whisky review 457 - Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2014

[@ao_qd]

What a great commentary towards exclusivity and manufactured value through marketing. Your videos are amazing because they go beyond education-they're insightful & inspirational. Thank you.

[@diamondcutmusic]

For a seemingly light-hearted whisky review, there's a deceptively profound level of analysis going on here. Ralfy I really appreciate & applaud your views, and it's not common to see such clearly-expressed points related to corporate capitalism & especially to notions of exclusion. Once again, thank you & I'll be continuing to watch.

[@brianboru8858]

Any chance of a re-review for the 2022 version? Not sure if you’ve had any recent bottles, but this malt has come a long way since then.

[@trentonmclaren1836]

I’ve been watching for the last three years! I really look forward to all of your reviews! I live in duncan B.C Canada.about an hour north of Victoria! I have learned a great deal from your reviews!

[@thewhiskybothy]

happy to help !

[@Matt-gf4gd]

I recently stumbled across a limited release 2017 cask strength version of their Machir Bay at my local whisky store. They only did 840 bottlings, and it was priced only $9 over the standard Machir Bay. Therefore, I decided to pick up a couple and hold onto one as a collectible given its rarity and Kilchoman's youth. Wouldn't you know it, I pull out the bottles, and I had inadvertently picked up the 1st and 3rd bottlings out of the 840 run. I'm now thinking of going back and grabbing another one or two bottles for future drinking, as the price is oddly low (nearly half the price of the latest quarter cask cask strength Kilchoman) and there will likely never be another similar release (it's the "Kilchoman Tour 2017") as it's geographically exclusive to the west coast U.S for their 2017 tour. I agree with your sentiments though. It's good and interesting; rather unique. But, is a tad bit young and unsubstantial. High quality stuff though and I appreciate what Kilchoman is trying to do.

[@Dukky79]

Started my single malt journey this january, and i've appreciated your sound advice all the way ralfy. Thank you :)

[@mcomiskey7]

How's the journey treating you?

[@warrenhicks6120]

One of my favorite memories of Islay was visiting the distillary and taking some driver's drams out to Machir Bay and having a dram on the dunes , with the salty sea air coming into the shoreline. Not a better place in the world to taste Kilchoman (I enjoy both the Machir Bay and Loch Gorm).

[@robotsongs]

KILCHOMAN TOUR!!!!!!!! Also, you're not alone in the mescal note. I don't get it with Machir Bay, but I definitely do get it with their single barrels.

[@sharpskilz]

Love the smell of Gorse, never smelled it burning mind you. This is one of my favourite whiskeys, and Im a bit of a newbie to whiskeys. Your reviews have helped me with gifts and personal use alike. Keep it up dude.

[@joshuafetter3831]

This whiskey needs an updated review now that it would be a 10 year. I picked up the 8 year old 2017 release recently and it has more cask influence which gives it a nice sweet blanket wrapped around the spirit-y center

[@Landrum45]

Hey Ralfy. I don't know if you look at comments on old videos but....it's been a while since you last reviewed a Kilchoman. Have you tried any good ones lately? I like them but where I live they are mighty proud of them ($$$).

[@sdjohnston67]

Greetings, Ralfy! Thanks for sharing your malt wisdom here about casks. I'm new to learning about single malts. Based on your videos, over several weeks I've acquired a bottle each of Highland Park 12 yo, Glenmorangie 10yo, and today just picked up a special order of Old Pulteney 12yo. And I had already owned a bottle of Laphroaig 10yo. I'm really enjoying all 3 I purchased based on your reviews. Together they are a very interesting education for the palate, very good quality, and decent value for money as well. Thanks very much!

[@sdjohnston67]

And you know what? Even though I'm new to single malts, I also quite like the Laphroaigh. The strong peaty quality tastes to me a bit like bacon in a glass. Quite tasty!

[@birstallblue]

Thanks Ralfy for another absolute masterclass.

[@1o1s1s1i1e]

Well said Ralfy! I'm listening, and I hope the distillers are as well. I followed your advice and "took a chance" on a bottle of Tomatin Legacy the other day and was nicely surprised. For a single malt under $20.00 USA it was quite good. Always a pleasure to watch your videos! Sincerely, Ossie

[@EMH1917]

Really interesting Ralfy, I,m learning a lot about whisky with you, a lot! Thanks

[@foxtenz6346]

Excellent review and I really enjoyed the bit from 22:40. Well, very well said

[@slaintemhath7904]

Hi Ralfy, thank you for your review! I enjoyed Kilchoman Mahir Bay very much as a young, characterful, powerful, independent islay-malt. How would you compare Loch Gorm to Mahir Bay?

[@hedgehog3900]

Nit picking point i know but pina colada (yeuch!) smells a little like Gorse.One of my most memorable hip flask moments came when i had a dram or two of Ardbeg downwind of flowering gorse in the lake district.A truly magical malt moment and the wife drank tea!

[@kubr1ck36]

Absolutely love these sort of reviews Ralfy.!! Very, very informative.. Thanks dude.!! Looking forward to the next one.

[@Jesse_OG2VR]

Ralfy, you and I normally disagree on certain malt marks, but malt mate we do agree on one thing! Kilchoman is a suburb malt! I loved the 2007 expression is Loch Gorm. The craft distillery is a very interesting market this day and age of malt making! I cant wait to try more mature Kilchoman expressions. Do you know if they plan to relase more mature malts?

[@Костян-т3ш]

A bit sad..... forty creek distillery was sold to campari a few months ago, still remember your video on location,Ralfy

[@Urspo]

I thank you again for providing a entertaining and thoughtful review

[@matthewtudor7299]

What is the best way to ask you a question Ralphy?

[@jordanking1224]

Thoughts on Machir Bay?

[@thewhiskybothy]

. . . competent and characterful.

[@yannickerard9606]

Hi ralfy! I just wanted to know your opinion on the Port Charlotte Scottish Barley..:) ...keep it up with your outstanding reviews!

[@Ridabu]

Kilchoman is one of the best value you can get today, if you're looking for pure quality for money - as well as Kavalan. It's a top spirit, no doubt about it. Kilchoman is very impressive. Loch Gorm is their best version in my own personal opinion.

[@enbutler9691]

Any recommendations ralfy for a good single malt available in the supermarkets?

[@thewhiskybothy]

try Sainsburys and Adli/Lidl for better standards.

[@enbutler9691]

thanks!!

[@Seanus32]

***** Hi ralfy :) Just a thought...I subscribed to a Canadian guy who does beer reviews and, from time to time, he goes to breweries and interviews various brewers. It would be good were you to visit a distillery and interview the prominent distillers there. My guess is you've already done that but I don't know the entire content of your back catalogue of videos. Have you done or would you do such a thing?

[@dmittigolubtzov4636]

Thanks Ralfy for another great review. Keep aducate us , most of the things I know about whisky and whisky industry, it's from your vlogs. Thanks.

[@PeatSmokey]

Malt454 Where've ya been mate, we're missing your insight and commentary!! Peace

[@Malt454]

Just away for awhile, but I'm still swingin'.

[@TheCigarscott]

Had my first taste of this tonight and it is wonderful! Gives Ardbeg 10 a run.

[@alexk3088]

I think I just found the explanation to that 40-year old malt sold at Costco for clearance prices to unsuspecting clueless braggards (who are likely going to keep it as a trophy). Geriatric. Exhausted. The spirit has run its course. Thank you, Ralfy for the education! Everybody, feel free to search KZbin for Costco 40 year scotch, you're looking for an "unboxing" video. They show off their "score" but don't even intend to drink it.

[@jeremysober]

hello ralfy, I love your informative videos. I do enjoy Kilchoman, but it isn't quite to caliber, as you have said; albeit lightly. I expect great whisky from them in the future, they just need time. Nosing and tasting Kilchoman next to aged Laphroiag's, Ardbeg's, and Lagavulin's isn't fair in the least; but, that is the market. Even the NAS versions have some older expressions to offset the new-make, Kilchoman doesn't have that luxury. From grain to glass is ideally fantastical, I wish it could happen, but the demand is currently too high. I hope that kilchoman can achieve this, time will tell - without the 1000% increase in price, haha, fingers crossed.

[@jlvalcar]

Hi Ralfy. Thanks for your videos. I'd like you to explain to us how an independent bottler can buy whiskey from a destiller and improve it. What do they do exactly? Thanks and best regards.

[@thewhiskybothy]

they bottle in a more natural style without colourant and excessive chill-filtration.

[@MillszAFC]

The Independent Bottlers don't do anything to the whisky. They basically cherry pick the best casks they can find and bottle them as they are. They get the casks from the casks that the blenders have bought from the Distilleries.

[@antoinem9411]

Chris Mills i always thought that indies buy new make spirit and fill their own casks they brought with them, or they buy stock and let it mature at the distillery and its the indie who has to pay storage costs for the bought casks.i have heard both versions ,and still find it unplausible why a distillery would sell an already matured whisky to an indie.considering that indies are generally cheaper than OB wheres the profit margin for them when they buy matured stock?

[@MillszAFC]

Antoine M No the indies don't buy new make spirit (as far as I know). They buy barrels of whisky from blenders who have in turn bought them from the distilleries. Distilleries don't sell direct to independent bottlers. That is what I wondered as well for some time until I was at a tasting run by Alex Bruce from Independent Bottlers Adelphi and he told us that Adelphi buy their whisky from Blenders who have bought in bulk from the distilleries. So basically the way I think of it is some of the casks that Blenders buy from the single malt distilleries are to good to be used in blends so they sell them on to Independent bottlers who bottle them at cask strength (usually) which provides us the consumer with a single malt that we would never experience direct from the distillery itself. If anyone knows better than me I would glad to have this clarified as well.

[@FireontheMountain321]

Hello Ralfy!! With the Scottish referendum vote on the horizon, (less than 4 months now) is there any chance you will mention the potential effects Scotland's independence may have on the whiskey industry? I think it's a historical event worth mentioning! Keep up the great reviews!!

[@thewhiskybothy]

Time will tell, at the moment many Scots are still in shock at the gravity of the decision to be made.

[@linoleumbonypart385]

Was privileged to try a sample of LFW single px cask Kilchoman and twas v.v good

[@welshtoro3256]

Great musings Ralfy. I agree with you about "staying light on our feet" because there's a lot of expensive stuff out there which is intrinsically no better than more affordable whisky (and other spirit). By the way, I got through my bottle of Loch Gorm very quickly. It's good stuff. Cheers. WT

[@welshtoro3256]

@sneksnekitsasnek Sanaig no longer available? What is your location? Sanaig is one of those bottles I've always been interested in without buying but my friend Rob (The Spirit Safe) made me think again with his recent excellent review of it. My own view of Loch Gorm is that it has gone downhill the last couple of years.

[@justinafuchs2619]

⁠@@welshtoro3256I don’t know how you came to that conclusion, Loch Gorm has become better and better. And it’s very natural, the stuff gets older, I think it’s about 9 years old now and much better than the first batches.

[@LesgoBrandon7]

Love this whisky, has a unique character.

[@ewingpoon]

very nice sharing, Ralfy, esp. about the current global bubbles' effect on whisky sales, price and pricing. feeling nice after all that Kilchoman is balancing its global MRSP very well with high quality. hope that last.

[@applevalleyjoe]

Ralfy, how does this compare with their Machir Bay? Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks

[@thewhiskybothy]

. . . I find Machir Bay less 'interesting' than the Loch Gorm range.

[@WillyRanger1]

Hi Ralfy, Could you please quantify, in volume perhaps, the difference between small batch & standard batch. Many thanks.

[@thewhiskybothy]

really, whatever I perceive, or what the producer suggests. Small batch would be 10+ casks average, standard batch would be 100+ casks.

[@tankrust1]

Great review Ralfy..

[@iheartveronicamars]

How does this compare to the 100% Islay 4th ed.

[@stingerist]

Hi ralfy .need you advice.is it good price for loch gorm about 90-100 dollars?,it for my kilchoman collection.

[@thewhiskybothy]

+michael shister where I am it's £65 ( $94 ) and that's not considered expensive. Personal decision time !

[@user-wg1nr1lg2p]

Any chance Kilchoman will come with an answer to Supernova and Octomore?

[@thewhiskybothy]

no reason why not !

[@themaltbar]

Hi Ralfy. That "solution" you referenced in sourcing good wood, the infamous 'inner staves' I think may have already met its match in the SWA. In banning them they have had the last word (burning that bridge) having made such a public spectacle of Spice Tree and worst than a ban are "leaders" who second guess their decisions making the stockholders quite nervous. So perhaps it will take a new breed of leadership and a generation or two before we see this attempted once again in the interest of long term quality and true innovation. cheers

[@thewhiskybothy]

Inner staves are probably the best short-term solution to poor cask maturation. It worked very well for Spice Tree, . . . who simply made the mistake of marketing the event. As you rightly say, in time the decision will be viewed as flawed and competitors of Scotch will take advantage.

[@cobsonjobban9210]

Thanks Ralfy again a whisky that I must get, the wife will not be happy!!

[@alexnoon8042]

do like me, store in the basement. 65 unopened bottles she doesn't know about ahahahah Loch Gorm comes next week :-))

[@cobsonjobban9210]

@@alexnoon8042 Thanks for the tip. Will have to get the basement now.

[@mirqo9685]

Prejudice free..thats why I am mixing Lag 16 with just a few drops of local produced juniper spirit. it tastes very interesting, malt mates. Thx Ralfy.

[@afniko4054]

Great review, thanks!

[@Deliquescentinsight]

Loch Gorm would translate as the 'Blue Lake' according to my smattering of the Gaelic, must be a large body of water eh?

[@tc1836]

A reasonable size Loch - not huge, just inland from the sea. Contains a couple of Crannogs and a lot of midges! Check it out on a map, it's in sight of Kilchoman Distillery. A stunning part of Islay.

[@derekpringle81]

Great insights.Thank you.Keep flying the flag.

[@koeliejoelie2]

It's a bit expensive for a 4 yr old. Around 70,- They need the money I'll guess, and overall the quality is good so I have no issues to support this. But they should give something in return in the long run ,if you buy these young bottles now at a higher price in comparison to other Young whisky. So you can support them now to grow?

[@Malt454]

Given quality casking at the outset, duration is certainly a MAJOR part of the "caliber" of maturation for exceptional whiskies. Look at the top-rated whisky lists for any of the Malt Maniacs on the Whisky Monitor Database, including Ralf Mitchell, and you will find them completely dominated by expressions of 10 years or more, and not by those of less than 10 years. If age doesn't matter to quality (and Serge Valentin has done as much as anyone in this area to show that it does indeed matter), why is this the case? If the non-age-based caliber of maturation for this young Kilchoman is so high, why isn’t it a better whisky? What does it need in order to improve... more time? Strangely enough, Ralfy seems to agree with this, saying “... but I do have a feeling that there’s going to be much more character when it reaches 12 years”. Again, the biggest virtue of many young whiskies is that’ll really be great... in a few years’ time, or that they’re “heading in the right direction”. I do keep waiting for the big rash of 95/100 5-year olds to prove that age doesn’t matter, but I can’t find them and reviewers can’t find them either. That said, I do think Ralfy has a point about the influence of cask quality in general and about distillers pandering to those who like to buy bottles based on who CAN’T afford them, but I’m not sure why distillers shouldn’t be criticised for playing to this elitism - simply making a dollar isn’t an “ends justify the means” proposition.

[@thewhiskybothy]

good point and well presented !

[@notme123123]

Malt454 or taken another way...an 89 point whisky is an amazing achievement in only 5 years! Will it be better at 12 years old? I certainly expect it to be. But an 89 point whisky for $70 is nothing to sneeze at. And how can you fault Kilchoman? It's not like they have 12 year old whisky that they are not selling. They've found a way to deliver great quality at a young age and I complement them. The move I don't like is what Bruichladdich is doing (and they are one of my favorite distilleries). After establishing the Laddie 10 as a high quality (90 or 91 pts) dram, they've swapped it for the NAS Laddie Classic at the same price. They fully admit it is less than 10 years old. That, I fear, is a move in the wrong direction. I have yet to try it, and I like them enough to give it one try, but the move they are making is one I do not like.

[@Malt454]

notme123123 Welcome back! This is Round....3 (ha ha)? I have tried what I consider to be some pretty good young whisky, and this one sounds good as well, but that IS another way in which the stuff is sometimes complimented in a less than forthright "apples to apples" way: that it's "very good FOR a young whisky". It's sort of like saying a movie is "very good for an action film", as opposed to saying that a given movie which just happens to be from the action genre is also a great film in its own right. The first could be a description of Die Hard, for example, while the second could be Seven Samurai. Make the sub-scale small enough and it's not difficult to achieve highly on it. Someone could also describe Die Hard as "the absolutely best action movie that Bruce Willis starred in 1988", and it would be impossible to argue with them, but that wouldn’t make it a better movie. I don't fault Kilchoman for selling what it has (yet, in 15 years, everyone will want to go ga ga over its 20 and be talking about "how a classic has finally come into its own"- with an AGE-BASED price to match) so long as they don't fault me for showing how this "age doesn't matter and young whisky is fantastic" marketing manta is really just smoke and mirrors to help producers sell younger whisky. Producers are simply lying when they say that age maturation doesn't matter (and you know that yourself, or why expect this whisky to be better at 12 than 5?), and refuting that isn't beating up on "poor Kilchoman". The problem I have with NAS labeling is, of course, that it lets the expression get younger without the consumer being informed. Will this happen to the Laddie Classic? More than likely, given the problems Bruichladdich has already admitted to in filling its supply chain. The loss of age statements is a strategy aimed directly at people new to whisky who have never really tasted the difference age maturation makes - and our ranks are swelling with them every day - but it won't make for better whisky or better consumer values, which is why it has to be denounced.

[@notme123123]

Malt454 It's not a matter of "will this happen" at Bruichladdich. It already has. I heard them state, in an interview, that the Laddie Classic is younger than the Laddie 10. And I agree with you that the risk is for it to keep getting younger. I think that a revamp of the SWA rules, allowing distillers to list the specifics of what's in the bottle or report an average age, rathan than only the youngest, would help. No more complaining that a drop of 5 YO whisky turns the whole bottle into 5 YO. But, regarding the enjoyment of young whisky, I still have to disagree with you. Just because something will be better at 12 YO than it is at 5 YO, doesn't mean it can't be enjoyed at 5. I think Ralfy is a pretty fair reviewer. He's not saying it's an 89 on the Young Whisky Scale, he's saying it's an 89 for a whisky. He's dinged other young whiskies with low scores, calling them out for what they are. This one sounds good. I hope to enjoy it.

[@Malt454]

notme123123 I already take it for granted that the Classic is younger than the 10. What I was saying was that, without an age statement, the Classic itself will probably get younger. "Just because something will be better at 12 YO than it is at 5 YO, doesn't mean it can't be enjoyed at 5" - true, but I never said otherwise because I'm talking about whisky quality, not enjoyment. If it's better at 12 than 5, there's little doubt that age does matter, but people who want to sell you young whisky don't want to admit it. There's no one marking on a Young Whisky Scale, yet the top end of quality is heavily dominated by whiskies that are 10+ (something else people selling young whisky don't like to talk about) and I can't count the number of times I've read reviews of young/new make spirit and read about not how good it is right now, but how good it will become sometime in the future with more age - as if that unrealized potential was some kind of selling point for the whisky actually under consideration. And I do think some reviewers do tend to overrate and be less critical of young whisky, particularly from start-up/re-boot distilleries such as Kilchoman and Glenglassaugh, because they don't want to hurt the distillery's business too badly while they’re waiting for their spirit to mature (but somehow it's OK if I buy a dud). The point about the SWA is interesting because, although it's influential, it's only a trade association for producers, not a regulatory body; scotch production isn't regulated by its opinions, but by the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 and there are producers who aren't part of the SWA and don't follow its guidelines. The SWA has its own ideas as to what the term "single cask" means, for example, but the BenRiach Distillery Company Ltd. isn't an SWA member and doesn't feel bound by those ideas with its Glendronach products. As "single cask" has no legal definition in the SWR 2009, it's sort of like the now-plugged "pure malt" loophole which Cardhu took advantage of years ago: as a term without a binding definition, its meaning is in the eye of the producer.

[@Mooseydog]

Hey Ralfy, Great as isual. Was wondering if you could do a review of Ardmore sometime. Got a bottle recently and I really enjoyed it. Just would like an opinion of someone with your vast knowledge. Even if you said you hated it, I would still drink it as it is my taste and locally the price is incredible. Thank you in advance!

[@linoleumbonypart385]

Sure he has reviewed ardmore tradition

[@richardkeys6680]

RE your cask comments Ralfy: A wine writer friend of mine down here in New Zealand said she saw a whole lot of Pinot Noir casks from a New Zealand producer going Springbank way...

[@thewhiskybothy]

. . . pleased to hear that, Springbank are still sourcing sound, quality whole casks of good provenance.

[@alexnoon8042]

@@thewhiskybothy A bit stupid to buy from NZ when France is next to the UK. I don't get it to be honest.

[@trentonmclaren1836]

Thanks!

[@kaiserhog]

I've always have found that the greatest pleasures are the one's which are unexpected and don't cost much at all. No where is this more true than in the whiskey market.

[@alexnoon8042]

you should start drinking wine, ... you'd be very surprised.

[@themaltbar]

m-m?? ..."malty monolithic masons" cheers Ralfy

[@swedishburrito5073]

🥃👍❤️

[@hess6wi]

I will buy a bottle when it's a bit older. I really don't have the taste for very young whisky.

[@hess6wi]

@sneksnekitsasnek The 9 year old is 2010 vintage is not cheap but it's a really good dram. That's the only one I've had.

[@yueseiyunosakurakonan6082]

I usually drink whisky with vodka.

[@alexmcgregor7082]

Why don't scotch distilleries use fresh charred oak barrels like the bourbon industry does?

[@groovemedium]

I believe a few do, and plenty use ex-bourbon casks. Scotch is a different thing than bourbon. With the supply of fresh oak straining to meet the demand for the bourbon industry, it doesn't make much sense for Scotch to make a sudden switch.

[@digitaldemocracyai-rob]

Because it would taste like Bourbon. In days gone by, whisky was matured in the sherry barrels that were used after transporting sherry from Spain to Britain. So, thats why Scotch has more complexity than bourbon. (2 cask influence vs 1)

[@Tylervrooman]

wait....i can just post a comment now...? why youtube? why? thanks Ralfy!!!!!

[@maltfusion6743]

Bit cheeky to sell 5 yo whisky when the stills have been running since 2006. I am perfectly OK to buy aggressive young spirit but not with these prices. I can buy three bottles of cask strength Finlaggan with the money they are asking for this and that stuff will melt your face - if you are into that sort of thing.

[@Ownedyou]

Kilchoman, pronounced KILL HUMAN! :-D

[@christinemansford4915]

Why doesn't the Scottish whisky industry use fresh oak casks? Is it because of economics and scarcity of new barrels, or is it because fresh wood would have too strong an influence on the spirit?

[@thewhiskybothy]

They do, but results are often too woody !

[@tc1836]

***** I enjoyed the Deanston 'Virgin Oak' - good value as well :-)

[@YouTuomo]

Nth!

[@themaltbar]

First!

[@thewhiskybothy]

. . . verified !

[@PeatSmokey]

Hello Ralfy. Malt454 Appears to me that many of these NAS whiskies will not be given an opportunity to "be better" at 10 or 12yo. If prohibitive costs of viable casks are the problem then these NAS curiosities will just be discontinued as soon as the newer more profitable NAS kid with a facny unpronounceable Celtic name takes its place. [case in point] take Bruchladdich "Rocks", it was never a great whiskey to begin with, but now its no longer on the shelves. Did we EVER expect to see Bruch Rocks10 or a 12er? not so much. So I must say these NASers are pandering to a lower end of the market where the older and more complex expressions will be relegated to ever increasing high end sales. perhaps the "in the right direction" platitudes are a right non-starter. Whisky in the 21st Century will not be our fathers whisky, hell, its not even OUR Whisky anymore. Peace

[@Malt454]

"Whisky in the 21st Century will not be our father’s whisky, hell, it’s not even OUR Whisky anymore." - Truer words were never written. Many of us ARE drinking whiskies the age and quality of which will probably not be repeated in our lifetimes at these prices and levels of availability and, yes, it does have a lot to do with age and cask quality, both of which are on the decline. The brilliance of the marketing of NAS is that, just by the simple withholding of production information and allowing standards to slip, producers can make average age-statement whiskies appear to be premium products. "Moving in the right direction" away from this trend isn't really something we'll see with NAS labels once established WITHOUT direct consumer action - once these labels are established, producers have no intention of scrapping them - but we probably will see age-statement whiskies come out of the younger start-up/reboot distilleries - with nosebleed prices to match.

[@notme123123]

PeatSmokey Bruichladdich Rocks was never intended to be a "fancy sipp'n whisky" but rather was an attempt to make a product to appeal to the drinkers looking for a cocktail, served chilled. I'm not speaking to it's quality (and I have not tried it), but I wouldn't hold it up as a poster child for NAS, nor am I as upset about it as I was about the Laddie 10 going to "Laddie Classic". I wouldn't say that NAS is strictly "pandering to the lower end of the market". Some excellent NAS bottlings (off the top of my head): Ardbeg Corryvrecken Ardbeg Uigadail anything from Compass Box (Spice Tree, Peat Monster, Great King Street, etc...mostly rated in the high 80s/low 90s) Talisker Storm (which I liked better than the 10 YO) Aberlour A'bunah (which I like better than the 12 or 16 YO) Macallan M (so I hear) There definitely are NAS that appeal to the bottom of the market, but there are also NAS for the top.

[@Malt454]

notme123123 Indeed there are some good NAS-labeled products, but they aren't made better for the lack of an age statement - and an age statement and/or more production information is what they would need to make the case that young whisky is good or that age is immaterial to quality. NAS is clearly a "pig in a poke" approach to whisky, hoping to create drinker loyalty around labels that tell you nothing.

[@cookieMonsterSincho]

Surely a good spirit , but 70$ - 90$ for such a young wiskey does not make it very attractive .

[@cookieMonsterSincho]

after a half a year, i take my words back, it is absolutely worth it! such a great whiskey ....

[@cookieMonsterSincho]

@sneksnekitsasnek now it is about 8 yo

[@linoleumbonypart385]

Second

[@thewhiskybothy]

. . . verified as the first-second !

[@WillyRanger1]

Doesn't count!

[@kubr1ck36]

WillyRanger1 But it's funny though.. ^^

[@kuioljkiol2835]

Alcohol is a drug. U atticks. Ralfy stop championing