No need to introduce Ralfy: the OG whisky Youtuber who records his videos in a bothy on the Isle of Man.
Earlier this year he teamed up with North Star Spirits to create a proprietary blended malt. In a 2-hour live session he blended five different casks and constructed his own bottling. Have a look at this video first. The recipe combines 29% Teaninich, 28% Secret Campbeltown, 19% Auchroisk, 14% Caol Ila and 10% Secret Speyside. The distillates go from 2007 to 2015. All proceeds go to the Macmillan Cancer Support.
Bothy By Ralfy 11 yo – Blended Malt (54,1%, North Star Spirits 2026, 1320 btl.)
Nose: sherried Caol Ila in first row. Peat and soft plum, along with brown sugar, raisins and candied ginger. Then some dried herbs, more candied fruits, maybe some peach. In the background you get hints of dusty cupboards and garden leaves, cold ashes and a subtle medicinal, or even mustardy note.
Mouth: the same peaty layer that comes out first, along with plenty of oak spice. Ginger, black pepper and liquorice. Hints of maritime driftwood while the smoke gets sootier. Mid-palate it gets slightly thinner, folding back to roasted almonds, peppermint, dried fruits and candied orange peel. The oily Campbeltown note comes out towards the end, along with coastal notes, old leather and some earthy notes.
Finish: quite long. Lots of savoury and leafy notes, with toffee sweetness underneath.
A good composition with different angles. There’s some rugged Campbeltown character, earthy smoke and the richness from the sherry casks. Really enjoyable, good complexity and of course you’re supporting a good cause. Available from The Whisky Exchange or Whiskysite.nl for instance.