ralfy review 974 Extras - American Single Malt Whisky arrives !
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Ralfy, one of the most significant items in the proposed American Single Malt Whiskey Standard of Identity is that the previous requirement for aging in new oak only has been dropped. The ability to age in used oak will allow tremendous innovation in American whiskey and much longer aging potential without over-oaking the spirit. Another effect is that the supply of used barrels from the USA to Scotland may be restricted since Ex-bourbon barrels will have a market inside the USA.
Many American distilleries are already using heritage breed grains and alternative grains to make whisky. And have been for years.
Holy heck. I close one eye and your bothy wall looks like birch bark, horizontal black lenticels and all! Nice look.
Thank you Ralfy for saying it like IT IS..!!! 🥃🥃🥃
I cannot wait for you to review a few more of our American Single Malts
'to master the art... Of not being an alcoholic' it never rang truer than during Covid. Thought times require tough decisions haha😂😂 thanks for another illuminated review, Ralfy
Bottled in Bond was brought into Federal law around 1900 by the Secretary of the Treasury at the behest of some of the larger, quality distilleries that wanted a way for consumers to be able to easily see the difference between a quality whisky and a lot of the rotgut that was being sold at the time.
Nailed it! This is not only the right template for spirit regulations, its really how ALL regulations should be crafted, in that everyone held to the standards agrees to them. The boundaries set are there to ensure a standard of quality but there’s room for innovation. I hail from Oregon, where we’re doing some REALLY amazing things in this category.
Love these monologues on topics I basically know nothing about. Makes the listening even more interesting. 🙂
Heirloom grains. This is where I prefer beers because the heritage, ancient grains are directly in the tank and you are not distilling away most of their unique chemistry. People say they can tell red corn whiskey from others. The chemical analysis is that so little of the heirloom grains get into the whiskey after maturation, it's more of a marketing strategy. There should be some legal way to put a bit of the original, heirloom mash into the finished product and get those flavor notes back - like the beers have.
Love that the US is making an effort to define American Single Malt. You're spot on with the varied climates and a need for flexibility. Pot Still in Ireland is being reviewed, which is a good thing. I believe you're right - this won't be the last word on American Single Malt, but it is definitely a leap in the right direction. Cheers!
I disagree for this "need" for flexibility. American straight whiskies and bottled-in-bonds have aging requirements that equally apply to all climates across the country, and that has never caused a problem. This lack of aging requirements for ASM is slack.
@@whompbiscuits8930 Keep in mind, Bottled in Bond doesn't really work in Texas. Bottled in Bond is a choice, ASM is a style. You would knock Balcones, one of the founders of the style right out of American Single Malt. It also takes smaller barrels out of the equation.
@@WhiskeyLore Still can't agree. Style/choice is essentially semantics, as is the allegation that BIB somehow can't work in Texas (how so?) Do straight whiskey laws not work in Texas either? I'm talking about very basic aging requirements, but requirements nonetheless. The ASMWC still had the *choice* to push very minimum requirements but deliberately failed even at that. And I don't share any kind of automatic reverence for any distillery just because they "founded" a style which wasn't really a fresh new style but in reality a hazy mimicking of one from Scotland.
@@whompbiscuits8930 Straight is 2 years, they work fine in Texas (just need a notice of how old if under 4). Also, straight whiskey can be sourced, like TX brand does - "single malt" means a single distillery. Balcones prides itself on not sourcing...this the reason they bought Forsyth pot stills. And there is a movement afoot there to make a rule that Texas can't be on the label if the juice comes from elsewhere. I just think there are too many considerations. And in my opinion, age is overrated as a measure for quality. But that is just an opinion. We could go on and on with this. The makers in the US felt this was right for them. They'll change it if it's detrimental to the style. Or they can label it straight Malt whiskey.
I remember Ralphy's review of Old No 7 Jack Daniels, and its the best review I have ever seen of this whiskey "Smells like Glue..... Tastes like glue...." and then he moved onto reviewing Gentleman Jack I think it was... That review still brings a smile to my face...
I would note, as a fan of exploring other woods, doesn’t this red tape prevent using other woods than oak…? 😮
Maturation/wood impact depends largely on thr climate not just on the cask surface area. Eg. Texas distilleries are using much larger casks to actually slow down maturation/ wood impact.
Being here on the West Coast of the USA, I’ve been really impressed with some of the American Single Malt coming out (not necessarily as impressed with the ‘craft bourbon’ scene in the same way. Too rough in many cases.) Still partial to Scotch, but the variety of flavors coming out is incredible and tasty.
Some of my favorite ASM distilleries at the moment in order of preference are Westward (Portland, OR), Westland (Seattle), Balcones (Texas), Old Potrero/Hotaling (San Francisco, formerly of Anchor Brewing) McCarthy’s/Clear Creek (Hood River, OR), Stranahan’s (CO), Rouge Brewing & Distilling (Newport, OR)
Have you had Bull Run? I prefer their Single Malt to Westward (and fun history, the owners of Westward and Bull Run started as brewers at McMenamins, then started House Spirits together. The owner of Bull Run wanted to focus on whiskey, so he left to start Bull Run. Then House Spirits sold Aviation Gin to Ryan Reynolds/Joe Montana, and got a ton of money to kickstart Westward lol)
You should try to get your hands on a bottle from Andalusia. Excellent Texas single malt
@@AdamPFarnsworth great shout! Haven’t had the pleasure yet, but I’ll keep my eyes peeled for it! Looks like the price for Bull Run is reasonable too. Thanks!
@@jacobflores8666 I’ve been on the lookout and haven’t come across it yet but look forward to trying some Andalusia!
For a few years, my interest is getting more towards the American crafted whiskey and Bourbon. Simply because of the good quality Oak which I like and is harder to find in Scotch. Not a sherry or wine flavoured whisky but good cask influence. Recently had the Jack Daniels triple mash.
( Normally not a big fan ) but I was very pleasantly surprised. And Balcones and other craft distillers.
True, worthy and big words!! Close to prefer the extras from the tasting videos… this has so much wise contend of a man who walks over the world with opened eyes. Take care of your open mind and remain free in what your doing (and of course excuse my bad english.. just writing how I am recieving the energy in mind). Slainthe
Great video. Hope you do get a chance to review some of the American Single Malts. There are some amazing ones out there. Balcones is probably the most interesting one, Colkegan uses Mesquite like Peat, and a very underrated one is a 7yr age stated one from Town Branch. Cheers!
Dear Ralfy, I can honestly recommend Balcones Texas Single Malt for you to try if you would like to experience a good American Single Malt. A fantastic blend to try from America is: High West Campfire: Its a blend of scotch, bourbon and rye whiskeys - it's absolutely amazing and complex. Probably one of the most exciting whiskeys I ever tried . Would love to see you reviewing both some day :)
Best wishes! Slainte 🥃🥃
We need more Ralfy reviews of American single malt! I just discovered this stuff - wow!! Cant wait to get your take
"There's a lot to navigate with American spirits." Very true!! And I totally agree that there are some really good ryes in the US.
Agreed re ryes. Just in the past few short months, I've learned that there are two basic types of ryes outside of straight ryes: Maryland rye (fruitier/sweeter, 65-70% rye) and Pennsylvania rye (spicier, perhaps astringent, 95% rye). I'd be interested to hear Ralfy do a deep-dive Extras on ryes considering these two categories.
@@whompbiscuits8930 Yeah, that would be interesting. I'd also like to see him sample a few of them as well.
An artform, walking that alcohol consumption tightrope is. Just because you aren't imbibing for a week(or two) doesn't mean you can't enjoy whisky through literature, videos and the genuine gaining of understanding and wisdom. Cheers 🥃
There’s quite a few American Single Malts in our liquor stores, some of them from right here in Portland, OR , but they’re very expensive. Somebody mentioned Westward. Their cheapest offering is around $75-$80., again right here, in their hometown. They have a half size bottle (375 ml) of that one that sells for $50!! Of the top of my head, you can buy a bottle of Craigellachie 13 for $55. Not to mention that you can also buy some really great bourbons for $50-$60 or even less. I would like to support local distilleries, but I’m not made of money.
1) Go Beavs
2) I love Bull Run Oregon Single Malt!
Well, the new American malt distilleries aren't made of money either. Scotland has the benefit of history, legacy and momentum. They're established. American malt distilleries are basically startups burning through capital to get going. American banks and investors are not known for being a patient lot. It results in this push/pull dynamic between giving the spirit the aging it needs, and showing financial results.
So yes. American malts are pricey for what they are, particularly in age statements. You're often paying a premium for some kind of "Story" 🙄 rather than anything particularly special about the spirit itself. Ralfy would call it "flannel". But we're here learning how to push the flannel aside and give the spirit a fair shake on its own.
With tariffs being what they are, there is room in the market for someone to do something. There are a couple of American single malts near me, and they are quite different in their philosophies. One in Baltimore had gone full bourbon-style aging in new American oak, but only perhaps a year in very small 2-10 gallon barrels. The result is a very oak-forward product. Another in Virginia went a more traditional route with ex-bourbon barrels, but again, short on aging. They are two very different products. I blended the two together. Wouldn't you know, the blend tasted like a nice scotch. So it is possible to make a compelling product, even in startup mode.
My $0.02... Some of the more successful craft beer brands have been testing the whiskey waters for some time. Breckenridge and Rogue come to mind immediately. The GenXers that built up the craft beer market are pivoting FAST toward spirits, so I think this crossover is kinda where we're headed. The name recognition is there. The finances are there. If someone is going to gain more than a novelty / touristy slice of the market, it's probably someone like that.
@@timkempisty258 Everything you said makes a lot of sense , but whether they like it or not, prices are going to be part of the challenge of getting customers to buy their product. An even more important part of the challenge though is going to be the quality of the whiskey. Even though I wouldn’t expect it to be similar to Scotch , nor would I want it to be, the comparison will always be there. I think the only American Single Malt I tried was Balcones, and even though it couldn’t be more different from Scotch, I absolutely loved it.
A local Australian distillery (78 degrees) has made a whiskey using native grass grains. It is expensive as they need to hand harvest but a lovely drop. I had a flight at the distillery (and a fright at the price)
Tried my first American Single Malt this week. It's very interesting and I'd like to try a few others just to see if the one I have (Yellowstone) is representative of the category or is more of an outlier.
Thanks for these Infos Ralfy.
I'm looking forward to your first Review of an very good american Single Malt.
For me it was a "Do Good" Single Malt. 😉
Greetings from Germany 😎🤘
Thanks, Ralfy! You are providing breaking news to the Malt Mates!
Some really interesting craft American Whiskey happening outside of Kentucky, both single malt and otherwise: Talnua (Irish style pot still), Leopold Bros (3 chamber still), and Boulder Spirits (Scottish Forsyth still) in Colorado, Westland and Westward Single Malts in Pacific NW, Whiskey Del Bac in Arizona (mesquite smoked single malt), Chattanooga in Tennessee, Cedar Ridge in Iowa (American single malt in refill casks), Liberty Pole in Pennsylvania (peated ryes!?)... It's still a developing niche, but lots of exciting stuff happening
Handy bit of paper work that! Cheers Ralfy .
The biggest difference between Bourbon and Tennessee whisky is the charcoal filtration in TN.
The charcoal filtration strips much more away from the whisky than it adds, in my opinion. Gentleman Jack, which goes through the charcoal filtration system twice, is a prime example of this.
I feel you on Blanton's. I have a bottle, and I'm sure you'll understand the shorthand when I say that it's "smooth."
Adopting this standard in the US is absolutely imperative for the American whisk(e)y industry; there will be a shortage of American white oak suitable for making casks, so there needs to be a framework for producers to adapt and create new products to compensate.
Balcones Texas Single Malt
Stranahan’s Colorado Blue Peak
Bear Fight Single Malt (North Carolina)
Old Pepper Single Malt (Kentucky)
These are a few worth trying and I found them to be great!
I believe the label Straight Bourbon is what has legal definition, at least tradition that is followed, where it has to be a minimum age. And you can taste the difference between a plastic bottle that just says bourbon or blended bourbon and the normal straight bourbons
Glad I saw this Extras, Ralfy made a good point about aging in America with the different climates. I get it. Overall though I'm not terribly impressed with the so-called regulations about to come down regarding ASMs. No doubt I'm glad this is moving forward to having some official, legally binding standards but IMO there are still gaping holes needing to be addressed:
-ASMs will *not be required to be distilled in pot stills,* unlike scotch whiskies.
*-No prohibition on chill filtration.* This is a known problem that can be fixed but there is no desire to do this.
*-No prohibition on artificial colorants.* This also is a known problem that can be fixed but there is no desire to do this.
*-Lack of aging requirements,* while understandable from a climate diversity standpoint, is still not acceptable. Because what we'll end up seeing is this or that distillery aging ASM for a day or so, then adding a ton of caramel color to it. At the very least the ASMWC needs to address this publicly, as to why they're not requiring minimum aging standards unlike scotch. There are aging requirements for straight whiskies and BIBs that apply equally to all distilleries across the country regardless of climate differences, and that doesn't cause a problem. So climate differences across the country has long been proven to be a moot point.
Great start, but I still believe American straight whiskey requirements are more stringent, especially those of BIB, which has to be a straight whiskey first in order to qualify being BIB. The Commission's website blathers on about transparency but clearly they're not terribly serious about it
It's a good start because a lot of ASM is going to be from new distilleries, and that comes with a ton of start-up expense. If you codify all those requirements now, you make it harder for any new ASM distiller to get off the ground. Let them release product early on, even if it isn't aged very long, even if it's artificially colored, even if it's 40%. The rules need to encourage growth. The cream will rise to the top.
I'm happier about the "lack" of regulations in ASM space. I think Bourbon's "new American oak" requirement handcuffs those distilleries. That freedom alone is going to make ASM more compelling in the long run.
Re Minimum aging standards: Old Line in Baltimore aged a malt whisky in very small barrels... no more than 10 gallons... and I think they aged it less than a year. It came out busting with oak flavor. So.... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ If they can make something interesting in less than a year, and people want to buy it, then why should ASMWC get in the way?
@@timkempisty258 It's a good start but my concern is this is also the finish line. What regulations (i.e. customer protections) will there be after this? I'm betting zero. Because if you don't codify solid minimum requirements now, you make it easier for all distillers to eventually scam the customer. One example that will happen is someone will age ASM for a week or two, toss in a ton of e150a and call it "aged". If you're ok with that, that's your business. Not me. Another example is they'll column-still the distillate to death to the point of it being flavorless, because ethanol itself has zero flavor. Lack of regulations look good on the surface...until you get scammed as a result. That's what business "freedom" can get you.
I also don't believe there are a ton of distilleries out there who are handcuffed from making straight bourbons one way or another. Why? Because there's been reports of a bourbon "boom" here in America to the point of oak trees allegedly getting scarce. This is not indicative of distilleries being handcuffed.
My thing is either have higher standards or none at all. Don't say you have high standards then deliberately don't. That's just gaslighting. If you can't do it right, don't do it at all. Unless you're trying to cheat.
The inner cask surface enlarges by square, the volume and the amount of whisky enlarges by the 3rd potency (cubic). 😉
I just tried a rabbit hole bourbon and it was really good if you're able to get some in the UK
Just on time for me to sit and have a dram
I know you say that bourbon is lacking on your side of the pond but the same holds true for single malt on our side of the pond. I think better trade agreements should be struck so that all interested parties can have a dram of the best from both countries.
Ralfie's cool, he makes me happy when i watch him.
I really enjoyed the bottle of Balcones Single Malt I had a couple of years ago, must pick up another at some point. Been loving their Rye recently too. Are there any other American Malts available in the UK that you can recommend?
Get your hands on a bottle of Elijah Craig barrel proof. So far they have all been great. Some stand out sure but nothing wrong with Any of the six batches I have tried.
I’m all for federal regulation regarding quality and transparency in alcohol labeling, and that’s one of the things I love about bourbon: You may not always know exactly what you’re getting (in terms of mash bill), but you know what you’re not getting. Plus, it’s one of the few things we still actually produce here in the US:). That said, I have no interest in American single malt whiskies - regulated or not. I prefer my scotch Scottish (uncolored and non chill-filtered).
I’m excited for the American single malt scene. I’ve never really gotten into our bourbons / corn whiskeys. Whether it’s the sweeter grain or the new American oak requirement, something always felt just a little… over the top? Out of balance? At least for me. There’s a reason winemakers prefer French oak to American oak. But plenty of folks like it, so to each his own. I digress. It’s nice to see our malt guys getting their ducks in a row, and not necessarily following bourbon down the same restrictive road.
Some distilleries used to make very high proof ASM ( american single malts) resulting in full body and rich in flavors. With the new regulations now ,they can't, and they're pissed off
Need to try some quadrotriticale grain. If it's good enough for tribbles, it's good enough for me!!
Thanks PrestonW!
The stringent the regulations, the more limit there will be in terms of flavours? But quality definitely superior?
Nice "Extras" episode, Ralfy. Hey, I'd like to ask you a question from your experience across the great pond.
I'm an American enthusiast of Scotch whisky, but I also enjoy a good American bourbon or rye regularly. Now, real "special" Scotch offerings are few and far between where I live, so I buy most of my stuff from UK retailers and auctions (with the occasional independent bottling or store cask selection that pops up in a local liquor store). The stuff I buy from the UK requires very expensive trans-Atlantic shipping, but I'm willing to pay that in order to find whisky that's truly interesting.
Where I live (which is not the case in every part of the US), I can find pretty great domestic whiskies regularly and with almost no markup over MSRP. I'm not thinking here of the super high-demand stuff, your Pappy or your George T Stagg, but of things like Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, Four Roses Single Barrel, and single-cask, age-stated, high- or cask-strength stuff from Barrell Bourbon, Templeton Rye, WhistlePig, and the like. (I can occasionally land a bottle of Booker's, but having to beat out the "bourbon hounds" is usually too big of a pain.)
What is the path for getting stuff like that in the UK? Can it be shipped directly from the States, or does it have to undergo significant markup through an intermediary? Is it significantly taxed?
For reference, one of the best buys I can get locally is Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. It's cask strength, aged 12 full years, and is consistently fantastic from batch to batch. I regularly nab that for only $70 per bottle. I imagine, but don't know, that getting ECBP in the UK could be prohibitively expensive.
I visited my son in Washington state. There was a distiller 1/2 block from his apartment. It was quite a good barley malt moonshine they were selling and at the same time they were putting some away in casks for selling down the line. 2 of the three stock holders thought they weren't making enough money selling shine so they started mixing it with berry juices and calling it "cutesy" names. Didn't sell well so they moved it to a larger city. They still sold their unaged shine and their berry juiced whisky. I guess it didn't sell too well. They're now closed. I wonder what their single malt would taste like now 14 years later?
Interesting! I’m from Washington State and wonder which distillery it was (since they’re closed)
@@RyanTack1 They ended up in Olympia.
I watch some American whisytubers and it seems to be a whole lot of small craft destilleries, and big ones as well, which looks very interesting. But it is almost impossible to get them here in Europe, especially in Sweden. 😟
Does it cost a distillery anymore to produce a whiskey un-chillfiltered at 46% natural colour ? Is that a stupid question lol
Chill Filtration is an additional process which would add a cost to production. Bottling at 46% would cost more than bottling at 40% since you're adding more product and less water to the bottle. How much those incremental costs are, I don't know.
@@xiamengbaby thankyou
I hear you on the Blantons. Bought a bottle, boring! Bought a bottle of Blantons Idaho state barrel pick. Much better.
Americans make exceptional whiskies. Unfortunately it's very hard to get your hands on these whiskies if you live outside of the US since most of these distilleries sell locally and don't really export. The State of New-York and the surrounding offer a lot of variety in term of distilleries for those travelers willing to visit outside the big Apple. cheers!
The best american single malt I ever had was Jack Daniels Twice Barreled. Delicious, but sadly limited.
Greetings, Mr Ralfy. It was very informative, especially in regards to Japense whiskies, which I didn't know, I never was a fan anyway, but now I know that they can't be trusted. Have a nice weekend.
ASMW has great potential for American ingenuity in a premium whisky!
Hi Ralfy, the appearance of so many American single malt distilleries makes me wonder where are they going to find so many casks? Since single malt cannot be matured in virgin oak only (am I right?). In a country with the size of the USA, hundreds of new distilleries may appear in a short time. Do you think there will be a supply problem? Especially from wine casks (even if sherry casks have a particular line of supply). I understand it’s already difficult to attend the demand. Also with bourbon casks being used by those American distilleries, prices will rise for Scottish and other distilleries around the world.
. . . big run in demand for new casks, especially better quality ones.
Single malts can be made in Virgin oak (Deanston for example) or ex-sherry oak or other casks. Most are ex-Bourbon casks but that is not a requirement.
Single Malts can absolutely be made in virgin oak casks. It's just very common to use ex bourbon, or ex sherry casks, or both.
the american single malt guidelines do not specify the requirement that only used barrels get used. It's going to be one of the defining traits of asm's.
@@eviltrain24 as far as I know, distilled barley doesn’t work with virgin oak as the only maturation
Thanks again Ralfy.
What's really strange in this new law, that they don't speak about E150, which is forbidden in Bourbon.
Blantons? Oh, I call it Blandtons!
May be I bit old school, but still belive that some Kind/style of alko should be make in some areas, vodka- Easter Europe, rum - Carrabean, sake- Japan, whisky - Scotland., Cognac-France. Do not make US sake and Japan vodka or german whisky instead of beer. 😢
Whisky rules around the world are all pretty clear that whisky must be distilled from a mash grains. While all grains are seeds, not all seeds are grains. So no, nobody can make bean or tree nut whisky.
Ralfy: Blantons is just...ok
Why would you say something so controversial yet so brave 😂
. . . because it's true.
I agree with him, and I have never understood why Blanton's got so hyped up. I like it, and I'll sometimes order it at a bar. Where I live, many bars have it, and prices are reasonable. Retail availability is a different story. Many years ago, I tried it at a bar and liked it well enough to buy a bottle. Back then, it was easy to find and didn't cost a fortune. To me, it is a decent mid-level bourbon, but it isn't worth paying $200 or spending a lot of time hunting for it.
It's not even controversial. It's a common opinion. I think Eagle Rare is better, and it's less than half the price
I've never had Blanton's, it's too hard to get and a bit pricey, but from what I've heard/read it's not worth the price nor the hunt.
Blanton’s is rarer than it is good.
Amen
Eagle Rare is a boubon not a rye.
I'm really enjoying Balcones whiskeys at the moment.
I enjoy them too. Their rum is also good. I hope this doesn't change since Diageo bought Balcones. If they are smart, Diageo will help Balcones with distribution and leave the production process alone. Unfortunately, I don't count on Diageo to be smart.
@@heatherharrison264 Hopefully. I haven't seen the rum. It's been hard to find any of them over here in Ireland. But I've had the Single malt and rye. The only other ones I've seen are the bourbon, brimstone and baby blue.
Brimstone is a bit of an acquired taste, but I love it. I think it’s one of their most interesting offerings, at least in my state. I wouldn’t recommend buying it blindly though, I would try to taste it first. I know they have a lot more great stuff right there, in Texas.
I finally tried a Balcones, a single barrel single malt cask strength finished in a Madeira cask. I was really looking forward to it. Beautiful color! But I did not like it at all! Youthful, a bit harsh. Tastes nothing like what i think a single malt should taste like. Wish I'd spent that money on a nice scotch single malt.
@@xiamengbaby Ya I had the core range single malt but I loved it. Its definitely a completely different direction to Irish/scotch single malts. But that's what I liked about it.
You're wrong Ralfy about there not being enough really good whiskEy that's available and affordable to the masses. Plenty on the shelves and I'm not just talking good for the price. I'm saying amazing bourbon/ryes well under $100 from major distillers and small/craft producers. For ex, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, Old Forester Single Barrel or 1920, Larceny Barrel Proof, Wild Turkey Rarebreed, Russel's Reserve Single Barrel and a hundred more. Small distils like Barrell Craft's Vantage and Seagrass are just amazing and can compete with anyone. This just off the top of my head. Yes, Pappy and BTAC have the cache and highly allocated but if you look at who's garnering the best rankings over the last several years it's not them. They are for fools more concerned with status and what they hear is the 'best'. The new, informed whisky enthusiast isn't too concerned with them.
While I applaud the efforts to define American Single Malt, what I've tried so far has not really excited me. Single Malt is not a traditional American style and I have a distinct preference for the Scotch and Irish versions that have quite a few years head start on getting it right. What I find more interesting are efforts to define both Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey and Monongahela Rye Whiskey. These are traditional styles that have all but disappeared but that once dominated the market pre-prohibition. While the effort behind a legal definition is lagging the effort to produce superior whiskey is far ahead.
Hi Ralfy, do you think Springbank 10yo deserves 200 pounds?
Can I call you mankind mindfulness motivator as a fitter philosopher ? Thanks ❤
About the different habits around the world: Greeks reclaim that the Italians and Spains buy Greek olive oils and sell it under their own flag. 🤪
Ralfy, you're out date with your Japanese whisky rules. They built cer6 clear guidelines in 2021. Nothing can be called Japanese unless its mashed, fermented, distilled, aged and bottled in Japan.
I am right there with you on Blantons, Everyone in America is obsessed with it. I finally got to try it and was not impressed.
ah, Ralfy, the best rye whisky comes from Canada, not the US. give credit where credit is due.
. . . fair point !
I disagree. And I'm Canadian. Lot 40 and Alberta Premium (and their whistle pig distillate) are all great but there are some exceptional American Ryes. There are a few decent craft producers coming up (two brewers, shelter point, macalonys), but Canadian whisky is being held back by both the lack of whisky rules / transparency and the ridiculous control provincial govs have over whisky production, distribution and sales.
I tasted a whiskey made from quinoa recently. Did not like it.
Ralfy, I believe you know that Blanton's is a "single barrel" brand. Sometimes one will have the bad luck to get a bottle from a barrel of whiskey that just didn't turn out well. That is true of all single barrel brands, including single cask scotch whiskies. The bottle of Blanton's you have is unlikely to be representative of most bottles. The one bottle of Blanton's I have had was really good, and I have extensive experience with bourbon.
Bourbon does NOT have to be “made in specific areas” of the USA. It can be anywhere in the US. There’s a long-running myth that it can only be from Kentucky. False, and probably pushed by Kentuckians! Fact is, bourbon was first made in Virginia.
Most of what you say is correct. Your final sentence is strictly correct but misleading. Kentucky was originally PART of Virginia. Kentucky split off from Virginia and became its own state in 1792. Kentucky is believed to have originated in the Kentucky "region" of Virginia, but obviously that is a place that has had nothing to do with Virginia for well over 200 years.
@@undilutedryan-ze3iz You’re wrong. I know. Elijah Craig, from Orange Co. Virginia, IN Virginia. I was there.
You ARE correct about KY being part of Virginia at that time.
@@undilutedryan-ze3iz I’ve got 2 books that say otherwise. I didn’t get the info from an EC label. LOL. It’s history…mostly best guesses.
Please stop removing my comments. They're not breaking any rules. And they provide information that people should know.
For a channel that champions transparency I think it's pretty ironic that you're deleting my fact checking.
. . . I have not deleted any of you comments. It is the platform that is doing it.
Could it be the name of your profile, mate? @fake 😅
@@RyanTack1 nope. I've been posting on Ralfy's and other videos for years without issue.
I have also recently posted on other channels without issue.
@@1nToTh3V0id but you did just change your name from @fake to @ feik within 24 hours of my question, sooooo if it didn’t matter…
@@RyanTack1 nope. Not an algorithm or name issue. Ralfy or one of his mods just keeps on deleting. Apparently not a fan of being wrong.
Wow, Ralfy! 😃👍 I learnt a lot! 😃
By the way, do you know the oldest law for food/beverage of the world? 😉
en.wikipedia (dot) org/wiki/Reinheitsgebot
I guess if I go on watching a few videos more of you I'll finally become a whisky drinker. 😂
Cheers, or should I better say: "Slàinte Mhath!"? 🤭🤣
I would question what you've learned, surprised to see so many inaccuracies in this episode. E.g What he said about Japanese whisky is completely false. Japan changed their rules in 2021. It's very strict now.