ralfy review 1012 - The Art of Up-Blending.

[@gromskywalker6644]

Great review of Ralfy, which I finally read. For 6 years, I have been blending a good quality basic range of whiskey and adding more noble ones in this way. For example, I add 10 or 15 Springbank or Kilkerran 12 or 16 to Campbletown Loch. Depending on the effect I want to achieve at the end, I blend appropriate flavors, sometimes with a homogeneous profile, sometimes with a diverse one, but it does not matter from which distillery I use the molt. . My common practice is to blend cask strength whiskey with lower abv whiskey to lower the alcohol strength but maintain the essential flavor. Thanks to this blending, each whiskey tasting is like a journey into the unknown beyond the standard presentation of the distillery. You can often mix some fantastic dram.

[@mrnosebear7406]

Mission completed. Wonderful video. I learned so much. Need to try this out over the weekend. Cheers from a pat-pal in Germany

[@vitormil]

@Ralfy, inspired by you I blended Campbeltown Loch and Bunnahabhain 12. The result was absolutely FANTASTIC! I highly recommend it to our malt mates. Thanks Ralfy!!! Cheers 🥃

[@TJO1913]

Fantastic video Ralfy; packed with interesting facts. One of your best Extras released. Thanks.

[@danielvestergard219]

The "rabbit rabbit rabbit and talk pish" Craked me up !!!

[@chrisbfd]

OMG!! I just started to play around blending some of my bourbons yesterday. What a coincidence you posted this. Love your insight.

[@sundowner62james69]

These extras definitely provide a consistency of quality !

[@sandrofazzolari8833]

Lots of useful information here. Many thanks 🙏. Kindest regards, S.

[@WendellMacKinnon]

Tried this afterr watching another video of yours, Ralfy. A little too much added to the bottle, but I have learned! Great video, Ralfy. Thanks, again!

[@robfut9954]

I view whiskies as several categories. 1) Neutral “base” malts, which are light and balanced. 2) Sherry Bombs, which are heavily sherried. 3) Peat Monsters, which are heavily peated. 4) Smoke Bombs, which are usually peated but are also very smoky. 5) Character Malts, which are malts with weird personalities. I always start with a Neutral malt and then I mix one of the others and taste, then a second if I feel frisky. Good fun.

[@milesbocianski7328]

Love that you got the Palo for 60. 200 USD for me :/ They really price up here on Springbank, but still a good price IMO

[@trl75]

I'm relatively new on my whisky journey and learning a lot from you via this channel. I haven't got a lot to choose from in my cabinet but decided to try to enhance some Ardmore Legacy with a drop of Takisker 10 YO. Found the mouthfeel of the Ardmore a tad thin and the addition of the Talisker certainly improved it. Thanks!

[@bingerbub]

Thanks for sharing all your knowledge with us! I would be very interested in additional up-blending Extras.

[@Aircraftsystemst]

Thanks Ralfy for the sharing of your experience. Dry January over Thank God!🙏

[@douglasyoung9320]

I did exactly the same with the 2022 release of Campbeltown Loch. I thought it was crying out for some sherry influence so I mixed it with SB 2019 open day 8 year old Fresh Sherry cask. It massively improved what was already a fine dram. Clearly I wasn’t the only one who thought it could do with more sherry influence. New batch has significantly more sherry than the last.

[@michaelwood3203]

What fun we can have. Thanks Ralfy.

[@terrortower666]

There’s a lot to experiment with, in the right circumstances and care/knowledge, and lots to learn as a result

[@Alcoholocaustia]

Tip for a cheap peated dram: Islay Mist + some drops of Laphroaig 10.

[@GlenLossie]

Hmmm, interesting. I am overseas at the moment and it so happens that I have a bottle of Isle of Skye from Heathrow duty free and, from home in Canada, a bottle of Elixir's Elements of Islay Peat, a full proof blended malt at just above 59% abv. I think I will try your little experiment using them. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@Alcoholocaustia]

@@GlenLossie It's a fun experiment. I did the same with the cheap "For Peat's Sake" and added some Wee Beastie. Immediately made it a better dram.

[@GlenLossie]

@@Alcoholocaustia Don't know "For Peat's Sake" but the Wee Beastie is a lovely dram and quite a few critics consider it better than the Ardbeg 10.

[@SimonneNZ]

Great video Ralfy! Up-Blending can really lift a whisky. I like to use something at Cask Strength to add to another lower strength whisky as you don't need to add much to make a significant difference. Sometimes just a small increase in ABV can really enhance a whisky. I also use up-blending to round out the palate or enhance sherry or peat flavours. Lots of fun experimenting. Cheers!

[@allanhegney3835]

I'm into my 1st btl of this a bit now & imo its more along the Springbank 15 profile than the 10 but I do sense the Glen Scotia in there too... Or do I... Not sure if I wanna add some of my last dribble of Hazelburn 10 into it but may hold onto some to try with the nxt btl of Springbank 10 I get my hands on. ... I wonder what a dot of my Ledaig Rioja Sinclair Series would do to a dram 🤔

[@davet7185]

Now that's what I call 'turbo-charging' Ralfy; oh that it was that easy to get hold of Springbank 😥. Ay....there's the rub!

[@pfalzgraf7527]

This is an interesting ... theory(?) And a very nice glimpse behind scenes.

[@yusufsayed1583]

Good Evening 😊 Awesome Video👌🏽Thanks for sharing all the info 👏🏼 Greetings and Cheers 🍻 From South Africa 🇿🇦

[@jukkaemartikainen9529]

Springbank site says: Campbeltown Loch Blended Malt All five malts from the region’s three distilleries have been used to produce this Blended Malt. Matured in a combination of Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Sherry casks, vatted and bottled at Springbank Distillery, Campbeltown All FIVE!! Does this mean that also Glen Scotia is present here?

[@barryhamilton7845]

Yes, it must be ,because it would only be four then as we know,Springbank, Kilkerran, Longrow, and Hazelburn ,and it clearly says five malts from Campbeltowns three distilliries,so it must be Glen Scotia.

[@GlennForbes20]

In the US, we just got access to the Naked Malt, formerly a version of famous grouse. It’s 43% and 27.99 for a 750 bottle. I’ll have to try adding some older sherry casked whiskey to it.

[@scrimmy45]

Something an old lad told me to do quite a number of years ago and yes - it really does work.

[@weesky5222]

man i loved this video ! i saw your experience and wise words in it.

[@brianmobley1720]

Great information sir 🙏 I was wondering how to submit a malt mention? I think I have a good one!! 🐿️😎🐿️

[@grantgallagher8592]

VERY interesting (the part on cask priming). - so do you know if this is the origin of "Naked Malt" (previously Naked Grouse)?

[@IRamOne_w]

Thank you Ralfy, just start thinging to add a bit of Victoriana into GC Dobule Cask :) cheers

[@mohavie2360]

gosh i wish you were my uncle because we could speak for hours. i love the education that you are teaching us so keep up the great work sir. i learn a new lesson in every video i watch from you. thank you. sir i have a question if you can help answer.. why would you not want to buy a sealed bottle of whiskey that has the spirits evaporated down below the neck line? you mentioned its the alcohol that was evaporated but wouldnt it be water as well because water evaporates faster than alcoholo?

[@vasileiossamaras8240]

Ralfy ...u r a genious!!

[@robfut9954]

Why is the hoopla around Pappy Van Winkle enough to make it off the malt mate radar, yet Springbank continue to get attention? It seems like the same phenomenon, a VERY good whisky that has been made inaccessible by collectors and fad chasers. Is this not a correct take on the situation, Ralfy?

[@alexk3088]

Springbank is mainly chased by those who actually savor the whisky. Pappy, IMHO, is often chased by people who don't really understand much about bourbon, they are just following a trend. It all started with Anthony Bourdain declaring Pappy the best bourbon on teevee (and he ordered it with a cube of ice). Bourdain was not wrong about it being very good, but the masses are what they are and they'll do what they do. That started the crazy train, a lemming stampede, but it turned into a black hole, that has sucked into itself even the basic bottles like Buffalo Trace and Weller Reserve 45%, not to mention the various better but available bottles. I also think that the industry capitalized on the craze in order to lift up bourbon's reputation as desirable, collectible and sophisticated (like Scotch). Now these huge industrial distilleries like Heaven Hill, Jim Beam, Buffalo Trace (which all make good bourbons, but no way is there a shortage of it) make these "limited" releases, which are "allocated" to keep the frenzy going. I think it's pointless to blame anyone or resent this, it can't be helped, can't be stopped. But IMHO it'll eventually end in tears, for the industry and the "collectors". We just need to keep looking, keep exploring other malts, keep trying single casks from indy bottlers like Signatory, you can often find stuff that most people will never try. I'm glad I got to try most of the Van Winkle lineup (treated by a friend), got to grab a bottle here and there of Springbank/Longrow/Hazelburn, Kilkerran and Glen Scotia, but I won't be chasing them or trying to buy every expression. I only buy value. It's impossible to taste all the whiskies in the world, so we should enjoy what we can get, focus on it, rather on what we can't get.

[@robfut9954]

@@alexk3088 I used to buy Pappy semi regularly in the early 2000’s when a bottle was $60. It was a good product back then. Not worth $500 good, but good. And I personally feel the same is now sadly true (for whatever reason) with Springbank where I am. I can’t get it on shelves. If I want it I have to pay way way over odds and even though it’s good… it’s not $200 good.

[@brianforbes4417]

Ralfy, I often enjoy an IPA along with my whisky, one evening my little Tabasco sauce bottle ran out of its dripping water content while my glencairn was primed with some cask strength malt, faced with the prospect of lifting my mery carcass off its seat to top up my water i decided to experiment with the water content of my IPA as a catalyst for my dram, well I have to say the results were so lovely in the glass that tbh it scares me as to the possible permutations, I've repeated this a number of time's here and there and have had amazing results every time, could you give this a we try yourself n see fit like, i know it's off the wall but wow it's full of dimension.

[@martijnlucasvanerp9631]

These creative malt video's are very interesting! Maltmention: hello you malty magical maltmuggles Grtz and thank you Ralfy

[@thewhiskybothy]

. . . now on the M-mention List, thanks !

[@jimmyjazz4605]

Hey Ralfy, great extras video. Will you be doing a review of the Springbank 10yo PX?

[@Brad-ic4bp]

It doesn’t take a master blender to add caramel color, so I at least hope those scotch master blenders that do add coloring do so under protest, because they’ve been directed to by the sales and marketing geniuses.

[@Eunegin23]

Chill-filtration. Coloring. Why?? Isn't it easier and more honest just to do nothing?? Oh -- honesty in business....

[@barryhamilton7845]

The Royal Salute,Ballantines and Chivas regal master blender loves his E150a ,as you never hear him mentioning it,and he always tells you his blends are the best thing since single malts.

[@alexk3088]

People rarely protest the hand that feeds them and keeps the lights on. And I understand - until the audience (aka "consumer") changes, industry won't change. Demand drives supply. Always.

[@PierreMoisan-vf2ze]

Bravo! it’s another good one. Now we will see enthousiastes short of overpriced Springbank bring their dram from the Pub for blending experiments 😂 Can’t wait for your next non conformist review 👍

[@bernardbresslaw6521]

Ralfy where did you get the 10 yo? My daughter lives in Glasgow and I'll get her to pop in and get me one for my birthday 😊

[@peatbull3426]

its Special Edition 10yo with Palo Cortado wine finish. Small nr of bottles. 2nd in series. all bottles have been sold out before go for sale. You can find one somewhere in Auction for couple of houndreds £££ 🤷‍♂️🙋🏻‍♂️

[@peatbull3426]

yes it is at Maldaq for....£423 😎

[@GlenLossie]

@@peatbull3426 Perhaps an alternative might be, for considerably less money, the Glenmorangie 12 yo Palo Cortado.

[@peatbull3426]

​@@GlenLossieyes, better than nothing 🤷‍♂️😁🥂🥂🥂🙋‍♂️

[@PatrickMcAlary]

Hi Ralfy I am still not getting your e-mails!!! Why ??