As we are emerging from the long grind of a dark, damp, and cold Seattle winter, I sometimes find myself with enough free time between dodging raindrops to analyze and ponder what it means to be a Whiskymate. Sitting silently next to one of my best mates, Baker (my dog) I realize we are not much different, man and beast. Nor is he all that different from my favorite whiskies, with his coat a million shades of brown. While there are many types of animals, we are all looking for the same thing: that perfect spot in the warmth with our best friend near at hand. For some, that place is in the driver’s seat of a Maserati with Bordeaux exterior and Palomino interior. Or perhaps it’s atop a new sub-14 lb road bike that will effortlessly hold a line at 50 m.p.h. through Torrey Pines on a windless day. To be clear, there are no Maseratis here at Whiskymates, but we can certainly imagine that would be awesome.
Regardless of where that place is for you, for us Whiskymates, nirvana is found in that perfect pour, or in the unicorn bottle we thought we would never find; it’s comforting, it’s ever-evolving, it’s beautiful, it’s whisky.
These last couple years have been glorious. We have seen the big distillers offering more to their core and also in limited releases. And let’s be honest, they deserve a round of applause. The demand spread like wildfire and the flames grew out of control as they dumped some of the finest brown onto the inferno. Memories of Woodstock 1999 are washing over me as we speak but alas that’s another story for another time. Today it’s about our love of the spirit known as whisky or “Usquebaugh” the water of life.
But enough reminiscing – there is much work to do, mates. The endless supply of world-class whisky for an honest dollar has shifted harder than that Maserati at redline. We are all feeling it, whether it’s the price increases on your beloved Islay when you replace it every 6 months (cough – or 2), or that annual bourbon release that was 45 bucks and now costs more than a root canal. Fortunately, there is plenty of novocaine at the liquor store to assuage those pains.
Well fear not. It is our mission at Whiskymates to categorize, codify, and organize the best whiskies of the world to help maximize your buying power based on your favorite tasting notes, or based on the bottles you already know you like. It’s a never-ending story, so to speak, but it’s one that we never get tired of writing. So please stay connected for insights and tips as we continue working to make this your most delicious whisky-drinking year yet.
– William Bedard
