Bourbon is a type of whiskey that is primarily made from corn and aged in charred oak barrels. One of the most noticeable characteristics of bourbon is its color, which can range from a light golden hue to a deep amber shade. But what gives bourbon its distinctive color? Understanding the color of bourbon is important for both casual drinkers and connoisseurs alike. It can …
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Welcome back for a new episode of my #BackToWhiskyBasics series ! This time focusing on cask finishes. If you’re wandering on this page, there are great chances that you’ve already come accross this term a few times, and I know it may not be very clear when starting your malted journey, so let me try to explain ! First things first: to be called “whisky”, …
Continue readingI’ve recently been hosting a few tastings for friends and amongst all the questions that were asked, I thought I would share 3 really relevant ones with you because we all need a bit of whisky education in our lives right? To decant or not to decant? So you’re probably quite familiar with those beautiful crystal jugs, taking all sort of fancy shapes to look …
Continue readingDid you know that, beyond the actual distilleries producing your favourite whisky from grain to bottle, a whole other network of whisky wizards exist? Let’s then have a look at the magical world of independent bottlers! You’re probably already familiar with “indie” as used in the music world, those smaller guys doing their own thing away from the big labels? Pretty much the same picture …
Continue reading#BackToWhiskyBasics lesson N°7 : If you’ve already attended a whisky tasting or malted event of any kind, there are good chances you’ve come accross this snob prick claiming to the world that “single malts are better than blends“? Yes, when starting your whisky discovery journey, you may have looked up at that guy thinking he was in the know… Guess what? My cat may be …
Continue readingScotland is traditionally divided into 5 Scotch whisky regions – The Lowlands, where you’ll find amongst others the triple-distilled Auchentoshan or the popular Glenkinchie. The Highlands & Islands, home of world-famous & more confidential distilleries such as Ben Nevis, Glenmorangie, Old Pulteney, Clynelish, Balblair, Dalwhinnie, Highland Park, Arran, Tobermory, Talisker… Speyside, the golden triangle of malt where half of all Scottish distilleries are located, big …
Continue readingJi-whisky can really be whisky lottery: hidden gems, great nectars as well as awfully undrinkable liquids can hide behind this kawaï term – but the good news is that there’ll always be a surprise when you crack open the bottle 😉 But do you actually know what ji-whisky is? So what’s the difference between ji-whisky and Japanese whisky I hear you say… All ji-whiskies are …
Continue readingSo you had decided to embark on your first whisky shopping spree as a new “whisky amateur”, you managed to push the doors of your local spirits shop, run towards the whisky shelf but then… You freaked out. Too many bottles, too many information, what’s really important, what’s marketing bullshit? It was easy to attend whisky tastings, your host had already selected the drams, but …
Continue readingYou’ve recently developed a taste for whisky (Yay! Welcome!) but you don’t have a clue where/how to start? Hey, don’t freak out and let me guide you! First of all, why would people collect whisky, I mean, I thought it was meant to be drunk? There are plenty of very good reasons to collect whisky. Here are a few of those: First of all, if …
Continue readingYou know me – I am a people watcher. I could litteraly spend hours in a bar just watching people coming in and out, which have lead me to draw quite an accurate picture of the different kinds of people ordering whisky in a bar (but that’s another story). But what I noticed lately – mainly in my home-country – is an increasing number of people …
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