FIVE Cheap Alternatives To FIVE Expensive Whiskies

[@mickmac8182]

Great video as always, have to admit how spot on you are with the picks 🥃🥃

[@MaltActivist]

Thank you kindly

[@pablov9212]

That BTAC and bourbon hype along with availability in north Texas is why the wife and I went on a scotch and world whisky journey. We probably won't turn back except for a Wild Turkey bottle here and there, either. Someone was gracious enough to let us try an Amrut Fusion X, and even for that retail price I'd say it is better value than many overestimated bourbons that go for much higher on the secondary market

[@MaltActivist]

Amrut Fusion X is a great whisky!

[@davidowen2834]

Hi MA, yes tend to agree with you, most older age malts (18+) are now out of my price range 😞. Four roses single barrel is an excellent value bourbon, can pick it up for around €30, an insane price. As always an enjoyable video, slàinte.

[@MaltActivist]

Cheers!

[@welshtoro3256]

"Regular Joe's like you and me" and a whisky collection worth £100,000+ 🤣🤣🤣and the thought of licking up that caviar ain't bad. Great idea for a review and there are so many whiskies that could join that list. By the way, I agree with all of your choices and your logic. I would have to add Talisker 10/18 to that list. Macallan 12/18; Ardbeg 10/Ardbeg Day releases and a host of others. I used to think Glen Scotia 18 was worth it but they've gone and put the fucking price up so that's a big fat no now. When these 18 year old whiskies were £100 or less I had no complaints but they're too expensive now and just don't deliver the goods. (Am I allowed to mention Springbank 18 now? 😏) Big shout out to Ledaig for keeping that price real and that's why I continue to buy their whisky and not the others. As for fancy bourbon; That really is the mother of all rip-offs these days. I'm a fan of bourbon and over the years I've been one of the few whisky commentators that's been involved with the bourbon KZbin world. I'm left behind these days though because it's poshed up and become ridiculous. I did manage to get a bottle of Eagle Rare 17 once. It was in a postal mix up. It was meant to be delivered to a Harley Street psychiatrist 😆. I can tell you for sure that it was nowhere near as good as the 33 year old Armagnac I was meant to have. We swapped our stuff back. The only other postal mix up I had was a Yamazaki 18 instead of the 12. I kept quiet about that one. WT

[@MaltActivist]

hahaha I'd love to hear the tasting notes on that Armagnac.

[@allanwhittle3041]

Ha ha ..Mr MA Bloody brilliant channel , informative and damn good fun 🤣 Thank you sir !!! And You are of course as usual …absolutely 100% correct , haven’t tried the Eagle rare’s but all the others spot on , don’t waste your cash ..Buy the cheaper alternative , in every case almost almost as good Cheers 🥃

[@MaltActivist]

Agreed!

[@mariomikulic8851]

Great video..1000% agree with all you said...

[@MaltActivist]

Glad to hear it

[@Zabijaka88]

I think it would be cool to get such vid on Islay whiskies such as Laphroaig, Ardbeg and so on. Anyway, great vid as always

[@MaltActivist]

Great suggestion!

[@IRamOne_w]

Love your work, thank you, fun as always. Btw why didn't you mention Craigellachie 13 as cheap alternative to whatever, cause I love it :) cheers

[@MaltActivist]

Cheers! Maybe I'll do another video.

[@welshtoro3256]

Craigellachie 13 is great but the 17 is very much enjoyed by others. I think the 13 is better.

[@mk.5706]

Because the Craigellachie 13 is substitution for nothing - because of it´s uniqueness. It´s great without a doubt but very unique. You know when i like to use it? People which are not into Whisky and prefer their rum or whatever are hard to serve. I tried Balvenie Double Wood or Macallan 12 Double Oak, charming Whiskys on the sweeter, milder side of things - and it never works. They think it´s nice, but not as nice as the sweet nonsens they drink normally. I now give them a Craigellachie 13 for example and it works sometimes. I´ve got a malt mate who was fascinated by the Craigellachie and even said 'now i get it - it´s not about being nice and sweet and easy, it´s about being interesting and deep and layered and therefore way more rewarding' - now he´s into whisky. (if that still doesn´t work i give them Ardbeg Corry - sometimes they get it and if they don´t it´s the fitting punishment).

[@IRamOne_w]

you just made me evening :) cheers @@mk.5706

[@sandeepmathur5018]

Great Video ! 🥃🥃

[@MaltActivist]

Thank you kindly

[@ironmantran]

The best recommendations. Here. The end. ----------- but I have seen 349 UKP before. (LOL)

[@cliffnorman178]

What a great video. You have really made your point.

[@MaltActivist]

Glad you think so!

[@gam3rsbej]

As an experienced man in the journey of whisky You came whit good ideas for the videos

[@MaltActivist]

Thank you!

[@supervillan326]

Great list. Glad you included some bourbons in there as well. Just started getting into those. 👏🙂

[@MaltActivist]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@welshtoro3256]

Wild Turkey 101 is the great go to bourbon. A lot of great bourbon used to be cheap as chips but not any more.

[@supervillan326]

@@welshtoro3256 Funnily enough, that’s exactly the bottle I bought last Friday as my first ever bourbon purchase! 🙂 Much better than the stock Jack Daniels and Jim Beam I’d tried previously, although I did find the finish to be quite strange. Lot’s of reviewers describe the WT101 finish as cinnamon, whereas I found it to be almost overwhelmingly floral, to the point of perfumy. It’s made me want to try others Bourbon’s now, so I’ll be trying Eagle Rare 10 and Four Roses Single Barrel next, following MA’s review.

[@146matt]

Great vid MA 👍

[@MaltActivist]

Thanks Matt

[@thewhiskyenthusiast]

Good community service! The only one I have beef with is the Old Pulteney 12 as I find that way too watered down. I might've recommended the Huddart had it not been a harsh, young, bitey whisky. Maybe not cheap but the 15 is good alternative to 18. Hard one to find an alternative to unless you go to another distillery. Cheers!

[@MaltActivist]

I agree it's a bit watered down at 40% but I like it nonetheless --- I use it as a palate cleanser frankly.

[@thewhiskyenthusiast]

@@MaltActivist A palate cleanser you say... I am on board with it sir!😁🥃

[@DileepB]

Old Pulteney 15 is a nice in between. Love the Bunna 12. Four Roses Single Barrel is a good one. Eagle Rare 10 is great if you can find it!

[@MaltActivist]

Agreed!

[@welshtoro3256]

I don't know where you live but Eagle Rare 10 is everywhere in the U.K. You can even pick it up in Tesco for £35.

[@DileepB]

@@welshtoro3256 It is hard to find in most parts of the US for MSRP. They must send a lot to the UK!

[@freddieslaughter1107]

You make some good points

[@MaltActivist]

Thank you!

[@wevegraysquaw7855]

we need more of these!

[@MaltActivist]

On it !

[@michaellambright7968]

Not the most inspired list. Yes, younger version of some whiskys are also good. And cheaper.

[@sms4hou676]

The HIGHLAND PARK cask strength series is BETTER than the 18. I have all three editions, collecting them. However, they can Out at 80.00/btl, and now are pushing 100/btl.

[@MaltActivist]

Looks like you're driving up the prices! :-)

[@RVWhiskey]

Eagle Rare 17 vs Eagle 10 is definitely not the same dude lol I agree that the 10 is a good whiskey and $1,500 is far too much for the 17, but it’s 100% not the same whiskey lol

[@Rohit_M]

MA, I am with you, there is no need to plunk down money big money. Don't even talk about BT and Wellers and the craziness around bourbons now. I got into Bourbon years ago with the likes of Wild Turkey 101, Four Roses SB, Eagle Rare 10, Rare Breed. All still affordable and tasty bourbons. Scotches with little less age and for a whole lot less money from the same distilleries make perfect sense. Savor that ER17 as the bourbon market has gone completely bananas.

[@MaltActivist]

I guess I'll hold on for a bit - let's see

[@welshtoro3256]

I completely agree. Much as I love bourbon it has a very restricted flavour profile and the hype surrounding certain expressions is bonkers. Jack Daniels SBBP is still very good value in the U.K though.

[@Rohit_M]

@@welshtoro3256 A very few single barrel let alone SBBP bourbons are accessible at a reasonable and close to MSRP. But then again MSRP itself is a big question mark as the distilleries themselves are starting to price gouge the consumers. I am glad to hear you have access to JD SBBP. I can get JD SB and Bulleit BP once in a while. Some ER 10's and Weller 107 showed up in the last week in my market both at a reasonable price.

[@linsimone8145]

Your bunnahabhain 12yr is an early version, which seems less sweety, but maybe more chocollate and woody spice. I feel they both desired.

[@MaltActivist]

I see..

[@user-sm5mc9xq4i]

When will the Hebridean Isle of Raasay test be held?

[@MaltActivist]

soon!

[@gustavjansson6499]

Is the Highland Park 18 worth to buy? I have tried and drinked the 12 many times, its my favourite and I really love it, but I dont want to buy a bottle of the 18 YO come home, try it out and then be dissapointed

[@MaltActivist]

hmmmm I don't know what the right answer is. The old HP18 was a banger. The new one took some time to open up and deliver. Ultimately I think it boils down to price...

[@jeffbroemmel8003]

I feel bad for you. That price for the Four Roses Small Batch Select is outrageous. I can get it locally, any day of the week for $55. I love the entire range of Four Roses. I always keep a bottle or two on hand. Love the video.

[@MaltActivist]

I was talking about the Limited Edition one

[@jeffbroemmel8003]

@@MaltActivist my mistake.

[@axe8039]

Yes Malty 🔥

[@MaltActivist]

Cheers

[@LitoCortes]

Just like you did with the HP Caks Strength, I would've chosen the Bunna 12 Cask Strength instead of the the regular 12

[@MaltActivist]

I literally thought of that in the middle of my sentence while the camera was recording!

[@LitoCortes]

@@MaltActivist 😆 great job with the video though. Didn't want to come across critical, just share my thoughts. Cheers 🥃

[@MaltActivist]

@@LitoCortes haha no no you're not! I'm just saying I literally had a moment of realization in the middle of the video!

[@HaoDong-zn1yk]

I'm confused about four roses... the small batch here is just 40 USD while the single barrel is 50 USD....

[@MaltActivist]

Have a gander at this : www.thewhiskyexchange.com/p/63795/four-roses-small-batch-limited-edition-bot2021

[@pieterkok7486]

"trade deficit of Liberia" made me laugh so hard my chest hurts. Would love to hear your list of 18+ year olds that really are worth the price compared to the 10 or 12 year old from the same distillery...

[@peatbull3426]

Ledaig 18 Deanston 18 Speyburn 18 Ancnoc 18

[@welshtoro3256]

I think Ledaig 18 is worth the extra. It's still very affordable and suitably different. I love the 10 also. Many of the 18's were worth the extra but they've become so stupidly priced and uncompetitive now that they aren't worth it as the Activist says. Ralfy has just done a post about the ancnoc 18 which is well priced. There are a few but becoming scarce now. Get some whilst you can. Cheers. WT

[@pieterkok7486]

@@peatbull3426 Definitely agree with the Ledaig (I have both), and probably Deanston (only had samples); I shoudl try the others. I have Glendronach 18 (gift) but never tried the 12. Interested to hear opinions there.

[@peatbull3426]

@@pieterkok7486 if you sherry fan but need to know that nowadays Glendronach is only shadow of Billy Walker Era one. I tried 12yo and for me its completly waste of money. 👍😁🥂🙋🏻‍♂️

[@sandeepmathur5018]

Cheaper Alternative for the Yamazaki 18yo please? Because the Yamazaki 12 is also expensive for me! 😂😊😎🥃

[@MaltActivist]

haha cheaper alternative to that is Asahi !

[@sandymacdonald8485]

I bought the Old Pultney 12 for £25!

[@MaltActivist]

There you go!

[@sms4hou676]

Eagle rare is unavailable almost everywhere, 10 yr or otherwise.

[@MaltActivist]

Really? Quite freely available in the UK

[@freddieslaughter1107]

Do you live in the UK?

[@MaltActivist]

No sir

[@kapilkk06]

1 of the shopkeeper asking me 400 Pounds for Bunna-18 in INDIA craziness... still paid huge surplus - 200 Pounds for Bunnahabhain-18 years :)

[@MaltActivist]

Thats too much dude

[@jackthepickledhound]

So no value in age? Thank you!!! The only issue I have is that the HP CS is usually $100, so not a good value. I have to admit that I'd rather have a few younger bottles that a single expensive older one.

[@MaltActivist]

Fair enough!

[@jackthepickledhound]

@@MaltActivist No! It makes me sad. There's a shop here that just started selling Claxton's exploration series of single malts between $80 -$110. . 4-8 years old and 50%. The Glen Elgin 14 is $106 as the oldest. It's really hard to philosophize about whisky in this upside down world.

[@welshtoro3256]

I understand why MA included it but my beef is that it's young. Getting an affordable, half decent age statement, and high strength is nigh impossible these days

[@piotrledochowski5824]

IT is interesting for me that Ardbeg didnt make IT to the list... for me its like Best example;)

[@MaltActivist]

I see your point but it was basically saying 'dont buy the committee releases just buy the 10' ---- so i left it out. Besides I'm curious about the CRs

[@ravishankarbhatt5090]

Here I am with you, there is no point in sane mind to spend so much on the costly whiskies. Cheaper alternatives give you better satisfaction and cask strength a really bang for your buck. I sometimes have rued as to why did I buy that bottle when the cheaper one is almost as good. But we all are on the learning curve and sometimes learning can get costly and stupid.

[@MaltActivist]

Learning is always fun! Especially learning about whisky because it involves drinking it....

[@axe8039]

When are you meeting Kanwar Anand next?

[@MaltActivist]

No idea bud

[@manishagarwal7654]

​@@MaltActivist better not haven't liked that vlog personally

[@axe8039]

@@MaltActivist 👍🏻🔥

[@VinegarAndSaltedFries]

I love Scotch and Irish Whiskey and it’s a shame Bourbon’s special releases are so overpriced.

[@MaltActivist]

TRUE..