THE VIDEO

Macallan 25YO, 43%, 2023

I finally got the chance to taste one of the most ‘if I could, I would’ bottles in the world. Does it live up to its hype, or is it just a rich person’s everyday liquid?

There’s no doubt that Macallan has spent the time and money on making a great product. From the facilitating and building of a brand new distillery, one of the biggest in the world of single malt, to securing cooperages in both The US and Spain for maximum control over their barrel sourcing processes. So we’ve got a distillery making great spirit and sourcing some of the best wood from America and Europe. A big question, though, why is it all so expensive?

Even with all of this process and spending, is it that different to how many other distilleries spend countless time and money on sourcing casks? Yes, 90%+ of Macallan’s stock is all about sherry seasoning, but even so, does this warrant a double cost to the consumer for this process? So many questions.

Jumping into the whisky, Macallan 25 Year Old, matured in ex-sherry and ex-sherry seasoned casks, mostly European oak with perhaps a smattering of American oak running around in there. Bottled at 43%, natural colour, some chill filtration for consistency, as you would expect at £2,000 a bottle.

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Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 582: Clynelish 30 Year Old 1993 Claxton’s

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries a waxy oldie. How often do you get the chance to taste a Clynelish that’s three decades old? Rarely or never, of course. When Mark had the pleasure of tasting this delight at Jurgen Vromans’ session at the unrivaled Liquid Leuven in January 2025, he immediately ordered himself a bottle: ‘Considering the rather hefty price tag, I regard it as an early 60th birthday gift to myself… But I can taste it already, right?’ It comes in a beautiful wooden box in the typical square decanter, but with a lovely illustration on the back of the bottle.

https://youtu.be/SMTOYWJHE_w

ralfy review 1104 Extras – Buying Whisky for New Year.

ralfy review 1104 – Glencadam 10yo @46%vol: (2025)

The Good Dram Show – Episode 613 ‘Integrity Malts’

Welcome to this week’s episode of the show in which I’ll be taking a look at the first releases from a new Independent bottling company called Integrity Malts. The Good Dram Show with Chris Goodrum. Episode 613 – Bottling Whisky With Integrity..! Filmed in The Study Nottingham

Featuring

Integrity Malts Glen Moray 2013 (12 year old) 56.6%
Integrity Malts Highland Park 2003 (22 year old) 47.7%
Integrity Malts Bunnahbhain Staoisha 2020 (5 year old) 65.1%
Integrity Malts Ardmore 2015 (10 year old) Pedro Ximinez Quarter Cask Finish 55.9%
Integrity Malts Ardmore 2015 (10 year old) Ex-Laphroaig Quarter Cask Finish 55.9%

https://integritymalts.co.uk

https://youtu.be/URlSSSA8T8g

Scapa 10YO

Many of my questions have finally been answered about Scapa. Mainly, where is it? Is it gone? Why aren’t there any official public releases anymore?

Well, here they are. A 10, 16, and 21YO expression launched earlier this year by the folks at Pernod Ricard. We all remember the day of Scapa 16YO in its original format. A wonderful Speyside alternative from the Orkney islands – fruity, a little salty, but a very welcoming pour…and then, boom, it was gone. Prices skyrocketed and demand was still there, but the distillery, outside of some very old or limited single cask releases, not a peep.

Anyway, here was have the new 10 Year Old release. Fully matured in ex-American oak and bottled at a rather lovely 48% ABV – what could be the problem? Well, honestly, nothing so far.

I picked this up on sale for £44 a bottle, reduced from the usual £50RRP and it’s an absolute delight. It’s fruity, creamy, relatively exotic in it s flavour profiles and isn’t the craziest price for a standard release from a small distillery. Fair play, Scapa, everything is very good right now.

Whisky Reviews every Wednesday
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ralfy review 1103 Extras – Advice on organic scotch whisky.

ralfy review 1103 – Benromach Contrasts Certified Organic @46%vol:

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 581: Bunnahabhain 28 Year Old 1987 Berry Bros & Rudd

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tastes an exceptional Bunna. Recently, he was a guest at a very impressive tasting in Ghent, where the range of Berry Bros & Rudd was presented. The apotheosis of the tasting was this 28-year-old Bunnahabhain which – rightly – was bottled in the Exceptional Casks series. The cask was laid to rest when Mark wasn’t even of legal age, imagine that. Liquid history.

https://youtu.be/dxa2WJLMbAw

THE VIDEO

Benromach 50YO

What were you doing in December, 1972?

Rested for just as long as needed, this stunning example of ancient Speyside whisky is to be truly marvelled at.

I got to try this for the first time at Benromach, as part of The Champions 2025 programme. Needless to say that the three of us were stunned when they rolled out that stunning looking decanter.

Matured for it’s entire life in a selection of sherry casks, this Speyside style delivers class, layers, subtlety and amazement upon every smell and taste.

There isn’t a lot of old Benromach kicking around, between the distillery and parent company, Gordon & MacPhail, old examples of this stuff are hard to find, even from source. That classic smokiness is still faintly there, but doesn’t show off as much as it does on more classic expressions.

What can I say, it’s a 50 Year Old single malt that I’ve been able to try twice, I am an incredibly lucky individual.

Whisky Reviews every Wednesday
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Twitter.com/whiskytube
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