Charting the Road to Dram journey
Every journey needs a proper map. I love the visual satisfaction of seeing how far you travelled and fantasising about your next destination. It might just be me, but it is my journey I am sharing after all. The map above (updated as we go) will serve as history, as an index and as a visual reminder of the journey. It will be updated as I explore whisky so you can use it to jump to specific “chapters”.
Below you will find an ongoing index of the journey for you to jump to whichever stop most interests you. You can jump straight to the index, here. Or, if you have a couple of minutes to spare, let me share how the map came about.
My Inspiration for the map
The map for my whisky journey is unashamedly inspired by J.R.R. and Christopher Tolkien’s maps of Middle Earth. The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings are books that have a special place in my heart and accompanied my teenage years. Inevitably it is what immediately came to mind when I decided to create a map for the Road to Dram.
Like Tolkien, I wanted the names of the locations on the map to hold some meaning. Since the map carts my exploration of Scotch malt, I am taking the Scots language as an inspiration for the name of the locations. Because I cannot help myself, it comes with a touch of dad-joke humour peppered in (sorry!). I heavily rely on the Dictionaries of the Scots Language as an aid. I very much suggest you explore if you have an interest in Scotland and Scots.
Before anyone jumps up and down accusing me of cultural appropriation, please consider that this is born out of love for Scotland and intended for good fun, and only as that.
How I am planning my journey
When I travel, I try to avoid acting like a crazed tourist zipping from one place to another. My preferred style of travel, given a choice, is slow-paced. I enjoy taking time to get a feel of a new place, before steadily moving ahead towards new experiences. My approach to this whisky journey is the same. I could rush through tens of bottles per month but the only way to do that would be to: a) be very superficial or b) develop a serious drinking habit. Frankly, I am not keen on either.
I prefer to approach each step of the way by getting an overview of a specific whisky style or topic. Once the scene is set, I take time to explore some representative drams by reviewing them (sampling each 2-3 times over a few weeks). Finally, I like getting more into the weeds by comparing and contrasting the whisky bottles in question via a blind tasting before moving on.
Now that you know what to expect, I hope you will join me on this journey and share your experiences in the comments. Off we go!