I have never heard of anyone adding that much water to drink other than trying to find tasting notes. If you need to add that much, just buy something you like the taste of better.
While I agree with you in principle there is a very large majority of whisky drinkers in my part of the world that drink their whiskies like this (some with even more water). This video was partly for their benefit. Do I agree with the way they drink their whisky? Absolutely not. Do I give them the respect to drink their tipple anyway they please? Absolutely.
Awesome video mate, thanks for doing the comparisons so that we don't have to! 😀 Would love to see a head-to-head video featuring some popular blended malts as well (Monkey Shoulder, Green Label, Naked Grouse, Sheep Dip etc). Keep 'em coming!
Nice fun video. I typically just drink any whisky neat. If I add water it’s just a generous drop. Here’s to the next battle of the bands, I mean blends video lol. Cheers 🥃🥃
It should just be a few drops of water to open the whisky. 50-50 is only for the street whisky drinker. And your ranking more or less reflects the pricing order.
Only just seen this review. Really interesting. On the water “controversy”, I’m absolutely in the camp of drinking whisky however you like it. It’s worth noting that the minimum ABV requirement to be a whisky is 40%. Even adding a drop to 40% whisky means you’re technically not drinking whisky anymore. Adding 50% water to even the strongest whisky means you’re drinking whisky squash, (which is fine if that’s your jam). 🙂 Sadly the sensitivity and sophistication of my nose and palate doesn’t appear to be as good as some, so I can’t risk over dilution or it just kills all taste and I’m just drinking flavoured water. I therefore almost always drink my drams straight, but I’ll occasionally add water to fully explore a whisky. However, I’ll only add a two or three drops and will only do it when the whisky is more than 40% ABV, so I know I’m still drinking actual whisky. Keep up the good work! 👏🥃
Nice one buddy. A couple of years ago I was given some blends from the 80's by my non-whisky drinking Spanish father-in-law. They were corporate gifts. Anyway, one of these was a Chivas 12 bottled at 43% which, apart from the signature grain bitterness on the finish, was better than expected. Serge Valentin reviewed it and gave it 88 points. The other bottles were a Chivas 21 and an in interesting museum piece called Chequers 12 (bottled at 43%) which I'm enjoying without water. I still have a bottle of unopened Hibiki 12 in the stash and I wonder if it's any better. Our job, Captain, is to go forth and explore.
I have been on the lookout for old school blends to no avail. The Hibiki 12 is exceptionally sweet and in my opinion quite unremarkable. However, given current revelations re Japanese blends having Scotch in them I wonder how much of that Hibiki was actually made in your backyard. Onwards and upwards, Captain.
Hey man i m from.. Kolkata. Never seen anyone smashing the big brands that hard..😂😂😂sort of enjoyed ypur episode..i m subscribing you..i do love alcohol..specially whiskies...mad about whiskies..
Considering that the Chivas Regal 18 is three to four times as expensive than the Chivas 12 year old, it better have some stand out traits. Thanks for the comparison video. And yes, I already know that watering down most scotch whiskeys makes the drinks dramatically less appealing.
@@MaltActivist Of course, nobody ever said anything about your free will. You posted a review on TH-cam, a public platform, so there will naturally be criticism related to the content of the video, i.e. how to drink a particular brand of whisky. Responding with ‘I can do whatever I want’ is a really strange comeback - akin to writing a song in your chemistry test and then when the professor gives you a fail grade, you point your finger at then and go “haha i can do whatever I want!”
@@Lividbuffalo To answer to your earlier observation - there is a very big whisky drinking community that I know that dilutes their whisky down to almost 20% before drinking it. ie 30ml drams topped up with chilled water. So there is a practical reason for me testing it the way I did. Also I am not answering a chemistry test - I am having fun on my channel and doing what i feel like doing. All criticisms and observations are welcome. Telling me there's something I CANT do doesn't ring well for me.
While I don’t agree with the tone of your comment, I do wish I would see a video comparing all the major 12 year blends. Johnnie Walker Black, Dewars 12, Buchanan’s 12, and Chivas Regal 12. That’d be cool.
I do not agree with the result of the tasting!!! The Double Black (I would never buy it again) is below the Black Label, and I think the Chivas 12 is a little below the Black Label. But if you want to compare brand with brand you should have tasted: Blue Label vs Royal Salute 21 or Chivas Regal 18 vs JW Green Label or Chivas Mizunara vs JW Gold label. By the way, to compare Blends there are other brands to consider: Old Parr, Monkey Shoulder, Naked Grouse, Ballantines, Buchannan's... In lowest price, my choice is Grand Old Parr 12 and the premium one I choose the Johnnie Walker Green Label or the Royal Salute 21
While I principally agree with you there's a couple of reasons I did that. 1. In my part of the world there is a culture of drinking blended whiskies like this. 30% whisky vs 70% water. And so I wanted to test it like that. 2. Secondly most master blenders I've spoken to said they dilute their whiskies down to 20% just to see if the flavors are still coming thru despite the massive dilution. Hence.... But yes, you're right -- it's still too much water.
If you’re using a 10 point score, show some courage and use only whole numbers. When you use 0.5 scores in a 10 point system, it shows you lack confidence and conviction in yourself.
i thought if I used 0.5 scores I was being more precise. also i dont consider whisky tasting a necessarily a courageous undertaking. i'm just having fun. so should you.
I have never heard of anyone adding that much water to drink other than trying to find tasting notes. If you need to add that much, just buy something you like the taste of better.
While I agree with you in principle there is a very large majority of whisky drinkers in my part of the world that drink their whiskies like this (some with even more water). This video was partly for their benefit. Do I agree with the way they drink their whisky? Absolutely not. Do I give them the respect to drink their tipple anyway they please? Absolutely.
Awesome video mate, thanks for doing the comparisons so that we don't have to! 😀
Would love to see a head-to-head video featuring some popular blended malts as well (Monkey Shoulder, Green Label, Naked Grouse, Sheep Dip etc). Keep 'em coming!
Super idea. Next video!
Nice fun video. I typically just drink any whisky neat. If I add water it’s just a generous drop. Here’s to the next battle of the bands, I mean blends video lol. Cheers 🥃🥃
hehehe nice one
Odd how you never include Compass Box in the blended wars, considering they are in my opinion one of the best for buck blends.
I am scheduled to do one for Blended Malts which will, of course, be overrun by Compass Box.
Quite a review thanks for all the work you put into this. Myself would be interested in how Chivas 18 would do vs Dewars 18 ? Cheers
Interesting. Let me see if I can get my hands on both.
It should just be a few drops of water to open the whisky. 50-50 is only for the street whisky drinker. And your ranking more or less reflects the pricing order.
I have a lot of street drinkers on this channel!
Only just seen this review. Really interesting.
On the water “controversy”, I’m absolutely in the camp of drinking whisky however you like it.
It’s worth noting that the minimum ABV requirement to be a whisky is 40%. Even adding a drop to 40% whisky means you’re technically not drinking whisky anymore. Adding 50% water to even the strongest whisky means you’re drinking whisky squash, (which is fine if that’s your jam). 🙂
Sadly the sensitivity and sophistication of my nose and palate doesn’t appear to be as good as some, so I can’t risk over dilution or it just kills all taste and I’m just drinking flavoured water. I therefore almost always drink my drams straight, but I’ll occasionally add water to fully explore a whisky. However, I’ll only add a two or three drops and will only do it when the whisky is more than 40% ABV, so I know I’m still drinking actual whisky.
Keep up the good work! 👏🥃
I'm with you on that - but this was just an experiment
@@MaltActivist yeah I get it. As I said, really interesting. Keep up the great work! 👍🙂
Nice one buddy. A couple of years ago I was given some blends from the 80's by my non-whisky drinking Spanish father-in-law. They were corporate gifts. Anyway, one of these was a Chivas 12 bottled at 43% which, apart from the signature grain bitterness on the finish, was better than expected. Serge Valentin reviewed it and gave it 88 points. The other bottles were a Chivas 21 and an in interesting museum piece called Chequers 12 (bottled at 43%) which I'm enjoying without water. I still have a bottle of unopened Hibiki 12 in the stash and I wonder if it's any better. Our job, Captain, is to go forth and explore.
I have been on the lookout for old school blends to no avail. The Hibiki 12 is exceptionally sweet and in my opinion quite unremarkable. However, given current revelations re Japanese blends having Scotch in them I wonder how much of that Hibiki was actually made in your backyard.
Onwards and upwards, Captain.
Great video, enjoyed it.
Glad you enjoyed it
Fantastic review!
Glad you liked it!
What a superb review!!!!!! 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏
Thank you Cliff !!!
Hey man i m from.. Kolkata. Never seen anyone smashing the big brands that hard..😂😂😂sort of enjoyed ypur episode..i m subscribing you..i do love alcohol..specially whiskies...mad about whiskies..
Cheers!
Cheers big bruh..
You're a masochist, taking one for the team like this
It is what it is....
Considering that the Chivas Regal 18 is three to four times as expensive than the Chivas 12 year old, it better have some stand out traits.
Thanks for the comparison video. And yes, I already know that watering down most scotch whiskeys makes the drinks dramatically less appealing.
You lost me on black label 50/50. No whisky(whiskey) drinker dilutes a base level variation that much. Anyone that does should stick to daiquiris.
To each their own. People should be allowed to drink whisky any way they please.
@@MaltActivistnot really. You can’t use a product as it it not intended to be used and then make an objective review of it.
@@Lividbuffalo Haha that's where you're wrong. I can do whatever I want.
@@MaltActivist Of course, nobody ever said anything about your free will. You posted a review on TH-cam, a public platform, so there will naturally be criticism related to the content of the video, i.e. how to drink a particular brand of whisky.
Responding with ‘I can do whatever I want’ is a really strange comeback - akin to writing a song in your chemistry test and then when the professor gives you a fail grade, you point your finger at then and go “haha i can do whatever I want!”
@@Lividbuffalo To answer to your earlier observation - there is a very big whisky drinking community that I know that dilutes their whisky down to almost 20% before drinking it. ie 30ml drams topped up with chilled water. So there is a practical reason for me testing it the way I did. Also I am not answering a chemistry test - I am having fun on my channel and doing what i feel like doing. All criticisms and observations are welcome. Telling me there's something I CANT do doesn't ring well for me.
Black label used to be good unfortunately it’s changed the casks are not of good quality anymore
You think so?
@@MaltActivist I know so
You choose two brands only? Cmon get real.
While I don’t agree with the tone of your comment, I do wish I would see a video comparing all the major 12 year blends. Johnnie Walker Black, Dewars 12, Buchanan’s 12, and Chivas Regal 12. That’d be cool.
I do not agree with the result of the tasting!!! The Double Black (I would never buy it again) is below the Black Label, and I think the Chivas 12 is a little below the Black Label. But if you want to compare brand with brand you should have tasted: Blue Label vs Royal Salute 21 or Chivas Regal 18 vs JW Green Label or Chivas Mizunara vs JW Gold label.
By the way, to compare Blends there are other brands to consider: Old Parr, Monkey Shoulder, Naked Grouse, Ballantines, Buchannan's... In lowest price, my choice is Grand Old Parr 12 and the premium one I choose the Johnnie Walker Green Label or the Royal Salute 21
Great points! I just did a comparison based on the blends available to me. Will do a more exhaustive one next.
Great work and fun, thanks. But added water killed all of them, should be just a bit of water :)
I wanted to see how robust the spirit was!
@@MaltActivist looking forward for more reviews :)
Dewar 18 YO. Streets ahead.
John Walker - King George V 😊👍🏻.... is good straight😊😁✨...
Scallywag 10 100% sherry matured - my favourite.
Nice. Will check it out.
I would have expected JW 18 also in this group.
Couldn't find it !
@@MaltActivist yes. A bit elusive. Also you can focus on Dewar 15 & yrs & Ballantyne 17 yrs are excellent blends for neat sipping.
Lesson: don't put water in your blends. Lesson learned. 😂
haha good lesson
Dewars 27, followed by 32 then 21. John walker 21XR AND CHIVAS 21 don’t come close any of the Dewars double double
wow! That's quite a list - might be fun to do a Dewars vertical.
I think u added tad bit too much water
While I principally agree with you there's a couple of reasons I did that.
1. In my part of the world there is a culture of drinking blended whiskies like this. 30% whisky vs 70% water. And so I wanted to test it like that.
2. Secondly most master blenders I've spoken to said they dilute their whiskies down to 20% just to see if the flavors are still coming thru despite the massive dilution.
Hence.... But yes, you're right -- it's still too much water.
@@MaltActivist ahh i see. So its just to test it. I should have paid more attention, that was my bad.
If you’re using a 10 point score, show some courage and use only whole numbers. When you use 0.5 scores in a 10 point system, it shows you lack confidence and conviction in yourself.
i thought if I used 0.5 scores I was being more precise. also i dont consider whisky tasting a necessarily a courageous undertaking. i'm just having fun. so should you.
Love the smell of JW black but the taste....yuck. Not a fan of the ashy taste.
Come on! it's not that bad.
My Liver: don’t waste your time on these…..
My brain : do it ! do it !
😂😂😂😂😂
Whisky is not for you dude.
Stick with a water.
I think I'll stick to both