Ralfy's DIY Blends
A fun little experiment today - we're sampling and rating a few simple blends created with a base of Glenfiddich 12, after which we add varying (small) amounts of a heavily peated whisky, Ardbeg 10. The theoretical blend would end up as a blended malt with a 10 year age statement.
Early on in his Youtube journey, Ralfy posted this review: whisky review 46 - D.I.Y. Blending whiskies, in which he completes this same experiment, adding a tiny amount of Ardbeg in gradually increasing volumes to glasses of Glenfiddich 12. He breaks down the differences between the individual blends, explaining how subtle changes in blending recipes can create striking differences in the blends themselves. Because the flavors of peated whiskies are quite strong, he recommends adding very small amounts of the Ardbeg when starting out, or it could easily overpower the subtler Glenfiddich.
We generally followed his recipe combining the following amounts of the whiskies:
Glass 1: 20ml Glenfiddich 12, 3 drops (~0.15ml) Ardbeg 10
Glass 2: 20ml Glenfiddich 12, 6 drops (~0.30ml) Ardbeg 10
Glass 3: 20ml Glenfiddich 12, 10 drops (~0.50ml) Ardbeg 10
After swirling the glasses to mix the spirits, they were allowed to rest for an hour while covered to allow some time for combination.
Ralfy's DIY Blends
Tasting Methodology: We reviewed these back to back after blending, with small pours of both Glenfiddich 12 and Ardbeg 10 for baseline comparison. Each blend was tasted in a Glencairn glass, rested (covered) for 60 minutes
Blend with the least (3 drops/ 0.15ml) of Ardbeg
Nose: Green apple and agave, slightly spirity, sharp sugar, very very soft smoke, hint of brine
Palate: Very light smoke but noticeable different to standard Glenfiddich 12; acrid wood smoke, medium-thin mouthfeel, burnt sugar
Finish: Sweet wood smoke lingers, green-ish, lemon, white pepper, biscuits at the end
Final Note: Nicely fruity and spirity, but very close to Glenfiddich 12
Our Rating: 6.0 / 10
Blend with middle amount (6 drops/ 0.30ml) of Ardbeg
Nose: Wood smoke, vanilla, more grainy, white grape, a bit sweet and buttery
Palate: Smoke is slightly stronger, burnt orange, baking notes, grainy, biscuits
Finish: Medium length, hint of char; later, becomes more candied, green apple caramel lollipop
Final Note: Interestingly, much more grainy, feels a bit less refined. Apple notes from the nose are entirely gone
Our Rating: 5.5 / 10
Blend with the most (10 drops/ 0.50ml) of Ardbeg
Nose: Smoke is still mild but noticeably stronger than others; white pepper, weaker green apple, baking spice, strong spirit note
Palate: Orchard fruits come back stronger, mild peat, feels fuller with building peat, hint of char
Finish: Medium length, medium smokiness in the finish, watery pears, hint of oak
Final Note: Most noticeable smoke, especially on the finish. Apple and pear orchard fruits return after the middle sample, the best of the bunch
Our Rating: 6.5 / 10
Overall Thoughts: Yes, they did end up somewhat similar, but with time, there were definitely noticeable differences. The first sample brought nice sweetness and fruit flavors, while the smoke was quite reserved; the second sample ended up with amplified grainy notes, which we weren't a huge fan of. The last sample was clearly the smokiest, with more baking spice and pepper notes. It was impressive how smoky that final sample was, despite the Ardbeg 10 making up just ~2.5% of the volume.
Overall, an interesting experiment, and one we'll try again with some other whiskies. Ralfy clearly has an experienced palate based on the ease with which he picked up the differences between these (took us much longer), and his advice to experiment at home with whisky to gain more perspective seems to ring true. The smallest changes in blending makeup can lead to much more substantial changes in flavor - whether that be for large scale blends, or batch variations in single malts.
