vPub Live - NOT The Top Ten Best Selling Single Malts (a vPub edit)

[@Aqvavitae]

Time stamps for bottle-skipping 0:00 - Opening 3:03 - Brief intro to topic 5:41 - 10 Dram and taking it easy 7:10 - Welcoming in the lounge 17:52 - Structure for this session 21:09 - Recap on The Top 10 Best Sellers 23:36 - Ranking Top 10 Best Sellers 33:26 - AnCnoc 12yo 40% 39:30 - Speyburn 10yo 40% 47:02 - Old Pulteney 12yo 40% 59:18 - Glenfacrcla 10yo 40% 1:09:28 - Glengoyne 10yo 40% 1:25:40 - Loch Lomond 10yo 40% 1:36:36 - Jura 10yo 40% 1:49:53 - Benromach 10yo 43% 2:01:35 - Glen Scotia 10yo 40% 2:12:35 - Bowmore 12yo 40% 2:22:58 - What are these whiskies actually for? 2:37:38 - My own 'edited' ranking 2:45:15 - The Community Edit 2:51:57 - Quiz at the End

[@tooslow1614]

Thank you

[@edfriday7709]

The AnCnoc tour I did before COVID was fantastic. Seemed to go into places other tours didn’t. Very informal and a great ‘shop’. Gordon Bruce is a great guy, a real character and the distillery is quite individualistic.

[@Aqvavitae]

Would love a tour with GB. Maybe one day!

[@edfriday7709]

@@Aqvavitae Well, he didn’t actually do the tour but he was hanging around the place. I’ve also met him at a few events…

[@majornut9728]

Nice catching up. I like the analysing vPubs. It has made me sip my own drams slower and analyse and comparing whiskies I have. Fun stuff! 🥰

[@Aqvavitae]

Thanks Major - I spend half my life wondering and analysing myself - but that's me speaking of the vPub content! Very glad to read that it's enjoyed - thanks for being part of it!

[@alasdair_gray]

Another chilled and relaxing vPub. For me, the Benromach 10 and Glen Moray 12 will always be on the shelf. Bag of crisps and a Glen Moray 12, watching the football/rugby, canny beat it.

[@Aqvavitae]

Crisps and a dram - sounds perfect, I think I'll make that my Friday night target! Cheers Alasdair

[@hamo4558]

@2:26:45 - You just sung here Roy, 2-3 minutes of true evangelism. You're 100% spot on !

[@Aqvavitae]

And I thought I only sang in the shower Hamo! Thanks for the kind words

[@philjones1013]

Hi Roy. I'm just watching the rest of this V Pub on replay now after managing around the first two hours before having to turn in. Thanks for the mention and I have to say that tonight's vPub is exactly what I was thinking of when I made my original comment after the first one earlier in June and there have been one or two which I maybe need to investigate sometime soon. I was so pleased to see Glengoyne 10 in the lineup as, like yourself, Glengoyne was the first distillery I ever visited way back in 2006. I have a bottle of Glengoyne 12 to which I was thinking of adding a sample of the Chapter 3 of the Legacy series in a microbrewing experiment a la Ralfy to see how much difference it makes. Will keep you posted.

[@Aqvavitae]

Thanks Phil, glad it was in line with your thinking. Sometimes it's great to play around with those and try to lift a weaker malt with a little of something with a bit more heft. It'll still be a single malt in your glass with that 12yo and some of the Legacy.

[@NZDave]

I agree that memory impacts choice, whilst most have long since been replaced on our permashelves there is an emotional connection, which came over when you spoke about your GG experience I matched 5 with the community / 6 with you but admitedlly don't own a bottle of any of my top 10 despite some being early favs. HP12 would be my exception if it had made it.

[@Aqvavitae]

Thanks Dave. The HP12, Auchie 12, Tomatin 12, Glen Moray 12 etc etc will maybe make a future session like this (if I'm in the mood for it) I did leave a few out in the end and it wouldn't be difficult to find another 10 bottles next year I'm sure. Let's see. Interesting there was a nice overlap.

[@GeoffreyBangers]

I was able to fill out the poll at the very beginning of the vPub, but I had to dip out quickly due to a very important appointment with my daughter (Lego farmers needed to deliver their crops to the sandwich shop). Catching up now on replay and loving the trip down memory lane so far. Acnoc, Old Pultney 12, and Speyburn 10 were a couple of my go to drams way back. Looking forward to finishing the rest. Cheers!

[@Aqvavitae]

Thanks Geoffrey - I'm glad a sandwich-filling shortage was avoided in Legotown! No nostalgia here now that I've been through these, I'm pretty happy to be where I am and I'll be able to make good use of these over time.

[@smiletwoyou2613]

Some notes from across the big ditch, in no order: 1. I buy a LOT of Speyburn 10. Over here, I can occasionally find the 1.75L bottles of it for as low as $30. At that price you can mix it, use it as the base for infinity bottles, use it to stretch rougher but cask strength stuff, sip it neat, use it as a gateway to Scotch deep in bourbon land. The possibilities are endless... 2. The only really expensive stuff over here among the 20 whiskies are the Balvenie, Macallan, and Talisker (Diageo's pricing over here is absolute rubbish*). The AnCnoc is a little pricey at ~$55; similar for the Laiphroaig and Bowmore (but why bother when Ardbeg 10 is $52 and if I source it from CA the Laiphroig 10 Sherry is $53?). 3. We don't get Loch Lomond 10 (or the 14, or the 12 Inchmoan/Inchmurrin-C'mon Loch Lomond!). (Side question, how does that 10 compare to the 14?). We get a different Glen Scotia 10 that's peated (from NE Scotland), NCF, natural color, and at 46% and priced at $50; my brother is a peathead and I got him a bottle. It disappeared very quickly. 4. Overall, I have what is basically the following test: Is this better than Speyburn 15 at ~$65 or if I'm buying for a peathead-Ardbeg 10 at $52? I know, steep standards. But there are a few. Speyburn 10 at $20, Scarabus at $35ish, Tomatin 12 is worth it at up to about $35, Glendronach 12 and Bunna 12 at $52. I'm about to take a punt on Glengoyne 10 at $41. I know this is all in the shallow end, but I have a Tomatin 18 fund going for December... 5. Not entirely related, but I'm amazed that it took until last week's VPub to talk about Deanston VO CS, I'm proud of your restraint knowing how much you love Deanston's core lineup. *I've seen plain Jane Glenkinchie 12 over here for $102. Caol Ila 12 is like $79. Talisker 10 is ~$69. The only other completely asinine pricing I've seen here was Tobermory 12 for $105. Insanity. Makes the Springbank 10 at $99 look sane.

[@Aqvavitae]

Wow. Great feedback and comments for shared awareness. On the price I think you've got a good formula there to keep things grounded, we could all learn from that based on our own markets and context. Great stuff. I'd never heard of the peated GS, but their malt is sourced form maltsters using peat form NE Scotland, so that fits, but I'd be keen to try that 10yo at 46%. The Deanston VO CS has been on the vPub in the past - but when it was a distillery-only exclusive. Great to see it out there in the wider markets doing its thing. Cheers STY!

[@markoneill5110]

Enjoying the replay.managed about an hour before hitting the hay last night. We don't see the Glenfarclas 10 here in South Africa . But a couple of years ago i enjoyed a bottle of Glenfarclas 12.

[@Aqvavitae]

In my experience the 10 and 12 are pretty similar, we see less of the 12 here, the last time I had a bottle I bought it in Spain. It could be that it's mostly exported(?) but really not sure. Cheers Mark!

[@davidowen2834]

Hi Roy. An excellent VPub that I caught Friday on replay. The only one’s I buy in this list are the Benromach 10, AnConc 12, and when on offer the Glenmorangie 10 and Talisker 10 the rest I left behind years ago. I did make the mistake of buying the new Glenlivet 12 when it got rebranded though. Sláinte Roy

[@Aqvavitae]

Yep, new GL isn't great - and I've got older liquid pre-discontinuation that proves it's not anything like it once was. I remain surprised over my bottle of Singleton Dufftown, quite happy with it especially at £27. Cheers David!

[@davidowen2834]

@@Aqvavitae the singleton Dufftown can pick up for just €24 (around €20) thinking about taking a punt.🤔

[@exploring_the_dram]

Another cracking vPub Roy! So many of these featured bottles from both these vPub episodes were on my shelf early in my 'journey', and i appreciate them all, for they have lead me on the path to bigger and better whisky now. You first need to crawl before you can run🙂

[@larsrogers3081]

Finally catching up on replay to see how close my votes are to the community!! Great subject!!

[@chrisgwhisky]

Very nice Vpub Roy, caught it on replay as I’m catching up during the summer break. It seems like that happens this time of year… I just loved your riff on looping in those new to whisky via these entry-level bottlings, very thought-provoking stuff. Cheers 🥃

[@YurySimplyaboutwhisky]

Hi Roy, thanks for another great vPub. Quiz 6/10👍

[@WarrenCharlesTanner]

Hi Roy, thanks for another stellar vPub; all caught up via replay! This and its sister episode from the beginning of June were really enlightening to me, a whisky geek whose journey began well into the age of WhiskyTube. As such, I’ve always been spoiled for guidance, advice, and an educated eye for value - many thanks to you and your peers. Therefore, I’ve always carefully weighed my purchases and selected my next bottle for its integrity and value. I’m proud to say that I’ve never bought a bottle I haven’t enjoyed. But watching these two episodes I recognize I’ve accidentally harboured a bit of a bias against a lot of the bottles you’ve showcased here (some deservedly so). I can only speak for myself - granted there might be others at a similar place in their journey who feel similarly - but my knee-jerk reaction to such whiskies has been to assume that they’re “bad.” You’ve helped clarify that even though a lot of these whiskies are lacking or stripped or adulterated, more than a few of them are still good, worthy of enjoying and celebrating. The Glenmorangie 10 is the perfect example for me. I likely would’ve never selected it for myself, moving past it for other integrity bottlings that provide a similar experience, but my neighbour gifted it to me while clearing out after a particularly big St. Patrick’s Day celebration. I gladly took it off his hands because free whisky, but I was by no means over the moon because of the lower ABV and chill filtration. That being said, I grew to really adore and appreciate the stuff, helped in part by listening to Dr. Bill and his passion and geekery. Could it use a boost? Certainly. Are there better integrity bottlings out there at a similar price point that provide just a little more flavour and texture? Very likely. But I appreciate these episodes for showcasing that, like the Glenmo 10, some of these mass market whiskies still have a bit of that magic left in them worth experiencing, and good folk behind them who care about the liquid they craft. Slainte!

[@Donotwantanalias]

Hello Roy, nice approach, but those Whiskies simply don’t do the trick for me. Draming along with a Glenfiddich Pure Malt and a Longmorn 12 yo. These are very enjoyable despite lower abv because they still seem to have depth and body (not to say soul). Thanks for your effort and high quality content, it’s very much appreciated! Greetings from Germany, Frank

[@jimm8799]

I purchased an anCnoc 12 three years ago and put it in inventory (43% here). Have never had it. Maybe I will open it next.

[@Aqvavitae]

It's soft but flavourful. It's hard to relax past the thought of "what would this be at 46%?!" Common with a few of these bottles to be honest.

[@edfriday7709]

The AnCnoc punches well above its weight as a 40% product. Relatively local to me and I love the distillery character. Have some amazing bottles further up the scale…

[@Aqvavitae]

Me too, do you get that rocks and pebbles minerality? Cheers Ed.

[@bennyfriis601]

Really interesting topic, Roy. Much more so than I thought, it would be - or it should be (you know, what I mean, I'm sure) for me. But it also tells me that the entry level, "simple" single malts have a role to play, even for (if not all of, then at least a quite a few of) us enthusiasts. Either because they can be really good (for what they are) and/or as palate aligners. I also like to have a few of those bottles to serve for non whisky geek guests, and why not make those bottles the ones that I enjoy myself too (and not have to overpay for, of course)? 😎 Oh, and I had to catch this one on the replay. Really tired yesterday after a 11 km (7 miles) run in approx. 29 degrees Celcius earlier in the day, so I even went to bed a full hour before you "opened the doors". Maybe, I'm not old. Just not in good enough shape for running in hot, humid climate then 😅 Cheers buddy, enjoy your weekend! 🥃

[@Aqvavitae]

Really appreciate you catching it Benny, even on the next day as you recover. I hope your weekend is a good one after a wee seven mile run in the sun!

[@markoneill5110]

I think there are 2 ways to look at entry level whiskys. One is to make it as cheap as possible, in which case it generally comes at minimum strength, coloured and CF. The other is to introduce you to the range and encourage you to try older more expensive bottlings. In which case they are generally 46% and natural. This is the difference between the likes of Speyburn and Arran.

[@Aqvavitae]

The rest of the range at Speyburn is, in y opinion, pretty excellent though. And arguably better priced than Arran these days. You're spot on with your view on how to look at them, and when we present malt at 40% and sell it globally, it really has to be chill-filtered. Colouring less so, I think it encourages short cuts and doesn't help perception or the flavour experience.

[@markoneill5110]

Hi Roy. It's good with have you and others telling us about the likes of Speyburn 15 and 18. Otherwise we might not be drawn to them based on experience of the 10. Thank goodness for your ignored series.

[@thewhiskyenthusiast]

AnCnoc, Benromach, Glen Scotia are some of the distilleries we can forgive certain low abvs. for now! I have tried the Speyburn 10 46% travel retail one and it was so hot and felt like a rushed job! I'm visiting the distillery in September so I'm looking forward to trying the coveted 15 and 18. Oof tough quiz 7/10 but got the correct at least.

[@gerbenblokker1917]

I voted on bottles, most of them i never have drunk so you are right, i had to go with brand reputation. I started whisky journey in 2019 and never bought anything with 40 or 43% since then, I have bought lots of Macallan but they were really in a different league, mostly quite expensive, so for this group it was a shot in the dark

[@Aqvavitae]

Indeed, so much of that perception is brand marketing, yet another reason for doing this... I know what to pick when I'm next in a bar with a more typical selection! Cheers Gerben...

[@brucebernauer711]

Hi Roy. My exclamation "YAY" after question 9 was because I went in early and confidently, with no crowd influence. A rare occurrence for me. 😂Had to settle for a 9, again, Got caught on the Palo Cortado 😒Slainte Mhath

[@Aqvavitae]

Ahh. super close though Bruce, you'll be chuffed with a 9! Thanks for joining in again!

[@edfriday7709]

The worst soapy dram I had was a Glenfiddich during a distillery exclusive blind tasting online. I initially thought I hadn’t rinsed the glass properly but others found the same…

[@Aqvavitae]

It can happen, weird that it';s one of those notes that can't be ignored once you dial in on it. It can be pretty off-putting.

[@0oDaan12o0]

Gotta agree with you there. The Fire and Cane was okay, but the 18 may just be the worst whisky over 12yo I've ever had. So much soap in there, and I don't even have that genetic soapy herbs thing

[@tommysimpsonandtheloadeddice]

At $25 USD a bottle for the Speyburn 10, it's half the price of any other whisky in these lists that is available to me. Needless to say, it stays on the shelf. The wife loves it.

[@edfriday7709]

I’ve only had an entry level Glengoyne and didn’t click with it at all. Finishing it felt like a chore rather than a pleasure…

[@edfriday7709]

Same with Speyburn…

[@Aqvavitae]

I think it sounds like you're already passed those malts... not a thing to be concerned with Ed. Cheers!

[@michaelwood3203]

Just been catching up. Great stuff. My guess is that you, Roy, are right and the community have been swayed by a combination of hoped for and anticipated expectations and to a limited extent by actual recent tasting experience. After all it is difficult to have the line up of whiskies to make the comparison.

[@artificial-frequencies]

Fan-Tas-Tic 😂 The Glen Scotia needs some Bootsy Collins (and some higher ABV)

[@Aqvavitae]

Indeed, I'm hearing how other countries get it at 46% - it would be twice the whisky I'll bet. Nice to read ya buddy.

[@jbar6284]

Royal Brackla 18 with the Palo Cortado finish sells (cough)... in NZ for $415-450, which is UKP200-217.

[@Aqvavitae]

No. Just no! I know the prices you're dealing with down there are prohibitive, but that's beyond irrational... Cheers jbar

[@jbar6284]

@@Aqvavitae It's one of the laughably bad ones, I agree. The prices in NZ are *not* prohibitive. What's happened is I've just highlighted some of the particularly bad ones, and so you don't notice the ones that are merely a bit more than UK retail. There aren't many bargains here, and there are far fewer promotions/sales/deals/offers than what you and others are reporting from the UK/Europe. But there are moderate/reasonable prices for some. The prices in NZ *should not* be prohibitive. There's no excuse such as tax in Australia--and I suspect that that's not the full explanation there, either.

[@jbar6284]

@@Aqvavitae Another "fun" local price: Campbeltown Loch NZ$139, ~UKP67.

[@hellswidd4628]

Fun long Vpub this evening roy! Some good drams still out at the perceived “lower” end of the spectrum! No fourth in a row but happy with a 9😂 Much love as always from the two of us

[@Aqvavitae]

Nothing to rock our whisky worlds for sure Hellen, but there was a time that the only whiskies I had resembled these... somebody out there is the same right now; on the precipice of the endlessly fun whisky abyss.

[@hellswidd4628]

@@Aqvavitae still enjoy the Benromach, Laphroaig 10 (when it’s a good batch), glenmo 10 & ancnoc 12 ... ideal for when you want an easy sipping no nonsense dram!

[@pierreluna1654]

There is a very good whisky at 40% ABV that you forgot : Edradour 10 What do you think ?

[@Aqvavitae]

Yep, it was mentioned, and there's room for another session like this in future although it may be a while. As 40% whiskies go, it's decent, but there's a rumour it's headed for a bump to 46%. Cheers Pierre.

[@pierreluna1654]

@@Aqvavitae It will be great to 46% ! Cheers from Paris.

[@ravindranramiah6336]

Hi Aquavitae, do you think these reviews may be biased due to the bottles levels at which they are being tasted ? Glenfaclays 10 yr at half level and others at neck pour ? For example , From watching your reviews you said the whisky changes throughout the bottle and gets better as you get through it ! Just an observation/ question .love your platform.

[@Aqvavitae]

I touched upon this briefly last night, but yes, absolutely it is definitely a thing. As mentioned it's just an impression and me reacting to the bottles as a background to discussion. No points dished out or naughty steps, but there are a few that no amount of 'open time' can fix. Still, even if we uncorked them all fresh, or had them all halfway down for the exact same amount of time, the organic component in the experiment would still be the weak link - us (me!). Cheers!

[@lassekorsholmjrgensen4508]

I think a lot of people are glad Roy stopped by Glengoyne back in 2005. Have a great week all you whiskey lovers.

[@Aqvavitae]

I know I'm glad Lasse! Cheers to you!

[@discordia013]

Slow to the party, but on Jura, I first tried them 7-8 years ago and didn't really rate them when Talisker was blowing people away with their younger releases. Then Diagio stepped in and Talisker - at least round here i- earned a reputation for expensively priced tyre water. The one bottle that made me think Jura has crazy potential was an older Signatory release picked up just before COVID. Mind blown. Nothing wrong with Jura, but like Pulteney - they don't need to add caramel - They really shouldn't and they could easily be top 10 - in ALL brackets if they stopped being a macro-whisky.

[@Aqvavitae]

"Expensively priced tyre water..." there are a lot of those around at the moment, we're doing our best to call it out. I have a couple of indie Jura bottles here, one is good and the other is ... odd. I know they've gone through tremendous re-racking efforts in recent years to get the malt into better casks, perhaps that'll make a difference in the long term, but the official bottles are the #1 top seller in the UK right now, and it's all about price. I'm not hopeful for it to appear on the fanatic's radar anytime soon.

[@parcaldenby358]

Ah, the visible expression of expected disappointment with the Jura 10 yo at 1:43...very telling, and rather understandable. It should be better, but is just killed by E150 and an awkward base character like dirty potato peels.

[@Aqvavitae]

I wonder how much caramel is used these days to "smoooooth" the whisky to, especially when so much texture has been lost through dilution and chill-filtration. Cheers Pär!

[@parcaldenby358]

@@Aqvavitae - indeed, E150 does have the effect of "papering" out the nuances of a whisky, creating a very smooth experience (when used diligently). But it also takes away the interesting aspects of the character, effectively neutering it. And as E150 changes the character and at the same time is used to fool the consumer as regards what they are getting, it ought to be banned, yesterday.

[@The.Epicurean]

How do you convince someone to spend c.£40 on, say, a highly recommended Arran 10, when they say "Oh but there was a Litre of Jack for £16 in the supermarket"? Are they beyond hope?

[@The.Epicurean]

6/10 with guesses. 😂

[@babydavey2782]

Only one I would buy again is the abelour and balvenie, my opinion the original previous glenlivet 12 years was far superior than the founders

[@DavidUKesb]

Jura needs age. It's no good at 10yo. Similar to Port Ellen in that regard. 16 years plus it really begins to shine.

[@Whiskyanalyse]

Hello Roy, at least you can pour the stuff in the infinity barrel 😉🛢️