Keep Walking
With the end of lockdown approaching, I have found myself reflecting a lot more on life and the lockdown experience itself. I imagine I am not the only person doing this. Also, the birth of my first child at the very beginning of lockdown has also added more food for thought during my period of reflection. Coupling the two events together has made me think about what I want my priorities to be going forward as we return to some sort of normality.
During the lockdown I have spent more time and money on whisky due to the lack of other options available but as lockdown eases up, the alternative options to spend your time and money on do so too.
My focus on how I use my spare time and disposable income has sharpened and as a result whisky has lost out. The increase in prices and the difficulty of getting hold of new whiskies and old favourites have left me disheartened with the scene, especially given that this is happening in a backdrop of increasing choice.
To put it into context, my whisky journey to date has gone like this.
Pre 2014: I saw myself as a causal whisky drinker. Drinking blends & bourbons mainly and treating myself to the odd single malt on occasion, typically from the Glenmorangie range (my gateway distillery).
2014-2019: I make a conscious choice to get into whisky to understand it better. I had a plan to try the core range or at least the entry level malt from every working scotch distillery. I got 95%+ there until I reached the obscure distilleries such as Abhainn Dearg and Braeval. I also started following the online community such as WhiskyFun, Ralfy, Malt-Review, Whisky Wednesday, No Nonsense Whisky and Aqvavitae (amongst others) to guide me along the way.
2019: I started The Flavour Chase blog as a hobby. I found Whisky to be one of a very small number of topics I enjoyed talking/writing about at length.
2020: I start exploring independent bottlers which opened up a whole new world of whisky to me. I feel I have a good grasp of the Scotch single malt landscape and want to explore malts beyond the core range offerings.
2021> : ?
In the 7 years since 2014 a lot has changed in the whisky scene. I could get hold of a bottle from Springbank without too much difficulty and I could easily afford whisky aged up to 18 years. The price drift of whiskies aged 15 to 18 years has been well above inflation. A few of my favourites have gone through a rebrand and price hike without the improvement in quality (in my opinion) to match. Balblair and Old Pulteney being the two that come to mind. Arran bucked this trend to give them credit.
The last 7 years has also seen the online whisky community blossom to which I am grateful for as I have benefited from some excellent advice. There has also been an increase in the number of distilleries being set up, not just in Scotland but worldwide.
I hope the rise of new distilleries will help drive competition and keep prices in check, but I get the feeling that this won’t happen. The whisky industry seems to defy the law of supply and demand. The idea of experiencing new whiskies from new distilleries is exciting but I don’t expect accessibility for those on a modest budget improving, rather there is just more hype and more chasing to do.
Any chance of getting hold of an inaugural bottle from Ardnamurchan, Isle of Raasay or Torabhaig? I already feel resigned to never owning a bottle of Port Ellen, Rosebank or Brora when they start releasing whiskies. The hype around those three will be massive given the reputation they hold, and I expect these to be priced at a premium and hunted down by anyone with a remote interest in whisky or just investing.
I do wonder how many of you are feeling similar to how I am at the moment.
I still enjoy whisky and will continue to follow the scene and be part of it but I need to change my approach in order to enjoy it as a hobby like I use to. As a result of my period of reflection I have made a number of pledges.
I am closing down my blog (TheFlavourChase) although it was coming as I have not updated it for a while for the reasons above and I am no longer keen on the name of it. I still enjoy writing about whisky and want to be part of the online whisky community. I am grateful to Vin for allowing me to do this.
I am not going to hassle my local whisky specialists to reserve a bottle of new whisky for me.
I am not going to slavishly keep tabs on retail websites to get hold of new releases.
I am not going to panic buy and stock on up whiskies in fear that they will no longer be available.
I am not going to purchase whisky from the secondary market.
I am going to stick to my budget and not use the excuse of treating myself to spend more than I should.
I am going to resist splurging out every time I watch a Whisky Vlog on Youtube.
I am going to resist the fear of missing out.
I think if I stick to these pledges that I have made to myself then I will begin to enjoy the whisky scene as I used to. It was fun exploring whiskies from different distilleries and finding my bearings but once you have got to the point where you know what you like and what you don’t like so much then it starts to become a bit of hard work. I don’t mind the hard work but then you are fighting against limited availability and high prices more often than not.
These pledges define the things that have led me down the path that I am at now and if I cut these out then I should have the time and budget to refocus my attention elsewhere – but where you ask?
I can see a way forward for my whisky journey.
I am going to focus a lot more on the indie scene. I have been venturing into this area more and more over the past year and am coming to the view that there is good value to be had but you have to take the rough with the smooth as you will not always be happy with what you end up with. My most recent purchase was a bottle of Carn Mor Linkwood 8 year old matured in first fill ex bourbon and rye casks presented at 47.5%, nature colour and not chill filtered for £47. A unique and interesting prospect, I think. I have also had a fantastic bottle of Cadenheads Deanston 10 year old matured in ex-bourbon and madeira cask at 46%, nature colour and not chill filtered for £44 and it was delicious. The indie sector is huge, and I felt that I was starting all over again. The tactic I have adopted is to start with my favourite distilleries and look for interesting cask maturation that you would not typically find in the core range.
There is some chasing being done in this sector too though, I have noticed a few indie bottles rated highly on WhiskyFun or by Ralfy selling out quite quickly. James Eadie bottles come to mind. Overall, it remains an interesting and fun part of the scene and the fact that you can get many presented at 46%, natural colour and non-chill filtered at a reasonable price makes it that more tempting (nod to Signatory).
Another area I have diverted my attention to is the supermarket shelves. I am noticing a more regular rotation of new whiskies appearing on the shelves at introductory prices. I always keep space on my whisky shelf for these types of bottles. My most recent success was a bottle of Highland Park 10 that cost me £25 and which I am really enjoying. I think I prefer it more than the Highland Park 12 year old. It is not just the new bottles that are worth looking out for though, those whiskies that are ever present are still there and are sometimes worth revisiting. The most consistent and common of all I would say is the Johnnie Walker range, the Black Label solid and the Green Label is great, especially when on offer for £30. A bargain and no chasing required. A whisky that I can connect to and with a message that resonates so strongly with me at this moment on my whisky journey which is to “Keep Walking”.
I am no longer chasing but I will keep walking down the path that I want to take on my whisky journey.
About the author
Jag
Jag got the whisky bug back in 2014 and hasn’t looked back since. He has benefited from the excellent advice gathered from the online whisky community and felt compelled to give something back to the community by adding his voice.
He started TheFlavourChase in 2018 to share his ongoing journey into the world of whisky, however life takes over so now he tries to write as and when he can. Whether you are at the start or well into your whisky journey he hopes you find his articles helpful . His intention is to share his journey, viewpoints and provide tips to help you on your Flavour Chase.