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So what exactly is Whisky a Day?
As far as new years resolutions go, this one was ambitious. In 2014, I set myself the challenge of trying 365 different whiskies over 365 days. Thankfully it wasn’t a leap year.
I’m probably one of the only people who made a new year’s resolution to drink MORE than the previous year!
Having successfully completed this challenge (the first person in the world to do so), I’m continuing to explore the amazing world of whisky: whisky and food pairings, cooking with whisky, as well as continuing to taste many more great drams along the way. All photos are my own.
The idea behind Whisky a Day is not just about trying a bunch of new whiskies or providing a convenient excuse to explain my boozey ways, but it’s an attempt to further my understanding and appreciation of this fine spirit, a voyage of self-discovery if you will. Plus it’s about having a hell of a lot of fun, laughs and meeting some interesting characters along the way who also like to enjoy a dram.
What inspired Whisky a Day?
A few years back, I read an article in the Sydney Morning Herald about two guys who were undertaking a project called the “Yeer in Beer”, where they were trying to drink a different beer every day through 2012. That planted a seed and made me think – “I wonder if anyone has done something crazy like that with whisky?” After briefly flirting with the idea, I quickly forgot all about it. Possibly after having too many whiskies. Until the end of 2013, whereupon standing in a whisky bar with some mates I suddenly thought, “Why the hell not?!”
So I decided to do something with whisky that to the best of my knowledge (and that of Google) hadn’t been done before, hence the birth of Whisky a Day.
The rules:
- No ice, no water. My preference has always been to enjoy my whisky with a single ice cube, but in the name of scientific research I am endeavouring to remove all possible confounding variables. Nothing but straight up whisky.
- Whisky every day, really? Largely. I took a slightly flexible approach – if I missed a day due to other commitments (e.g. travelling for work) or if I just didn’t feel like a whisky (can’t imagine too many of those days popping up), then I’ll allow myself to play catch up. Though I didn’t want to get too far behind and suddenly find I need to taste 150 whiskies in December in order to complete the project. These days I review at a slightly less frenetic pace, typically a new whisky every week or two (though you’ll often find me enjoying a whisky most days).
- No geographical limitations. I’m not a scotch whisky snob, I enjoy whiskies from all over the world. Here in Australia we produce some cracking whisky, so I continue to explore some more of that as well as some of the lesser known whisky distilleries and regions from all over the world.
My aim is to keep things pretty light hearted and not take things (or myself) too seriously. I’ll be posting some tasting notes for each whisky I try, the whisky & food pairings I create, plus a few other interesting whisky-related shenanigans along the way.
Who knows where this adventure will take me, I guess that’s all part of the journey.
Cheers!
Todd (aka Whisky a Day)