In The Road to Dram, I share my journey discovering (mainly) Scotch whisky. By sharing my experience I hope to create a resource that can help you shape your adventure into whisky.
Six months ago I dived head-first into exploring (mostly) scotch whisky. I rapidly realised that discovering whisky can be confusing and filled with FOMO. Even with a mostly friendly and accepting online community, you are often left with the impression that you are missing some key information.
And yet, as much as I felt lost at times, it is the journey of discovery itself, not the destination (if it even exists) that has fed my interest and kept me going further and, hopefully, deeper.
Through my exploration, I realised one thing. Almost every resource on whisky out there talks about the journey, but few share how their journey was shaped. Creators discuss the disappointments and light bulb moments, but seldom how they got there. The journey, too often than not, is something implied but not laid bare.
Credit where credit is due: my inspiration
When I caught the bug and decided to get back into whisky after years of on-and-off periods of passion and disappointment, I struggled with knowing where to start and what to explore. What to do to limit disappointments. How to try new drams without throwing good money after bad. Should I waste time running after unicorn drams that are all the rage, but close to impossible to acquire at an honest price? (Yes, this is for you, you lowlife Springbank 12 Cask Strength flippers.)
Like many of us exploring whisky online, I found a ton of resources offering reviews and opinions. With time I discovered those that matched my curiosity and what resonated for me (which at some point will deserve a dedicated post). Still, I lacked a “roadmap”. In the past, I tried to focus on regions of Scotland but it never clicked for me. Some regions can be so vast (take the Highlands), lack definition (the islands) or be so full of exceptions that they lose any real meaning.
My lightbulb moment came the day I landed on First Phil Whisky’s video “15 essential whiskies to build your collection”. Phil is the creator of some great content, and of all his videos this specific one changed my approach and offered a very relatable way to dive back into single malt. It t gave me that last push I needed to take the plunge.
Why I decided to start The Road to Dram
That is how the Road to Dram was born: as a way to share my journey of discovering whisky (mainly Scotch, but not only). A way of sharing the good and the bad, moments of success and failure. Most of all, I want to share experiences, tips, and a framework that I hope will let you develop your journey. Rest assured, I am not stating my journey is the “right journey”. No two journeys will be alike, but knowing which paths you can explore based on your taste might make your road more enjoyable.
Six months into this journey, I realised that maybe what I learned and what I am still learning, might help others with their discovery of malt whisky.
I hope you’ll join me on a journey of whisky discovery, and share your comments and suggestions. If you want to get in touch, drop me a line via the Contact Us page. And if you are curious to know who I am, and haven’t done so already, check the About me page.
Thank you & join the journey!