@singlemaltalliance

#5: Whiskey Is Everything . Spend a bit of time in this wonderful world of whisky and you'll quickly realize how easy it is to get caught up in the pursuit of rare, limited edition bottlings. It's human nature, I suppose, to always want more, to try something "better". I'll be the first to say that yeah, this pursuit can be fun. If you're a big enough whisky nerd like myself, it can also make for some memorable experiences along the way. But are these whiskies always better? No. The truth is, there are so many incredible whiskies selling for $50 or less. . @whiskeyiseverything is a blog dedicated to the enjoyment of practical, readily available whiskey that one need not break the bank to enjoy. Maggie focuses primarily on American whiskey including Bourbon, Rye and Single Malts but has recently ventured into Scotch and Japanese whisky. She takes a down-to-earth approach in offering an honest opinion of whether a particular whiskey offers real value or not and goes out of her way to spotlight local, emerging distilleries making fantastic spirits at a reasonable price. . In addition to sharing her opinions on Instagram, she is the founder of the latest phenomenon that is the Whiskey Buttercream Crew. This is an active Facebook group that brings whiskey enthusiasts together like never before. Their weekly live streams (those are on her IG page) are fun, informative, and sometimes a bit crazy. . As to how this particular blog has influenced my personal whisky journey, I’d say the impact is rather direct really. My passion for whisky has always been directed toward single malts. I enjoy other types of whisk(e)y such as Bourbon and Rye but if given the choice, I seldom choose them over malt whisky. It’s just a flavor/character preference really. Lately, however, all of that is beginning to change. Yes, single malt whisky is still my love (don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere) but I am now starting to find greater enjoyment for Bourbon than ever before. Credit @whiskeyiseverything for helping me understand Bourbon the way a single malt enthusiast should understand it. I couldn’t be more excited to be exploring this vaguely familiar but entirely new world. #4 Scotch N' Sniff . @scotchnsniff began as two brothers sharing a common love for all things whisky. Today the blog is run by just one, Sniff, who shares his content through multiple channels including Instagram, YouTube and scotchnsniff.com. . If there is one lesson I have learned from Scotch N’ Sniff it is that whisky is for drinking. In an era of escalating prices, it’s become common for whisky enthusiasts to collect rare bottles for trade or resale. I get it. I do a bit of collecting myself. For Scotch N' Sniff on the other hand, whisky is useless unless it's poured into a glass. . What I’ve come to appreciate most about Sniff, however, is that I can always count on him to offer a genuine, unbiased whisky review. Wondering whether that super popular Japanese whisky is really worth $100? Count on Sniff to tell it like it is. While Sniff and I have our own style and flavor preferences (I'm pro-Peat), I always value his opinion because I know it will always be an honest one. For those of you just getting into whisky, make sure to follow @scotchnsniff and show him your support! #scotchnsniff #3: Scotch Trooper . @scotch_trooper is another whisky blogger who has taken a unique approach when it comes to creative expression. The majority of his photos include Star Wars action figures acting alongside whisky bottles or glasses. What I appreciate most about Brett's photography is that his images actually feel, well, alive. As a fan of Star Wars myself, I appreciate the brief moments when I get pulled into his universe of Storm Troopers and glorious drams. His photos are genuine, fun and a much welcomed change to all the "baller status" photos that have flooded the Instagram whisky community as of late. . If you don't follow @scotch_trooper (although you probably already do), go ahead and show him your support! . And for the 3-4 people in this world who care - I chose the Death Trooper in lieu of the original Storm Trooper because 1.) I wanted the photo to pay tribute to, not replicate Brett's work 2.) Death Troopers are by far the most badass characters in the Star Wars universe (we can debate that another time), 3.) They are also rumored to be around 6'5" in height, something I can finally have in common with the dark side. Finally. #2: Whisky + Architecture . @whisky.arch is a trio of bloggers who share a joint passion for whisky and architecture. They take a unique approach in that the majority of their content speaks to the experiential side of whisky. More important than the subjective tasting notes one derives from a particular whisky is the way it can make us feel and even the memories it can create. Beyond their Instagram page, they run a blog that chronicles their collective journey into the world of whisky with extensive recaps of amazing tasting events. . W+A Founding member Finn has become a good friend of mine and I always enjoy hearing the way he describes whisky. Being an artist, he values distillers who dare to be different and always gets excited when we come across something truly unique. I admire his no BS attitude and find his blog to serve as somewhat of an authenticator, cutting through the window dressing and calling whisky for what it really is. . If you don't already follow @whisky.arch, go ahead and show them your support! Hey everyone - over the course of the next few days, I'll be changing things up a bit. Instead of focusing on single malts and/or whisky distilleries, I'll be highlighting some of the individual whisky bloggers within the Instagram community who made an early impact on my personal whisky journey. All of the photos will be my own but for a bit of fun, I will attempt to capture these images in a manner that serves as an homage if you will to the bloggers themselves. Now, the truth is there are so many talented, passionate bloggers in this community. If I could cover them all, I absolutely would. For this first run, I would like to start by highlighting just a few of these individuals. If you don't already follow them, please do so and show your support! First up... . #1: Whisky With A View . @whiskywithaview is a blog dedicated to the enjoyment of whisky in the great outdoors. Founder Nate Woodruff (@whisky_nate) is an avid whisky enthusiast and former industry insider who has recently decided to turn his passion into a full-time career. He loves hiking and all things that connect him to the great outdoors. He fears nothing in life except, well, the idea of a 9-5 job spent chained to a desk staring at a computer screen. . When Nate first started @whiskywithaview two years ago, his account was primarily focused on sharing photos taken by other Instagrammers, so long as they featured both whisky and a great view. In the early days, I was determined to get one of my photos featured on his page (You know, for genuinely important reasons like social media notoriety). What this did was force me to get outside mid-Chicago winter and become reacquainted with a city I grew up in but in many ways, had taken for granted. It also made me realize just how perfect the combination of whisky and nature really is. To this day, if I have the choice, I will always choose to enjoy my whisky outdoors. . Nate and I finally had the chance to meet a few weeks ago when he embarked on a road trip my home town of Chicago, hand-delivering a bottle of Bruichladdich 2001 Resurrection in the process. The weekend was a blast and it reminded us both just how incredible this really community is. What is your favorite #Balvenie? Let's discuss... At last, the first annual Whiskey Buttercream Day has finally arrived. To celebrate, I am pairing my favorite dessert with a very special whisky. Pictured above is the classic Italian dish, tiramisu, alongside The Glendronach 18 Year Old Allardice! Tiramisu is a light, coffee flavored dessert that to me, perfectly accentuates the bold richness of a single malt whisky matured exclusively in a combination of Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez Sherry casks for 18 years. While most people would pair this Glendronach with a dessert that is equally rich, say a triple chocolate cake, I like my whisky to do most of the talking. With this pairing, the dark fruit and baking spice flavors of the un-chillfiltered Glendronach take center stage as the delicate, creamy flavors of the tiramisu serve as the perfect accent. To my fellow members of the #whiskeybuttercreamcrew - what are you pairing on this momentous occasion? Let's discuss. Those of you who have not yet joined the group, follow @whiskeyiseverything on IG, search Whiskey Buttercream Crew on Facebook, then request to join. I can promise you two things - it will be fun, it will be weird. #whiskeybuttercreamday #glendronach #tiramisu #shmee While it's not quite a Classic, some consider it to be a blender's best friend with a bad habit. Name the whisky. WHISKY REVIEW: Glenfiddich Project XX . I have a bit to a confession to make. If you look back all of the photos I've posted up until now, you'll notice that I rarely include anything made by Glenfiddich. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy their whisky and I happen to have a tremendous amount of respect for the brand. After all, it was Glenfiddich who we can thank for pioneering the Single Malt whisky category in its entirety. But when it comes to spending my own money on a bottle of single malt whisky, Glenfiddich has been one of those brands that seems to get lost in the shuffle. It's an incredibly popular brand, possibly the most popular in all of Scotch whisky, but for one reason or another I haven't felt he same level of 'excitement' for their whisky as many others have. . Suddenly, all of that is beginning to change. For reasons I cannot explain, I've been craving, yes craving, the standard Glenfiddich 12 Year Old. For months now, I've been looking at this massive collection of whisky I have accumulated at home and catch myself thinking, "You know what, it's a Tuesday, I could really go for some Glenfiddich 12 Year Old right now". Glenfiddich 12 Year Old! But of course I don't have that bottle at home because every time I go out to purchase it I find myself drawn to some other alternative that I have deemed more 'exciting' at the time. . And then, just as I was beginning to flirt with the idea of reintroducing Glenfiddich back in to my home bar, the distillery went on to release something truly special. Something that from the moment I first read about it, got me more excited than I have felt for a whisky in quite some time. That whisky is the new Glenfiddich Project XX... Trying something different...#cigarmalt @thedalmore One of my personal favorites of 2017 - @thesmws bottle 29.201 "Peat smoked candied Angelica" is a 17 Year Old Laphroaig matured in a single refill ex-bourbon cask and bottled at 58.9%. For those of you who caught the live stream I did with @whiskywithaview on the @realscotchtestdummies YouTube channel, this was the "Mystery Dram" that was unveiled during our live tasting. Click the link in bio for the full review. #thesmws The long wait is finally over! Thank you to my friend @whiskywithaview for driving 12+ hours through two countries to hand deliver this bottle of liquid history: Bruichladdich 2001 "The Resurrection Dram". It is everything I could have hoped it would be and I look forward to spending more time enjoying it over the months and years ahead. More important than the whisky itself are the memories that were made this weekend. Thank you not only to @whiskywithaview for visiting my home town of Chicago but to everyone else who joined us throughout the weekend. It was great meeting so many genuinely kind and interesting people over the past few days. From the private tour of @fewspirits to the hilarious hangout with @realscotchtestdummies (check it out on YouTube), this was a weekend I will never forget. This dram is for you. #singlemaltalliance #whiskywithaview @bruichladdich Many thanks to @fewspirits for hosting @whiskywithaview and I with a tour and tasting at their distillery this weekend. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Few, it's a distillery located just north of Chicago in the town of Evanston, IL. After mentioning that @whiskywithaview and I would be hanging out in Chicago this weekend, @skylermandela of Few Spirits invited us to tour the distillery and try some of their American craft spirits. Highlights include: a vertical tasting of their 3 different gins, bourbon and rye expressions, a daring crack at an experimental "hot sauce whiskey" (not intended for actual bottling), a sampling of their single malt new make, and lastly bourbon hearts fresh off the still (and still warm mind you). Thanks to Skyler, @baileysees and the entire team at Few for an unforgettable experience. We will definitely be back soon! #fewspirits Hey everyone - I'm excited to announce that this Saturday, August 5 @ 4:00PM (ET), I will be joining The Scotch Test Dummies (@realscotchtestdummies) for a live stream on their YouTube channel! If you're not familiar with the Dummies, they run one of the most entertaining, down-to-earth whisky channels out there. For this particular live stream, we will be talking about The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (@thesmws) and one of their most recent bottlings, 35.162 "Romantic Inspiration". And just to add more fun to it, you may have noticed that @whiskywithaview will also be in town this weekend. Surprise! Nate will be joining the live stream to share his own experience with Society whisky and answer your questions. So if you haven't already, make sure to subscribe to @realscotchtestdummies on YouTube and join us this Saturday! For those of you who agree that whisky is best shared - tag a friend you would like to share a dram with this #WhiskyWednesday. Hey everyone! @whiskywithaview is coming to Chicago this weekend, August 4-6. We will be out and about visiting local establishments and meeting fellow whisky enthusiasts along the way. If you're in town, we'd love for you you to join us for a dram or two. Shoot me a message if you are free. Otherwise, stay tuned for updates on location and what not. Hope to see you there. 🥃 #singlemaltalliance #whiskywithaview More than just a drink, whisky is, to many of us, a form of art, a lifestyle, a vehicle by which we can travel to the far corners of the world. And more important than the subjective flavors contained within each spirit are the stories it can tell, the unforgettable moments it can create for each of us. This weekend I was reminded that while rare, expensive whiskies are good at providing a rare, expensive tasting experience, they do not always create the best moments. In fact, when I consider my entire whisky "journey" and all the whisky I've tasted up until this point, they rarely do. So whether it was with a single malt, a bourbon or anything in between, and regardless of whether the bottle that cost $2,000 or $20, what are your most memorable "whisky moments"? Let's discuss... Happy National Scotch Day! While I can speak to very little of the origin and validity of this holiday, I'd like to take this moment to thank all of you for the incredible support. It's been quite the journey learning and tasting my way through the world of whisky and it would be nothing with out each and every one of you. With that said, what would you like to more of at The Single Malt Alliance? For me, this is no more than a labor of love but I want to make the experience as valuable to you as possible. Comment below or send me a DM and we can discuss! #singlemaltalliance #NationalScotchDay Sometimes all you need is a 26-year-Old Highland Single Malt matured in an American oak cask that previously held a heavily-peated malt. Because life. #oldpulteney1989 @oldpulteneymalt There's been a lot of discussion within the whisky community about how environment can impact the whisky tasting experience. While environment cannot alter the actual flavor of the whisky (once bottled), it can in fact impact the way we perceive it. To me, that is part of what makes whisky so great. Theoretically once could taste the same whisky in two separate occurrences in two separate locations and experience different results. Are the differences significant? No, not always. But there is enough of a variance that I tend to prefer specific settings as well as time of day for different whiskies. Take for instance this Kilchoman Machir Bay, a light and sweet but heavily peated single malt from Islay. I find that this whisky, or all peated whisky from Kilchoman for that matter, really comes alive when enjoyed on the beach. Which is ironic because Kilchoman is the only distillery on Islay that was constructed away from the coast. But I digress. What is your favorite environment for enjoying whisky? Let's discuss.../nerd out. @kilchoman05
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