ralfy review 816 - Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 14yo @46%vol

If you like my content you can buy me a 'wee dram' at / ralfy , thanks !
My Book 'Search For A Whisky Bothy' (Bothie) is on sale at all good book shops, and from my printer lulu.com . Great read auto-biography and malt-journey.
For more whisky info & stuff, SUBSCRIBE to 'ralfydotcom'
Subscribe to my other KZbin Channel 'Fitter Philosophy'
This video represents a personal opinion and perspective only.
To comply with Google Adsense policy this video is an independent non-profit review and is not selling or linking to a site that sells the product being reviewed.

[@cincinnatea8978]

Had this after a 45 minute run in heat, sun, and humidity of a summer in the U.S. Midwest. It was amazing. Noticed an undeniable chocolate (!) note with buttery shortbread - wholly unlike any other experience I had with it up to that point. I've since tried to recreate the experience (which involves a lot of sweat and suffering, to be honest), and have noticed how tasty this is when I'm hot and thirsty. No water added. It's a totally different beast when I'm cool and comfortable. Moral of story: this dram is getting me to exercise more.

[@VibeXplorer]

This was my personal whisky of the year for 2019. Fantastic stuff, IMO

[@TheLongstrangetrip]

Just tried this last night and found the overall to be just way too citrus for me. The rest of the profile and flavors were fantastic but I got hung up on this real grapefruit forward flavor on the first taste. Could just be my inexperienced pallet.

[@WatfordWobble]

Best quote ever ‘devil is in the detail and so are the angles’. An interesting review. Thank you .

[@MrJonno85]

Or even the Angels 😉

[@DrakkarCalethiel]

This is the review I waited for. I had that expression on my list for good 8 months now.

[@novola1972]

One of my firsts bottles when I embarked on the whiskey journey about 8 years ago! Liked it a lot and thanks Ralfy.

[@romanaugustus9642]

I asked and you delivered! Thank you! This is a pleasant surprise! I love this stuff so much

[@alehhandro1]

I bought a bottle of The Quinta Ruban a month ago. All references to non-chill filtration are now removed from the box as well. The box is now made of metal, probably tin, is bright orange with spots in color and talks about Glenmorangie stills being as tall as grown giraffes. I guess the Moët Hennessy marketing department is getting the upper hand. Bought it on sale for about $47 US before taxes, add about 8.5% taxes for the total bill. Usually it sells for $55-60 before taxes in my area. Love Glenmorangie but would love to experience it truly non-chill filtered!

[@benrobson1177]

Was considering buying this bottle next month so was delighted to see it reviewed. I’ll definitely be purchasing now!

[@micway71]

It sure is a good single malt!! One of my favorites! You can justify the price all day long.

[@CalimehChelonia]

An absolutely brilliant whiskey. Hands down.

[@RuisRydo1205]

Great review. This one is one of my favourite whiskies, and certainly my favourite from Glenmorangie.

[@trhoads07]

Thank you Ralfy for your integrity reviews. Always a pleasure to hear your thoughts on some of the worlds finest spirits. (more rum reviews , please and thank you)

[@RyanBellMusic]

"The devil's in the details, and so are the angels."

[@Kthedon123]

Got this bottle as a Christmas sipper. I absolutely loved it. A beautiful whisky

[@davidsan9654]

I love how honest you are about how review should be viewed as localized opinions, not general facts.

[@jeffreymills4307]

I bought this as a Christmas present for my wife and I'M enjoying it very much. Great review my friend! Jeff

[@TheLPUnknown]

Ralfy, just checked my comments on this whisky from December 2019 - spot on :) glad you enjoyed the dram as much as I did in comparison. Crisp, fresh and clean, quality made spirit and affordable 🍻

[@BJL1970]

Bought this the morning of the 9th in Pennsylvania because it was on sale. Got it home and saw your video later that day. Love your reviews and watching the videos has defiantly increased my enjoyment of many varieties. This is a good one. Taste great.

[@stevesk8r]

Just happened to purchase this today and didnt realize you had just reviewed it, wonderful deal!

[@TheGroundedCoffee]

Gonna receive me one of those tomorrow. Can't waiiiit to open it!

[@chriswitham8736]

The Glenmorangie tour pays particular attention to casks and allows the visitor to stick their noses into a Bourbon, sherry and port cask filled with their whisky. It's a really good idea. What was interesting was that each cask smelled of the previous content, the Bourbon cask smelled of Jack Daniels and the port cask of port. No whisky smell. There are some obscure Springbank port casked whiskies which are stupendous. One day I'll open that GlenAllachie one you did.

[@falcon81701]

Just cracked open the 12 this week and love it. Looking forward to trying this.

[@stevenbrown7048]

Agree. Most of my small collection is either independent bottlings or harder to find ones. Yet there’s a soft spot on my palette for Glenmo!

[@befuddled2010]

I infrequently get to taste along, but this time I had an opportunity to do so and it was a great experience (and my bottle was almost down to the same level as Ralfy's). I can honestly say that I'm nowhere near his ability (and will likely never be), but I did get a decent chunk of the scents and flavors he pulled out. I very much enjoyed this whisky and the pleasure to taste along with the Master.

[@joethebar1]

Just cracked mine yesterday. What a beautiful dram. Wow

[@mrnosebear7406]

Hi Ralfy, thanks for excellent review. I remember the Portwood from the old times. I really enjoyed it. I only tried a small dram of the 12 year old Quinta Ruban in my neighbour's house and I liked it too. Cheers from Germany

[@davidbroughall3782]

I've been waiting patiently for this to arrive in Canada. I finally picked it up today and opened it as soon as I got home. I very much enjoyed the 12 and can say that I'm equally enjoying the 14, if not more so. It's going to be difficult to make this one last any length of time.

[@RebMordechaiReviews]

Ralfy, I very much apreciate your tasting notes. I recently had a brief discussion with a prominant whisky reviewer in the comments section of one of his videos, when he constantly referred to a two particular single malts as having sherry flavour notes. Now, I knew from my kashrus contacts that these two expressions had been matured exclusively in Ex-Bourbon casks! I am very fortunate to have a few bottles of the Golan Heights Single Cask 8 (Kosher Port Style cask), 13 (Kosher Chardonnay Brandy cask) and 47 (another Port style) and it is clear as day where all these lovely red and black fruit notes are coming from. Lastly, interesting that you picked up on lots of creamy vanilla notes, presumably coming from the American White Oak which they used in Portugal to make their Port pipes, rather than the more traditional European oak.

[@joejanca]

Was at a store, and torn between this and Balvenie 12 Double Wood. Pulled up your reviews really quickly and walked away with this for $10 less than the Balvenie. Seems like I made the right choice.

[@tarisco614]

How do you like it? I'm torn between this and a Glenfiddich 14 Bourbon Barrel when I go to town tomorrow.

[@joejanca]

@@tarisco614 I loooove the Quinta Ruban. I like the Glenfiddich too, but this is much more complex.

[@jdavis234]

@@tarisco614 they’re gonna be different, you get a lot of chocolate mint and dried red and citrus fruits on this one

[@tarisco614]

@@joejanca Ended up getting the Quinta Ruban. I havent tried a ton of scotches but I think this is my favorite.

[@felipeherrera6507]

The Balvenie 12 doblewood is also damn good

[@thomasbuck303]

Nice review Ralfy, I also enjoyed this single malt.

[@billyhughes9776]

I gotta get a bottle of this -- I had the previous 12yo version and loved it.

[@take-in]

Was almost willing you on to get Botswana right, Ralfy! And, that is 3 years after you have already recorded this. Love the vibe. Like chatting with a friend over a drink, which is the best way to enjoy a drink! Cheers!

[@nonpctasters2272]

all the glemorangie i've had has been wonderful

[@nickentros]

Totally agree. Great malts with reasonable prices

[@brianboru8858]

I personally found the 10 to be horrible stuff. Would be interested to try this expression tho

[@UZI-Max]

Just bought one on your recommendation, I always appreciate your input ! Got 30 ish bottles of whisk(e)y at home all Ralfy approved !! 🥃👌🏻 Cheers mate ! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇳🇱 greetings from the Netherlands 👋🏻

[@criell-sdkwhisky8674]

I agree with you Ralfy, was surprised how good this was. Regarding the extra 2 years compared to the old 12 y.o... My thought was that they refilled the old quinta ruban casks and therefor they needed a little more time because less active casks.

[@jbhomme]

Really interesting as always Ralfy. I thought the 12 yr version had more port wine influence than the 14 which seems strange. It's all in the casks as you say.

[@321southtube]

I just brought a bottle of this from Costco...as of yet I haven't tried it. However, due to this video....Im buying 1 to 3 bottles more. Sir...this is an entertaining, intriguing and wonderful video. One of my favorites of 2020. It was nice to have a drink with you. Hello from the US....Be safe - Be well

[@brianjennings1624]

I greatly enjoyed the Lasanta 12 year sherry version. Just picked up a bottle of the 14 year QR. I can’t wait.

[@Hindle1978]

I'm do like a wee dram from almost anything in the Glenmorangie range, and the Quinta Ruban is great.

[@jamesboddington1389]

Will be interesting to see what you think of it over time. I had a bottle around 6 months ago, the first 3rd of which I loved. It had this beautiful floral fruitiness and the Port grape varieties were even distictive on the nose but after a month or two it lost all the floral fruity notes that made it so attractive and degenerated into a rich graceless malt completely dominated by American Oak. To be fair I live in Thailand and the ambient temp here is probably higher than ideal but I've never had a problem like that with before and a recent Talisker 10 did the opposite and got noticeably better over time

[@Tantrum777]

This is a good one and I agree with the mark. Nice review Ralfy.

[@quintonking5089]

Thank you for this review, Ralfy. Pulled the trigger on this wonderful scotch today and it is a beautiful expression in every sense.

[@michaelcharlesthearchangel]

Yes, agreed. Chocolate 🍫 and then light cigars on the finish. I thought there was peat in there.

[@Lindholmer5k]

Will be buying a bottle! Never had a port wood whiskey, and let me tell you, i love port! Especialy with a good nicarao cigar

[@andy_calderwood]

Fair review and a favourite of mine (and the 12 before it. ) always got a QR on the go and as noted, can generally be picked up for a decent price in the UK every so often . Does what you expect for a decent core range , fair priced bottle and it wont disappoint. I did think the last 12 I had did state natural colour. However cant remember for sure.

[@mr2gordons940]

Good to find this one available locally! By the 9:00 point I thought we were going to get the first reference to snozzberries.

[@robfut9954]

I always thought the 10 was one of the better basic malts out there. Good price, solid quality and naturally good mannered. Especially in this age of some distillers charging $60-$70 for their 10.

[@jimm8799]

Just purchased my first bottle based on this review. Looking forward to trying it.

[@marcwhiskey]

I had this at a whiskey fest recently and could swear there was slight peat influence. Maybe my palate or glass was tainted. But this has been on my list for a long time now. Will still be looking to buy it

[@andrewblatherwick8758]

Glenmorangie 10 was my first step on the Malt Whisky journey. Not the best out there but i will always have a soft spot for this distillery

[@RichR65Ct]

Iam actually sipping this one while watching the review.I picked it up in Glastonbury Ct. U.S. I had a feeling I would be impressed because of the age statement and being 46%.The store also had a bottle of Macallan 25 year for $ 2100 sheesh,maybe next time.

[@kamenovkamen]

Hey, Ralfy! Interesting pick on the age statement. I'm being even more pessimistic and assume it's because they try to squeeze an extra refill but the wood is really tired already and has less influence so they don't have a choice but leave it for extra 2 years to get decent results. It lines up with the lacking fruity richness from before. Anyway, still a good malt. At the moment I got my eyes on Arran Amarone Cask Finish which looks interesting (unfortunately no age statement) and is quite affordable. Cheers!

[@jackofmanytrades4396]

I'm having some right now. It's wonderful. After this review, I had better get another bottle or two before the price goes up.

[@kevinbakaj6056]

My bottle is set to arrive tomorrow, can’t wait to try it!

[@ralfydotcom]

. . . enjoy !

[@TheShredfest89]

I also added just a bit of Longrow 13. And the Peat made things very interesting. It was a solid dram

[@jonwilliams23]

I really enjoy and trust your reviews, this one especially, since I found this bottle recently for a bargain price.

[@davidarmstrong2078]

I remember drinking a port wood finished glenmorangie at my 6th form leaving do 20 years ago.

[@mcomiskey7]

Even Mr Count Dracula himself is a Ralfy fan. Mr Dracula, on behalf of all the other malt mates we say thank you for the malt mention. Hope all is well in Transylvania buddy.

[@ZaDude1970]

Tasted both Quinta's back-to-back at the last Whisky Live Beirut 2019 event. Very fond of the 12yo. As for the Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 14yo, found it very good, the Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 12yo on the other hand has a flavour profile that's a notch more pronounced. Whispered my opinion to the Scotsman senior ambassador & he agreed. Said he liked the 14 but if he had to pick one, he found the 12yo just a bit more to his preference.

[@willemkilian9563]

Enjoy your discussions, thank you!

[@steviesummertimebreezy5766]

I agree Ralphie information should be on the bottle especially if that bottle is on the shelf of a bar or pub

[@WhiskyWhistle]

Ralfy this bottle left the Manitoba Liquor staffers and pencil pushers running around and going to the back wondering why it’s the same price as the old 12. I bought two before they decide to change their minds. I think now that port maturation and finishing are commonplace they decided to claw back some market share which I think they deserve. I broke my policy and poured a little and shared a dram with you. That dang cranberry will be stuck in my head now. Guess I’ll have to mention you again. Cheers🥃🥃🥃🥃 Mark

[@SunJigglet]

Heyo, Winnipegger! :)

[@WhiskyWhistle]

SJ Hong hello back!

[@ipad141]

Hi Ralfy got your book Friday nearly finished it , that might not sound much I haven’t read a book for a few years, i’m so enjoying it.sean

[@ralfydotcom]

. . . glad your enjoying it, thanks for buying my book !

[@johnbrien2254]

what is the name of the book

[@ralfydotcom]

@@johnbrien2254 "Search For A Whisky Bothy" by ralfy. Available on Amazon.

[@johnbrien2254]

thanks ralf

[@colbywhale]

My theory on the jump from 12 to 14 years is to separate its self from the huge amount of 12 year whisky’s out there. I do also agree with your statements if the newer casks needing a little longer to do their job properly

[@xiamengbaby]

Very close to an integrity malt: age stated, 46% ABV, non-chill filtered. All that's missing is a natural color declaration.

[@Balduin-di9hl]

Well somebody from Germany here. German law forces the distillery to print on their label when it is colored if they want to sell it here and there is nothing on the label of this Quinta Ruban so you can be pretty sure it has natural color.

[@bigchief939]

@@Balduin-di9hl Always been curious because it is one of my favorites!

[@Themilkmanskid.]

"Pour the (dram) stuff out of the bottle". 😄👍 I agree it should be on the bottle label at least.

[@MrChristopherMolloy]

It's a gem!

[@diarrhea_splatter]

I need to pick me up the reissued Glenmorangie Astar!

[@darth-umbrex]

It's late 2021 and I'm enjoying a nip of this. Not bad at all I usually stick to Islay scotches but I like this.

[@darkoanton5]

I like this one. It's drinks well and it is decent priced here compared to many other whiskies.

[@NickVolk]

Howdy Ralfy! Thanks for the pretty informative and educational review as usual. Could ya please tell me if it's similar to rum?

[@TheGothicHangman]

Honestly had a hard time believing the color was natural. It did grown on me and I'll try you're method next bottle.

[@tooslow1614]

Thanks Ralfy

[@mrkingzilla7]

Hey Ralfy, do distilleries change the way they make their New Make Spirit based on what type of casks they are going to put it in, (Bourbon, Sherry, Port, etc)?

[@iancrombie8862]

89 about right.Very good this one..the best of Glenmorangie!😋😋

[@randyblankenship8203]

Finally tried a sampler of this...wow. On my list to buy a 750ml

[@lyacoubian]

Well said Ralfy.

[@landoncarr6634]

Absolutely amazing

[@daveoneill3623]

Fantastic review .🥃🤙👍

[@ipad141]

I had to smile Ralfy, because I got it on Amazon.sean

[@kellyj5389]

Great review

[@whiskeygrunt772]

The US has a gift pack of the 10, Nectar D'or, Quinta Ruban and Lasanta. I tried that a couple years ago and the QR was my favorite then, sounds like it's much improved.

[@trespasser121]

This is not that QR, it's not nearly as good imho, even though it's older.

[@Caliban_80]

I really enjoy this one

[@SpootyMcGee]

The 12yo Quinta ruban was the start of my scotch whisky journey. I need to try the 14yo to compare.

[@adriannudelman4519]

Go buy one now. This 14yo is incredibly wonderful as the 12yo. This version feels a bit more like the port finish, which is what I like most.

[@johnmcmunn3827]

Ralfy, how could you forget Alexander McCall Smith?? Right enough he does live on the East Coast, Edinburgh :) :) cheers john

[@alexk3088]

Honestly I think they weren't selling enough of the QR12 so their stock aged and they released it as 14. Whisky Loch 2.0. And I liked the QR12 so I'm sure I'll enjoy this one. Good move. And I'm not clear why this isn't considered an integrity bottle, it ticks all the boxes. As did the Nectar d'Or before they made it a NAS.

[@cookinsdabest]

That's not how it works, they actually give the whiskey 2 extra years in the port casks. Whiskey doesn't age after it's bottled, it mellows

[@alexk3088]

@@cookinsdabest that's what I meant, their stock aged in the casks.

[@graham2954]

The NAS and 12 yo both have non-chill filtered on the bottle.

[@cheesegraham2387]

Found a bottle of the 12yo in my locsl newsagents the other day, the walls are lined with old whiskies

[@palkokity8235]

It was fairly easy to find that Glenmorangie had one 10 year old option, three 12yo options, and an 18. They decided to bump the Quinta Ruban from 12 to 14 to fill the gap. It had nothing to do with quality of oak casks..

[@xiamengbaby]

Tough to pull the trigger on this one right now as the Glenmorangie 10 yr old (43% ABV) 1.75 liter bottle is on sale for $50. The QR is $53 for 0.75 liters.

[@bradmartin7409]

That old alarm clock doesn't seem to be ticking very well Ralfy. I paid $50 for it hear in upstate New York I think the malt Mark is a little generous but it's a solid whisky

[@dialanddram]

Whereabouts in upstate?

[@bradmartin7409]

I'm from the Troy area Dial & Dram

[@dermothoyne2393]

I have one possible logic approach, that would be more fitting, to their push towards an age statement of 14YO. Keeping with the idea of continuity and addressing these QR bottlings. The now-vintage 12YO, would've been their 10YO baseline + 2Yrs held, in their sourced Port Pipes. Playing around with Port, is a delicate balancing act [compared to Sherry]. And Whisk(e)y doesn't always follow procedure, no matter how much you want things to run like clockwork. Some barrels may need substantially more exposure time, when others may just need a fist full of months / 1Yr, to leach out those [extra] desired properties. By offering this increased slack room (say a mixture of 10-13YO baseline + 1-4Yr finishings, meeting the 14YO timeframe), gives more hit barrels for vatting / bottling freindly... Who knows how many barrels may have been discarded, for being overly done / underprepped, back with the past [rigid] gameplan

[@nzmarco]

This was an ok scotch for me. I'm not of a massive fan of the base Glenmorangie flavour profile. It seemed quite hot (particularly the 10) and the vanilla/toffee flavours seemed too artificial. But what would I know as I sit here enjoying an Oban 14.

[@cyclops214]

I had the 12 years and I loved it then I tried the 14 years and I hated it. They need to go back to 12 years.

[@perkristiansandgren4132]

😯 i tryed the 12 and like it, never tryed the 14 yet

[@jswanny1]

We have this in my restaurant, it seems to be a hard sell. I love this malt and work it on my guest.

[@glennandersen4748]

Wery nice this one but i think it s a integrety malt its 46%, non chillfilterd and natural color

[@robGwaldo]

Can you explain why glenmorangie core ranges, aside from 10yo, do not advertise their age statements in most online listings? Quint ruban, La Santa, thats it, on several different websites. Must be intentional? Odd strategy?

[@srg_effron]

Hi, Ralphy! What is the difference between basic maltmark and integrity malt mark?

[@TheShredfest89]

I thought that they Increased the age Because they re used the port casks from the last Quinta Reuben.

[@riheg]

I wonder why the distillers don’t mature in port casks for 14 years and mix a few of those with more bourbon matured casks in stead of just finishing?

[@FelixIsGood]

Came from your brothers channel and immediately searched for my favorite whisky, good that it's also a good whisky. Any idea what else i could try?