases is true. However the mainstay of Australian whisky is Tasmania (think Lark) and the climate down there is actually pretty comparable to Scotland. Sorry for bringing up such a minor issue

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Good point Todd! Even still, I wouldn't compare the age statements between Tasmania and Scotland.

[@Fedorevsky]

I don't even compare age statements between Scotland and Scotland, lol, the variables in barrels are too big so you got to take it release by release really. Age statements are a rough guide in general mostly between the different releases by the same brand but mostly there to reassure customers and good for sales. I notice often when people believe in the myth of age statements being "equal" they frequently get surprised or disappointed when they buy for example an 18 year old and it's not how they perceive 18 year olds should be compared to some other brands 18 year old they like and so on. It's a fools game. So I say use it as a rough guide but treat every bottling as it's own beast.

[@rogerwelsh2335]

Bourbons can be seen as tasting the same because of the laws of distilling it must follow. Scotch is a different beast.

[@Fedorevsky]

yeah the Bourbon laws are so strict it can all taste a bit samey.

[@BrutusMaximusAurelius]

I believed the first one for 15 years, until I was about 34 and a friend let me taste a couple of good whiskies. Was immediately hooked.

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Yeah I did for ages too until I tried the Laphroaig 10. So true!

[@emieloss7229]

I was at the Lochranza (Arran) distillery last year. And they had two distillery exclusive single cask whisky's. A 12 yo ex bourbon and a 16 yo refilled sherry cask. The 16 yo was sooo pale. One of the lightest colored whisky I've seen. I expected a fresh citrussy and yellow fruit whisky with some oak spices. But it tasted soo dark! Like espresso, very dark chocolate, and burned wood. Absolutely crazy.

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Great example!

[@100puremustard5]

Regarding Myth#4: I think it's more disrespectful on the rocks 😂. And definitley try the dram before you add water!

[@iainjames03]

On the aging myth - it's true that whisky doesn't 'age' in the bottle but, once opened, a whisky can change somewhat - especially if it's stored badly (in excessive heat and/or sunlight). It won't go off like wine does but it will gradually lose its 'freshness' over time.

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Good point!

[@brukuns]

There are 118ppm Octomores that taste way smokier than some 200+ ppm Octomores. I think the more wine influence it has, the more it hides the actual peat, at least it seems to be the case.

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Interesting! So many variables right

[@f00dify]

I think the reason why myth #5 exists in part is because Corks are more common, and I think some people see cork as more elegant. In the case of myth #4, I've never heard of that myth until I saw this video. My friend who got me into whisk(e)y told me that's how you're supposed to have Scotch. Personally, that's how I prefer to drink all my whiskies these days.

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Yeah I find whisky enthusiasts generally know adding water can be a good thing. I have had people who work at bars and pubs though, tell me I shouldn’t add water 😅

[@f00dify]

@@FirstPhilWhisky That's fascinating, I wonder where they got that information from. In the end, it ultimately comes down to personal preference I'd say.

[@haroldgrey134]

I've been trying to avoid plastic containers for food & drink due to BCPs. I wonder if any testing has been done on BCP leaching into alcohol sealed with plastic screw caps.

[@jimreichel1466]

Is it a myth that whisk(e)y will taste different once the level drops below the shoulder or half way down the bottle?

[@kaloyanski]

Great video 🥃

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Thanks for watching!

[@jbar6284]

Excellent video, Phil, whether it's 12 or 10 myths I didn't think to keep count, but all good. One quibble I will raise: you refer to the bottles with broken corks in their necks as "corked". That is potentially very misleading. In wine a "corked" bottle has nothing to do with breakage of the cork. Instead a "corked" bottle of wine is one that has been infected by a mould called Trichloroanisole (TCA). You will "notice" it because it typically has a very unpleasant mouldy aroma which some compare to wet hessian or various other such things, and humans are virtually all highly sensitive to such aromas--at tiny parts per million levels. It was the presence of TCA in too many of the corks provided to the Australian and NZ wine industries by the Portuguese cork production industry that prompted those countries' wine producers to move to using screw-caps for sealing most of their bottles, starting in about 2000--although there was also an earlier experimental phase with screw caps in Australian wine in the early-1970s. So using the term "corked", albeit in the different context of whisky rather than wine, to refer to broken corks is I think potentially quite misleading and regrettable. The above is a separate discussion from whether TCA can affect whiskies.

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Thanks for these nuggets of info! I actually have no idea why I said corked in the record as I have actually had wine be “corked” and taste off as opposed to just a broken cork. My script even said broken corks. Thanks for highlighting the mistake! Slip of the tongue, hopefully people get what I’m saying through the visuals though. That’s very interesting regarding the history though, I had a vineyard owner tell me it was for practical reasons and did not question it, but your explanation does make more sense and explains the industry wide use of screw caps with wine in NZ, rather than a few outliers. Thanks for the points! I’ll keep it in mind for future videos on the topic! 🥃🍷

[@fulcrumg]

Missed the Neck Pour myth! Great videos BTW.

[@Fedorevsky]

That's not a myth. Oxygenation and the impact on taste is quite real.

[@fulcrumg]

@@Fedorevsky It is true. Oxygenation is a fact. The 'neck pour' myth is based on a fact (like most myths). The real question is whether this oxygenation phenomenon actually affects the liquid in the neck of the bottle enough (or at all) to warrant discarding it. A myth is an 'accepted truth' without any empirical basis to support it, not necessarily a factually incorrect belief, but simply one that has not been proven either way.

[@Fedorevsky]

@@fulcrumg Yeah I get what you're saying. The thing that is not a myth is of course that after drinking down to the neck or more and letting the whisky or other liquor get some time to "breathe" (like months) will change the flavor. Important here of course is the time. Just pouring out the whisky to the neck part and then thinking there will be a difference in taste just by doing that does indeed seem preposterous. If that is the claim that must be a myth.

[@fulcrumg]

@@Fedorevsky Believe it or not, that's the claim. Believers of this myth argue that the whisky in the neck of the bottle is more affected by oxidation from the trapped air, creating a barrier between it and the rest of the liquid below. As a result, many who follow this myth discard the whisky in the neck, hence the term "neck pour". This myth is particularly popular in the US, from what I've read.

[@Fedorevsky]

@@fulcrumg That's funny! If that myth was actually true I guess it would be better remedied by just shaking the bottle and opening it a few times over, lol

[@6point5]

The myth of neck pour. That's a huge one for enthusiasts to this day.

[@maritimeus]

Not a myth, lol

[@markcalhoun8219]

If the bottle has been sitting vertically for a while it only makes sense that lighter molecular compounds would settle higher in the liquid column, additionally neck pours are usually at opening so the Oxygenation process hasn't begun yet which also changes the flavor a bit over time... so you get two possible sources of flavor change in the "neck pour" which are likely very real.

[@6point5]

@@maritimeus you need to go watch some whisky tribe videos. :)

[@BracchiAlessandroFineArt]

i'm praying for more screw caps !

[@slappe_harry5493]

2 videos within 2 weeks😮

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Ha strange isn’t it! And even a live stream on Monday 🎉🥃

[@silvin007]

can you list the channel that you mentioned?

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Ah thanks for pointing that out. Linked now!

[@RJR2222]

Please check out 4Leaf Whiskey. Stacie is amazing with Irish whiskey.

[@christinecamley]

Give me a punch in the face Islay peated whisky anytime! Very interesting video! No way to a $400 Johnnie Walker Blue in Canada!! Overrated. Overpriced. Cheers!! 🙂

[@T4G95]

Never had a cork break on me before. You must be taking too long to drink it… or you are putting a sideways force on it. Screw caps feel cheap and not only miss the beautiful sound of a cork… they have the horrible tinny sound of metal on glass.

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Yeah I think the big barrier is the association with cheap screw caps. But there are good ones like the ones shown in the video which feel heavy and more premium and less like a soda drink. Yeah I’ve had bottles have corks break the day I’ve opened them.

[@JimmyBlandfood]

In my experience decent whisky doesn't give me a hangover. Would you say that's a myth? I've been drinking Edradour Ballechin, Ardbeg, Lagavulan and Laphroaig and no hangover even after half a bottle.

[@richardamiro8266]

Erik Wait Whiskey Studies if you want to learn about learning about Whiskey

[@crigback]

Hello from Sweden Appreciate your channel and your videos. Professionally and nicely edited with beautiful animations. Continue like that! 🥃🤘🏼 The only thing I would say is that unfortunately your approach to bourbon and American distilleries leaves a dull note. It's okay to like different, I do too, it adds to the great variety in the whisky/whiskey world which is fantastic. But often you refer to it as something worse. /Carl

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

A actually agree. I mean I love single malt, but the big issue is many US producers don’t see a need to export bourbon, so a lot of what I have access to is the mass market stuff rather than the hidden great gems you may find on bourbon channels. I definitely believe if I lived in the US I would have a much more split collection.

[@crigback]

@@FirstPhilWhisky It's the same in Sweden, so you really have to hunt for the rare stuff bottles (but then, unfortunately, they are usually overpriced). Thanks for the reply and keep up the good work on your nice channel 👍🏼

[@francoisstrength]

So use more vinegar then.

[@ramackay]

4:59 Unfortunately, the gals at the Grail haven’t uploaded in quite a while. I did really enjoy their videos.

[@iainjames03]

One BIG myth you failed to mention - "whisky shouldn't be mixed". This is generally applied more to Scotch - and in particular single malts. And, while I agree that the best way to really get the most out of whisky is to drink it on its own, it's also just a distilled spirit - and one with arguably a greater range of flavour and character than any other spirit. Whisky is *_crying out_* to be mixed and paired with all kinds of ingredients and the whisky industry has been advocating this for decades now, despite the impassioned cries of "SACRILEGE!!" that come from the whisky purists. I'm not suggesting you use a Macallan 18 in your next whisky sour - but the cocktail world has come on in leaps and bounds when it comes to creating delicious mixed drinks with scotch, the Japanese have turned the highball into an art-form and an entire generation is discovering that whisky isn't just an 'old man's drink'.

[@johannkrist]

What about blended Whisky?

[@andycakebread7663]

The source water!

[@claytonroberts1429]

Synthetic cork is the best of both worlds

[@superodfx]

Screw cap

[@robertpeterson9438]

I really like The Grail, but they seem to have stopped making videos. Have I missed something?

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Yeah I miss their videos! Whisky Tube is an expensive and time consuming gig though.

[@peatbull3426]

Nope, sadly they vanished 🤔🤷‍♂️🥂🥂🥂🙋‍♂️

[@AJHart-eg1ys]

The cork is one reason I won't buy Knob Creek again (aside from 9 being, to me, unremarkable). The cork is short and the pop is pathetic. You want the theatre that comes with opening.

[@CharlesOffdensen]

Natural corks suck for whisky. I hate them. They can break, and cause many problems, while at the same they don't give anything at all to the whisky.

[@SimonneNZ]

A good myth busting video Phil. I personally hate the one that whisky is a man's drink. You never see good whisky deals around for Mother's Day, it is always wine or gin. A lost opportunity for liquor retailers. Cheers!

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Yeah very true about the deals! Completely agree.

[@brukuns]

I've yet to see a good whisky that doesn't come with a cork.

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

Tried the two Japanese ones I mentioned?

[@brukuns]

@@FirstPhilWhisky And tbh I avoid Japanese whisky just as I avoid Macallan. It may be good, but it will ALWAYS be very overpriced. Specially in my market.

[@matthewross6045]

Recommending other KZbinrs is classy.

[@notorious_raksasa]

While I feel like the statement that Whisky is a man's drink is outdated, I do think it could be said to be a drink of patience, sophistication, and maturity. It can be hot, expensive, and off-putting at first, not suitable to audiences looking for nice sweet instant gratification. Still have too many acquaintances, friends, and family shooting 80 dollar whiskies expecting smoothness and a good time

[@user-be9cf5qv2q]

Screwcaps are obviously better. Japanese whisky makers are way ahead in this matter.

[@simonthomas271]

re the use of a cork as a stopper. I agree that the screw top is probably a better method of preserving the whisky but there is a wider environmental benefit for keeping the cork - cork forests are well known carbon sequestration sinks, are natural watersheds and are of course 100% renewable. It's also been claimed that one of the reasons why Portugal and Spain having such devastating forest fires is because the cork forests are no longer being harvested (at least in the volumes they were) resulting in much more dried bark as fuel. So, as ever... its complicated. Probably off topic though.

[@triplecap4307]

hard to believe a kiwi goes woke. Ok maybe not Cmon phil

[@triplecap4307]

ps. corked doesn't mean the cork broke. holy cow.

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

What’s woke? So you think whisky is only a drink men can enjoy?

[@realistic_delinquent]

⁠@@FirstPhilWhisky The accusation comes from a misinterpretation that you suggested that women are just as likely to be consumers, connoisseurs, and distillers of fine spirits as men are, which plainly isn’t the case. You could have provided a disclaimer like; “while whiskey is for everyone, women make it sometimes, _yadda yadda_ (here are some ladies that review whiskey on KZbin), its reputation as a ‘gentleman’s drink’ is well earned, well supported, and going to be difficult to shake off”. That is assuming that ‘woke’ is here understood as the totalizing ideology that rejects matters of fact for the benefit of the advancement of a contemporary sociopolitical caste system, effectively making it the mirror image of nationalist feudalism. Also, please don’t ignore the “corking” comment. A corked spirit is one where the cork was defective, spoiling the drink, not broken in the neck of the bottle. A broken cork that fully seals the gas and liquid still makes for a good, uncorked bottle.

[@FirstPhilWhisky]

​@@realistic_delinquent "you suggested that women are just as likely to be consumers, connoisseurs, and distillers of fine spirits as men are" I have no idea how people would interpret it this way. I was saying the myth was that whisky is a 'man's drink' like a drink only for men, which isn't true. It was not a comment on statistics, just the gatekeeping.