The number of whisky blogs on the internet has risen massively over the last couple of years and each contributes to a lively and vibrant whisky community online. From comments that we have received, a whisky blog seems to tap into something in people - they don't want to wade through endless pages of convoluted notes, they like up-to-date and honest reviews that are concise and describe whisky in layman's terms and they value the writer's personal opinions as these are perceived to be more genuine than manufacturer's notes or other PR material.
A couple of other blogs have stolen our thunder a bit by publishing articles about the number and quality of whisky blogs on the web, since we began writing this post. But that is the beauty of the online whisky community - there is enough room for everyone's voice and opinions. The fact that each blog is written by different people, with different writing styles and with differing opinions is what makes it so interesting.
We have decided to champion some of the best whisky blogs that we have discovered since we first joined the community less than two years ago. We have made many friends and acquaintances along the way and this Top 10 is a tribute to each one's work (well actually it's a Top 11 as we couldn't choose which one of our favourites to leave one out!). It would be unfair to rank these, as each offers something unique and which you prefer is up to you, so we have listed them in alphabetical order. A similar list of our favourite whisky websites will follow shortly.
Cask Strengthwww.caskstrength.blogspot.comThis is one of our fellow London based blogs and we regularly bump in to writers Neil and Joel at various functions around the city. Cask Strength offers an eclectic mix of informative, highly descriptive tasting notes, whisky hot topics and interesting travel pieces relating to whisky (check out the reviews of their trips to Japan and Islay). This feels different from any other whisky blog, so you must pay a visit to 'Cask Strength Towers'. Look out for their ever changing 'profile pictures' also!
Dr. Whiskywww.drwhisky.blogspot.comOne of the pioneers of the online whisky blog, Sam began Dr. Whisky around three years ago. His '
Malt Missions', which are now totalling almost 400, hold legendary status and offer probably the most descriptive and thought provoking tasting notes available anywhere. He also, importantly, has some background to the whisky in question, giving it context. In addition, there are articles on hot industry topics and while he may not post as regularly as in the past, each one is of the highest quality and a 'must read'. Go check out what the Doctor has ordered!
Edinburgh Whiskywww.edinburghwhiskyblog.comLucas and Chris write one of our favourite blogs and cover pretty much anything whisky related. They are lucky to be situated in Edinburgh and bring their industry experience to the world from there. Edinburgh Whisky includes comprehensive tasting reviews, bar reviews, whisky news, book and website reviews, cocktail recipes and interviews with industry experts. They are also never frightened to offer a controversial viewpoint, that others may think but dare to write!
Guid Scotch Drinkwww.guidscotchdrink.comA cracking blog that is written by Jason Johnstone-Yellin. It was formerly an extension of the Whisky Host website but Jason has now decided to go solo and has transferred everything to this new site. The blog offers whisky reviews, latest news and various other snippets of information and fun video clips. Our particular favourite parts are their '
What did I learn this week?' (a section which breaks down both the serious and slightly more irreverent whisky related news/stories from around the world) and the entertaining '
Say what?' series, which explains some of the more unusual tasting notes found in some whisky reviews. Excellent thorough tasting notes also.
Master Blenderwww.themasterblender.comThis is the online presence of the legendary Whyte & Mackay master blender Richard Paterson (well, in addition to his Facebook and Twitter accounts and Whyte & Mackay's website!). Richard offers a wealth of insider industry information, the workings of Whyte & Mackay and even the odd recipe/cocktail in which you can use his whiskies. Anyone that has met him will not be surprised to know that it is written in a very expressive yet informative way. There is naturally a huge Whyte & Mackay bias but Richard's experience in the industry cannot be ignored.
Nonjattawww.nonjatta.blogspot.comIf you need to know anything about Japanese whisky, then look no further than the excellent Nonjatta. It is the most comprehensive guide to Japanese whisky and the Japanese whisky industry that is available in English. It is written by Chris Bunting, a British journalist and whisky lover, who lives in Tokyo and he has an impressive list of guest writers including Ulf Buxrud, Serge Valentin and Dr. Whisky. The back catalogue of tasting notes is extensive and very impressive.
Scotch Hobbyistwww.scotchhobbyist.comWe really enjoy reading this blog and it includes down to earth, informative tasting notes and other whisky news and views. Jeff, the writer and founder of Scotch Hobbyist, has also devised his own unique scoring system that ensures he is consistent between all of his tastings. We like the way this system is used and the part where he explains what he thinks would improve or decrease the score given and which other whisky the sample can be compared to.
What Does John Know?www.blog.maltadvocate.comWhat does John know? Pretty much everything that you need to know about whisky! The John in question is John Hansell, the publisher and editor of the esteemed whisky magazine Malt Advocate. If you want to keep up-to-date with everything to do with the world of whisky - new and forthcoming releases, distillery and industry news, tasting notes, PR/press releases - then this is the place. John has many followers and some of the comment streams at the end of posts are well worth checking out, as there are few places where you will see such whisky debate. John is a true whisky guru.
Whisky Funwww.whiskyfun.comSerge Valentin is the brains behind Whisky Fun and he has almost single handedly pioneered whisky online. Serge is a legend in the whisky world and started Whisky Fun seven years ago. He also part-runs the iconic Malt Maniacs website. Whisky Fun is an eclectic mix of highly detailed tasting notes, news and music/concert reviews. The back catalogue that has built up over time is massive and almost any whisky that you care to try and find will be on there - you must check it out. A unique, excellent blog that all other whisky blogs aspire to be.
Whisky Noteswww.whiskynotes.beAn excellent blog written by Ruben, who seems to share his time between living in Spain and Belgium. Whisky Notes has only been going for a year but Ruben has already built up a back catalogue of over 200 whiskies, including some that are only available in mainland Europe and not in the UK. Most of the blog posts are whisky reviews and these are concise yet descriptive with a little background information about the bottling included. Other articles includes whisky news and views.
Whisky Partywww.whiskyparty.netWhisky Party are Mike, Mike and Dan and they have the mission to "
demystify the world of scotch drinking and help folks find good whiskies at good prices". And they do it very well! The blog has a number of unique and interesting features that makes it stands out - they have a '
Whiskies under $40' series, '
Best in blog' (a regular round up of the latest interesting articles from whisky blogs around the world) and also news of tastings and bar reviews in their local New York and Chicago areas. They also include their own concise and informative tasting notes from their private whisky collections, as well as whisky news and other interesting articles. One of our Top 3 favourites.
If you regularly read these 11 fine blogs (plus Whisky For Everyone of cause!), then you have pretty much all facets of the world of whisky covered. In addition, there are many other good whisky blogs on the internet, but that we have only just discovered or know the writers less well. Check these out as again each one offers a different perspective -
Dubber & Clutch,
Malt Imposter,
Ralfy,
Scotch Blog,
Scotch Chix,
The Whisky Exchange Blog and
Whisk(e)y Apostle. There is also the new
Whisky Israel blog, where our good friend Gal battles the astronomical Israeli tax rates on alcohol to bring his expert and descriptive tasting notes. He also produces another blog in Hebrew.
Please note - all images and logos are taken from the original sites.
The latest edition of The Whisky Round Table is now available for all to read. For those of you that may have just discovered us, The Whisky Round Table is the brainchild of Jason Johnston-Yellin - the author of the 'must read' whisky blog Guid Scotch Drink. His idea was to gather together 12 whisky bloggers from around the world and get them to discuss a whisky topic once a month. The hosting of The Round Table is passed around the 12 members, with each host setting the question for each month - the subjects have been wide and varied to date. Links to the previous editions of Whisky Round Table articles can be found by clicking here.
Situated on a hillside overlooking Willamette Falls, the Highland Stillhouse is a pub and whisky bar located 30 scenic minutes southeast of Portland, Oregon in the United States' beautiful Pacific Northwest. The current owners, Tammy and Mick Secor, have been visiting Scotland and her distilleries for the last twenty years and have decorated their bar with mementos from their personal collection (peat cutters, old whisky posters, personal pictures of distilleries and distillery managers, to name just a few). Upon first walking into the second floor "snug bar" (Tammy's name for the cosy public bar - the lounge is located on street level) I felt like I'd walked into the Highlander Inn in the town of Craigellachie in Scotland's Speyside region.
The building dates from 1925 when it was a petrol filling station. In 1926, the owner of the filling station installed a cafe and ran both ventures through the end of the 1950s. At that time the filling station was closed and the entire downstairs became Art's Cafe, with the upstairs providing living accommodation. Tammy and Mick purchased the building in 2005 and spent one year renovating both the downstairs and the upstairs. The addition of a covered deck allows patrons a chance to sit outside and enjoy the picturesque scenery with a pint and a dram... and maybe a deep fried haggis ball!
Like the best whisky bars the Highland Stillhouse barkeep presents you with an informative whisky menu when you inform them of your desire to sample a tasty treat from their collection of over 300 whiskies. The menu provides information on 'usquebaugh' and Scotland's five whisky regions. The offerings are separated according to region. Then there's a list of world whiskies, blends, and single grain whiskies. There's even a map of Scotland on the back of the menu so you can source your selection. When you find out that Tammy's license plate reads "ARDBEG" you won't be surprised to discover that the whisky menu favors releases from that particular distillery located on Islay's south shore. The Ardbeg options include Provenance 1974 ($169 a dram), the highly sought after 17 Year Old ($46.75 a dram), Rollercoaster ($34.50), and the rest of the current line. Special bottlings from other distilleries include a 24 Year Old Brora ($38.50) and a 22 Year Old Port Ellen from Connoisseur's Choice ($46.75).
We thank Jason Johnston-Yellin from the Guid Scotch Drink whisky blog for writing this review and supplying the interior and exterior photos of The Highland Stillhouse. Be sure to check out his excellent and informative blog, if you haven't already - he can also be followed on Facebook and Twitter (@GuidScotchDrink).
We can now remove the intermission/test card sign and resume normal service! Whisky For Everyone has been quiet for the last two weeks, as we make our annual pilgrimage to Spain and the Benicassim music festival. This year's festival included notable performances from bands such as Kasabian, Gorillaz, The Temper Trap, Leftfield, Goldfrapp, Foals, Calvin Harris, Two Door Cinema Club and DJ Shadow.
In our absence, we have an article written by Jason Johnston-Yellin of the Guid Scotch Drink, which is becoming an increasingly essential read for whisky lovers and remains one of our favourite whisky blogs. We are delighted that Jason has agreed to write something for us. His article will appear shortly and forms part of our occasional series, 'Great places to drink whisky ...' . We thank everyone who has continued to visit Whisky For Everyone during our 'intermission' and look forward to hearing from you again, now that we are back. We will also be replying to all correspondence that we have received over the last two weeks as quickly as possible.
The number of whisky blogs on the internet has risen massively over the last couple of years and each contributes to a lively and vibrant whisky community online. From comments that we have received, a whisky blog seems to tap into something in people - they don't want to wade through endless pages of convoluted notes, they like up-to-date and honest reviews that are concise and describe whisky in layman's terms and they value the writer's personal opinions as these are perceived to be more genuine than manufacturer's notes or other PR material.
Cask Strength
Dr. Whisky
Edinburgh Whisky
Guid Scotch Drink
Master Blender
Nonjatta
Scotch Hobbyist
What Does John Know?
Whisky Fun
Whisky Notes
Whisky Party
