The Good Dram Show – Episode 625 ‘Another Viewers Choice!’

Welcome to this week’s episode of the show. It’s yet another viewers choice episode, with the samples kindly sent by Ian Sunderland. A big thanks for those. The Good Dram Show with Chris Goodrum. Episode 625 – Dr Sunderland… I Presume..! Filmed in The Study Nottingham.

Featuring

Glenglassaugh ‘The Family Silver’ 1973 (25 year old) 40%
www.glenglassaugh.com

Lombard Jewels of Scotland Glen Keith 1985 (30 year old) 41.9%
www.scotchmaltwhisky.co.uk/lo

Springbank Hazelburn 10 year old 46%
Springbank 10 year old ‘Open Day 2024’ 57.1%
www.springbank.scot

Highland Park ‘Single Cask Series’ 2005 (14 year old) 57.8%
www.highlandparkwhisky.com

Cadenhead’s Enigma 2008 (15 year old) Blended Campbeltown Malt 48.2%
www.cadenhead.scot

Filmed & Edited by Chris Goodrum

ralfy review 1117 Extras – The alcohol risk that waits for us all !

ralfy review 1117 – Isle Of Arran 10yo @50%vol: (Optic Local Barley)

Johnnie Walker Red Label 1985 vs 2025

THE VIDEO REVIEW

Johnnie Walker Red Label, a bottle that has crossed all of our eye lines at some point. 

Today we’ll be comparing a 1985 bottling versus a modern day bottling of the blend. What could the differences be? Are older whiskies actually better? Time to find out.

The expression was first released in 1906 under the name ‘Walker’s Special Old Highland’. The expression ran alongside a whisky with a white label and one with a black label. As the whiskies were commonly referred to by the colour of their labels, Johnnie Walker decided to implement a rebrand. As such, in 1909, ‘Walker’s Special Old Highland’ was renamed ‘Red Label’. The iconic Striding Man logo was introduced in the same year.

Johnnie Walker Red Label has been the top-selling blended scotch whisky in the world since 1945, even during the period between 1977 and 1983 when the expression was absent from the UK domestic market.

This whisky can contain up to 35 separate whiskies from both malt and grain distilleries, as well as the 1985 bottling no doubt containing some Paxarette, while the modern bottling definitely has E150A caramel colouring. Comparing them both side by side is quite interesting purely based on colour. The ’85 is a little lighter, but the closeness in colour is still quite a marvel.

ralfy review 1116 Extras – The education of ‘slow sipping’.

ralfy review 1116 – GlenWyvis ‘The Drover’ @ 46.5%vol:

ralfy review 1115 Extras – Our experience sees changes in brands over time. (like Bowmore 😐)

Ardbeg 10 Cask Strength, 61.7%.

THE VIDEO

It is finally here! The bottle we’ve all been waiting for, Ardbeg 10 Year Old Cask Strength!

A combination of refill ex-bourbon casks with some experimental casks filled with an unusually high strength spirit, this Islay colossal is finally starting to fix what has been wring with Ardbeg in the past few years for me. A tonic of sorts.

For too long, the labels were a little gimmick drive, the releases were undesirable (personally) and the prices were a little outrageous. Luckily, this bottle is a limited release, but has a price tag that is not unreasonable in the grand scheme of modern cask strength whisky releases.

A powerhouse of smoky, savoury and sweet, this is a bottle that does not disappoint in anyway, and with some of the big competition that has been creeping up in the last few years, this bottle does go to show that when they want to, Ardbeg can always hit it out of the park.

WRITTEN REVIEW

Victoria Whisky Festival Exclusive Casks – Meikle Toir, Stillhead & Signatory Bunnahabhain

Adam and Andrew discuss the trilogy of smoky single casks that debuted at the 20th Victoria Whisky Festival here in Victoria BC Canada. Discover an Islay infused 100% rye whisky crafted right here on Vancouver Island by Stillhead. Canada’s first ever single cask Meikle Toir from Billy Walker’s GlenAllachie distillery in Speyside. And our first ever exclusive cask from Islay, a 12 year heavily peated Bunnahabhain from our friends at Signatory Vintage!

Stillhead

The Hebridean Cascadian (Victoria Whisky Festival Islay Cask Rye)

Meikle Tòir

Victoria Whisky Festival Single Cask Ex-PX

Bunnahabhain

Signatory 2013 Heavily Peated Victoria Whisky Festival Exclusive

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 594: Ben Nevis 26 Year Old 1998 Liquid Art

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, has a headache… not really. Headache is the name of the beautiful artwork by none other than Fred Bervoets, which Liquid Art, in collaboration with Galerie De Zwarte Panter from Antwerp, used as a label. And we all know that 1995 to 1999 are very fine vintages for Ben Nevis, so this will undoubtedly be a treat.

https://youtu.be/M6MYJDLNSjY