Arran 10, Deanston 12, Bunnahabhain 12, Glencadam 10, Ledaig 10 and Kilkerran 12 are my staples.

@brownwaterboys8304

7 ай бұрын

hmm the only one i've never had, and dont currently own is the Kilkerran 12.. but all the rest are amazing.

@chentim1751

7 ай бұрын

kilkerran 12 is amazing

@heisenbergguy7772

7 ай бұрын

You are missing out on Glenfarclas 12, Loch Lomond 12, Edradour 10, Springbank 10, and best of all Speyburn 15!

@bennyfriis601

7 ай бұрын

​@@brownwaterboys8304Oh my... if you can, go buy it (at a reasonable price of course). In my world it is a worthy rival to the Springbank 10yo in terms of quality. Which you prefer is a matter of taste.

@chentim1751

7 ай бұрын

@@heisenbergguy7772 some of your bottles are not readily accessible

Great reccomendations. Already have the Arran 10 and Deanston 12. Just visited Deanston last weekend. Great tour and absolutely great stuff and staff. They opened almost every bottle in the shop for me so i could try and they just kept asking "Oh do you want to try this one too? How about this one, wann try?" Absolut top service compared to other visitor centres. 👍👍👍

Great recommendations. I would also add Glencadam 10 which is still an incredible integrity malt - and still widely available in the 40 pound range.

@nickolaymiltenov

7 ай бұрын

Have you tasted Glencadam 12 Portwood finish? It is much much better even than Glencadam 15 which Ralfy announced whisky of the year (don't remember which exactly)

@mgarbuthnott

7 ай бұрын

Glencadam....proper whisky

@edgewalker7459

7 ай бұрын

@@nickolaymiltenovI opened the 13 Sauternes glencadam the other night , a stunning whisky

Got all 3 of these mate, the anCnoc after you did the review ( thank you ). All 3 are belters. I have lined up for Christmas Day anCnoc 18yr, Caledonia Edradour 12 and Laphroaig cask strength batch 15. So all the best if I miss anything next week.

Nice lineup! Love the Arran 10. Will try the others. Just got into the Benriach Smoky 10 and 12 -- like 'em both.

All three are great recommendations for 2024. Given the inflation driven pricing conditions, many scotch consumers have to come to a 10-12 year categories to look for good value such as these three. I would throw in Tobermory 10, Ledaig 10, Glencadam 10 and maybe a couple of others.

Got all three of these on my shelf and they all good. But the Deanston 12 stands out imo. One of the few affordable highland whiskys I love.

Arran 10 is just a solid whisky. Absolutely love it.

another fine group of whiskies for recommendation......glad I was able to buy them in the past few years.....thanks for sharing!

wow i actually have all 3 of those. And yes i would recommend all 3 of them. Deanston being my favorite, Arran a close second, and anCnoc also a great choice. Good job Ralfy :D

Ralfy, been watching you for over a decade, and will always be a fan. I’m also a film enthusiast and watched a movie recently where the villain was drinking Brora! Understated scene for that reason alone. Cheers my friend and God bless

I have two separate private cask bottlings of Arran - one is 20 year - and the other is 21 year - exceptionally nice!

You've been a great source of information throughout my whisky journey. Since my limit for a bottle is around 50 € my question is how much am I missing out compared to a more expensive bottle (like an 18/25 year old expression). How big is the difference really? Could be a topic for an extra, maybe 😉?

Thats Wonderful...Ive saved this video for reference next time im out for a bottle..Cant wait to try these offerings that i quite frankly did not know about..As always Ralfy i greatly appreciate your Malty Wisdom...;)...Cheers from East Tennessee...!!

Good recommendations and as Ralfy said at the end of the video, the 18 year old versions of each of these are great. If you want to have a nice Christmas whiskey with your dad and granddad this season. Then they are much more affordable and available than something more well known. Happy holidays to all. 🎅

Absolute great recommendations, thanks for your video! Actually sipping the AnCnoc while watching 😄🥃Agree the AnCnoc and the Arran are really easydrinkable, wonderful Single Malts. 👍🏻Haven‘t tried the Deanston..

I just dropped in to say hi, I used to watch your channel back when I was still interested in learning about malts. I gave up sipping a while back, I basically switched over to tea with lemon; not finding much value in alcohol these days. Good quality videos, wishing you the best!

Happy Holidays! Thanks for these thoughtful reviews and for sharing your experience and reflections with us!

The Deanston 12 is my fave. I can Highly Reccomend it. Not just in this price bracket but in general. Usually priced on my usual retailer at £38 to £40. Im never without one ( or two) Arran 10 is just as good at a similar price. The Ancnoc used to be sold at Marks and Spencers for £29 a bottle not so long ago, its not really my cup of tea, but Its a good one to learn about the developement of flavour. Let me just add that Bunnahabhain Stiuireadair which is often discounted in supermarkets to £27 is an absolute corker! Dont be put off by the NAS. Its a great dram if the old wallet is a bit threadbare.

@astroboy3507

5 ай бұрын

Deanston 15 is amazing!!!!

Deanston 12 very fine whisky, still trying to find the Arran 10 in my state. Love the channel, cheers...

Laphroig 10 is the “best value” malt in the US in my opinion. It’s the last Islay malt not skyrocket in price and is still a solid performer batch by batch. I see it for under $50, sometimes under $40 on sale on occasion.

@Longenecker1776

6 ай бұрын

Laphraiog 10 Cask strength is the best value imho but I agree with you (sort of)

@robfut9954

6 ай бұрын

@@Longenecker1776 I need to buy a bottle of that, too

I just want to start by saying thank you Ralfy for all your years of work, and dedication in sharing your years of whisky-wisdom here on YT. Your channel is one of the first I've subscribed to and have learned a lot from you over the years. I can't disagree with any of those 3 whiskies, I've tried all of them and have purchased at least one or more bottles of each! In my area however (Quebec, Canada) they now range in price between 80$ - 98$ which is starting to get a bit pricey, especially the Deanston 12, but I'd still buy it again. For my location, my personal list of 3 available, quality, sub-80$ single malt Scotches is; Ledaig 10, Glencadam 10, and Glen Scotia Double Cask. This last one just seems to fly below the radar as an affordable and obtainable introduction to Campbeltown style whisky. Especially since almost all Springbank products are now only available through lottery here 😞 Happy holidays and Slàinte Mhath!

@derekmcewen4892

7 ай бұрын

@dave7920 - Great to see comments from Canada and compare with my area (PEI and Maritimes). Both the Arran (in PEI) and AnCnoc (in NS) are $65 - Deanston 12 is 100 (in NB). I guess I know my purchases next time while travelling!!

Dear Ralfy I enjoy them all and fully agree: value at its best. 😊kind regards, S.

They are great and good value good quality just a little boringr for my palate I have grown as a whisky fan since I saw 👀 your first you tube blog thanks Ralph

Arran 10 was the best scotch deal here in Quebec Canada at 55$ and unfortunately it recently jumped to 80$

Greeting Mr Ralfy, and thank you for your informative video, I am a bit behind and catching up on your videos, down here in Australia, all 3 of them are above or at the right range if $100 I am afraid. I have them from 2 years ago and still half full. Every now and then, I have a sip. Okay, off to go to the next video😅

Love the anCnoc! Glad you recommended for 2024! Cheers!🥃

Hi Ralfy, great video content again - I always enjoy your advice and insight. One observation I made on your recent 2 videos is that they are not sharp in focus partly. Particularly the Craigallachie one 13Y Armaniac - BR CH

I'm tempted to go with the Arran 10 again, Haven't seen any Deanston 12 here . (Aus ) Thanks Ralfy .

Ancnoc 12 used to be $40 where I am in the US, literally 4 years ago. Today with our rampant inflation and greedy government it’s up to $65 if/when I see it.

Lovely choices, great value.

I have all 3 of these and on my second bottle of Arran 10 year old. All 3 are fantastic recommendations

As always, this is a great video with excellent recommendations. Those of us who are passionate about single malt get asked often "what is a good single malt Scotch for someone just getting into Scotch?" Here in the USA a lot of bourbon drinkers ask me that. I always recommend Arran, AnCnoc, and Bunnahabain. Your addition of Deanston and Balblair just add choice to the list. I also often mention Glencadam and Loch Lomond. For all of these of course I'm suggesting the value rich 10 or 12 year old. This kind of content adds great value for folks, Ralfie! Thank you.

Arran 10 is as good as it gets in the €30 category. I shall be trying the Deanston VirginOak before going for the 12. AnCnoc is not crafty enough for me. For a few dollars more I’d choose the Craigellachie 13. Or the Aberlour 12 ncf.

Just havin a dram of Deanston 12 listening to your choices got to agree on the Deanston i'm goin to try the Arran I think its available here as i never had it before.

All of these are ~$100/£50 here in Australia... yous have it so good

Bunna 12, ledaig 10, arran 10, deanston 12, aultmore 12 and Craigalichhie 13 is my lineup

Sadly, non of the 3 available where I live (Ontario). Only a few bottles of Craigallachie left. Watch your videos out of envy.

Thank you for recommending my favourites. Agree very affordable and good honest quality and no nonsense.❤😊

I love the Arran & the Deanston and both are staples for me. The Ancnoc was just ok for me, didn't love it as much as most seem to do.

You lucky malt masticator Ralfy . Here in Australia those three range from $107-$110 , and that’s in the “ we’re never beaten on price “ national grog store , that’s about £65 per bottle . They definitely are not in the affordable range here my friend .

Spot on Ralfy ( as usual 🤣) Can’t go wrong with either of them Stand outs for quality ..And value 👍

Enjoyed the video. Unfortunately, none of those, from either year, is available in the state of Pennsylvania, USA.

I've had 2 of 3 and oh wow. I wish I could find the ancnoc here in the states. I'll keep looking. But don't think it makes it here. Deanston is the funky one in a rough sense. and arran is fruity, roughly. Very very good. stuff. Just picked up some craigellachie 13. cant wait to try it.

They are always short of supply in Ontario. Prices also way to high given what we are getting as far as I am concerned.

Arran 10 is lovely stuff. I'd also add Ledaig 10 and Raasay (NAS) into the best value category.

My go-to Scotch is Loch Lomond 12. Very affordable, non-chill filtered, natural color and 46%. Under $40 here in the States, where I am. The other day, I was at my local spirits shop and there was a bottle of Compass Box Glasgow Blend. I've had it before and it isn't bad. Non-chill filtered and natural color, but only 43%, which is unusual at that proof. It is a good value. There is another that they don't carry anymore that I liked. It is Mossburn, which is a blended malt. Very inexpensive. They have Highland and Speyside variants. 46%, non-chill filtered and natural color. It's another one that you could get for under $40. There is good value in quality Scotch if you look around.

I love anCnoc. However that 12 at 46% ncf nc would be sublime. Cheers Ralfy

Spot on - useful recommendations as always ! I’ve learned much here thanks to Ralphy.

Hey Ralphy, bought the AnCnoc 12 based on your recommendation. What a well made drink! Very nice. Also, it's only about $60 in NZ which translates to 34 euros. Can enjoy quality stuff without breaking the bank. Something occured to me - you could also do food pairing videos as extras. Like most, I tend to have mildly salted nuts, cheese, crackers and sometimes salami with my drinks. But I hear chocolate pairs well with sherried stuff (not my cup of tea though). So there you go - some food for thought :)

@jirizajic2479

7 ай бұрын

Hello, whiskey mate! Maybe scottish butter boscuits could be a good choice with some sweet'n'sour whiskys/whiskeys.

🎉Merry mistletoe marauder (=me) says thank you for your excellent recommendations, Ralfy!

Thank you for your reviews

The anCnoc is ~5$ less than the deanston for me and only half as good. I actually blended it with some other bottles and it was a great base. and FWIW, love the arran

Wow those are actually available here in Ontario Canada but after the government adds their taxation thievery none of those are affordable. Great video though.

I started on the Deanston 12 a few weeks ago. Initially I thought their 15 Organic was way superior. The 12 is growing continously for me though!

@brownwaterboys8304

7 ай бұрын

The place i buy it doesn't always have it, but when they do i always pick up a bottle.

Nice choices. I prefer the Deanston 12 over the Kilkerran 12 to me the Deanston seems to be better tasting.

I couldn’t agree more this is how whisky should be presented 46% abv unchillfiltered and the quality of the dram speak for itself no flannel. Best form of marketing is word of mouth and producing good spirit.

Picked up a bottle of the Travel Exclusive Deanston 10 Year Old Bordeaux Cask at LHR Duty Free yesterday.

Thank you so much for emphasizing quality and value together; “it’s not rocket science” exactly! Still too many producers IMHO have a very old mindset whereby they are content to sit back having put an exorbitant price on a bottle and wait for the customer. Thankfully younger people recognize that model is archaic. We can offer something creatively presented at a fair price and make our money in volume. As a result the economy of scale can help us while not compromising what is on offer. (You have pointed out regrettably as demand rises quality goes down). Let’s hope that does not happen as a result of your giving the new players a bump; that they have the intelligence to know they would be destroying their customer base; learn from the mistakes of others who as you pointed out are riding on past reputation.

Hi Ralfy, great recommendations! I've sent you a question through Instagram asking for your help to decide among several single malt brands I've seen on a shop here in Uruguay. There's not so much variety over here, so I'll have to decide among those brands. Could you help me decide which to buy? Some of them are way high priced, so maybe a descendant ranking from the best to the not so good ones would help.

Just what I needed! Thanks whiskey man

@barryhamilton7845

7 ай бұрын

It's more WHISKY he reviews.Very rarely he'll review Irish or the rest of the world WHIS🔑

Interestingly, Deanston 12 is considerably less expensive than Arran 10 in Washington State (AnCoc is not usually available). Appreciate the video!

3 great choices, I would add in tobermory 12 as well

Happy Christmas

3 great choices! My Whisky of the Year is Loch Lomond 12!

I bought these three because of your recommendations, and I like them all a lot. Thank you man! I would recommend Deanston Virgin Oak over the Deanston 12 for beginners. I would also add Glencadam 10, Tobermory 12 and Glengoyne 12. Btw, is there any chance for you to review Old Ballantruan 10? I think It is a very high quality peat bomb that is absolutely underrated because it comes from the Tomintoul distillery.

Always educational

Bravo! 🥃

Deanston 12 is a consistently great whisky. I haven't tried anything from acnoc or arran yet.. might have to, though considering how highly rated arran is

Arran 10, I see older bottles still available, same juice inside?

ancnoc for whatever reason is sold at 43% here in the states, I'm not complaining of course.

I can get Arran 10 for 34€ Atm. Deanston 12 - 54. Acnoc 40. Thanks for video

Arran is the best, I still see the old bottlings. Are those the same or worth grabbing some?

I think Arran is just okay. It's an island that doesn't give its whiskeys a maritime character. 87 dollars for NAS Sauternes cask, and I'm having to use it in old fashioneds to enjoy it. LOVE AnCnoc.

@barryhamilton7845

7 ай бұрын

These are Scottish WHISKY ,not Irish or American WHISKEY.

@evanhayes5891

7 ай бұрын

@@barryhamilton7845 Evan's in the US and A!

I like Deanston 12 and Arran 10. Ancnoc 12 is not bad at all, but it's to much smooth for me.

Ancnoc is new to me this is what I was saying another one to go alongside Arran and Deanston.

As an old Ralfy follower i am happy i have already bought these 2 years ago.

Another spot on video!

Unfortunately, here in California, none of these is priced anywhere near what they are in the UK. The Ancnoc 12 is theoretically $52, but really hard to find. And the other two are at least $60. So more like £48 at current exchange rates (plus we pay an extra 9-10% sales tax, unlike in the UK where the VAT is included in the retail price). Even though the 25% US tariff on Scotch whisky went away in 2021, prices really didn't go down at all. This is why I'm drinking much less Scotch whisky. Quality rums, American whiskies, and Armagnacs are way better values here in the USA!

Ralfy you should've mentioned the luxury brands like Hermes...talk about profit..whats a handbag? 20k? a scarf what? 3000$ US? Indeed with this perspective even a 200$ US bottle which can bring people together for a laugh and a few indescribably savoury hours ....is priceless...now someone will say, "Well...I can throw a scarf on and prance around or maybe even have a tumble for laughs!" To that I would say "What? damn yer eye!"

Ancnoc 12... Nice, but once you've grown fondly familiar with 46% and non chill filtered, I find this lacking. Arran 10, top notch 👌 5th bottle in and all fantastic. Deanston 12, I found it to be less smooth and than Arran but OK. I'd pay that bit more and buy the Glencadam 10, Delightful dram that's crept up in price.

I like the NAS ancNoc Rascan.

Agreed, now do Irish…imo Glendalough was a solid head to head with Arran 10 if you want more fruit cocktail

Just bought my first bottle of Arran 10! For $51 in the US which is about 40 quid.

100% agree!

It sure does depend on where you live. I live in Japan. I used to enjoy Arran 10 quite often before Ralfy made it his Whisky of the Year. I could easily find it for about 3800 yen (plus tax). Now it's almost always over 7000 yen. I basically can't drink it anymore. The other two whiskys here are still under 5000 yen (barely). Personally, I'm just getting priced out of the single malt market, period. For now, I can at least usually still get Loch Lomond 12 for around 4000 yen or so. I know Ralfy isn't a huge fan of it, but it is a decent malt that is 46% and un-chillfiltered. You can't always get what you want these days. You have to make do with the best of what you can afford.

What dies dryness mean?

Hi Ralphster , agree all lovely actually. You back at BA over festive times ?

How it compares with the Macallan 12 ? Better? Same?

Glenfiddich 15yo is about £42.00 in Tesco atm. Unfashionable non-craft presentation but drinking v well and a relative value.

🎉yes

In Taiwan, Deanston. 12 is bottled at only 40 abv😢, not 46%.

@user-pt4oj6sd6j

7 ай бұрын

Yep, same in Massachusetts, sooo boring😢

@barryhamilton7845

7 ай бұрын

Are they the older bottlings? Ads the older version was 40% and you still get it in Scotland. I'm a miniature collector ,and have it in 40%.

@chentim1751

7 ай бұрын

@@user-pt4oj6sd6j that’s why I don’t buy it; instead I bought Denston 18. It is Pricier but excellent dram!! I bought only 60 usd years ago

@Ronsat

7 ай бұрын

😮😮😮😮😮😮

@enigmatic_lee

7 ай бұрын

Sad news here also as a Taiwanese

these are no doubt good , but indy bottlings are way better ,, but as you say - getting hold of most indies is hard for some people as only around 300 lots per cask there is not enough to supply all shops ;; so having consistent reliable offerings like these is important ;;

Nice

Seems that we have similar taste in value drams

I would like to add the widely-available, affordable (~$50) and delicious Craigellechie 13. It's 46%, Natural Colour, and Non-Chillfiltered ✌️

@r.j.wheels6755

7 ай бұрын

It’s probably my own personal whisky of the year. Absolutely love it. About to go get another bottle of it very soon.

@paulcraven4562

7 ай бұрын

​@@r.j.wheels6755 totally agree with you, I found it most pleasant.

@MrChristopherMolloy

7 ай бұрын

@@r.j.wheels6755 Yeah, it's inexcusable that a whisky with this kind of price to quality ratio isn't more widely praised by the community. I was shocked it wasn't even nominated in the OSWAs...Again!?! It's different, but as good as anything coming out of Campbeltown and has a lot in common with better versions of Mortlach. And the fact that Dewar's/Bacardi has kept the prices down, especially in these days of eye-watering inflation, needs to be commended. Sadly, the bottles recommended by Ralfy in this video are all $15-20+ more than Craigellechie 13, and not as available where I live; so that factors in as well ✌️ Update: AnCnoc 12 is about the same price, but again, not nearly as available where I live. I'd have to hunt hard to track down a bottle ✌️

@r.j.wheels6755

7 ай бұрын

@@MrChristopherMolloy I agree it is underrated. And I’ve been on the hunt, and I mean looking hard, for the Deanston and many other of these great whiskies, and they are nowhere to be found anywhere remotely close to me either. And if I am lucky enough to find a good one, I go back to get another and it’s disappeared for all of eternity, never to return again. I’ve learned to by 2 at a time now if it’s one I really want.

@MrChristopherMolloy

7 ай бұрын

@@r.j.wheels6755 Yep! As for Deanston, it too isn't as available as it was a few years ago. Retailers are displacing Scotch with Tequila, and what shelf space is left is reserved for the best sellers. Very frustrating.

Not so easy to find Arran in New York and New Jersey.

I would add Glen Garioch 12yo at 48% ABV, Glencadam 10yo at 46% ABV and Glen Elgin 12yo at 43% ABV. Frankly anCnoc is not a Speyside whisky, they call it Eastern Highland whisky and the style is much closer to Glencadam and Glen Garioch, i.e. Eastern Highlands ;-)

You'd think AcCnoc would up the strength of the 12 as they know what people really want.Why they dont il never know. I know its widely enjoyed just now, but just imagine if it was 46% it would be an automatic winner.

@sambrewster8556

7 ай бұрын

They did a release called the 2009 Vintage which was bottled in 2021 and was basically the 12 year old with proper presentation.

How about a switcheroo? Name your top three ales