Whisky in pouches? Drams through the post? Is this a good way to explore Scottish single malts?
I’ve long been a whisky fan, but not what you’d really call a connoisseur. Like many of us, I knew what I liked and I stuck to it. For me it was Islay whiskies (pronounced eye-luh) that display big, rich, peaty flavours. Drams with names like Laphroig, Ardbeg and Bowmore and romance in each sip. I love the smokey taste, often undercut with heather and an iodine whiff that makes me think of rugged Scottish coastlines and windswept beaches.
When I took my WSET Level 2 Award in spirits I learnt more about how whiskies and other spirits are made, and was trained in how to taste them properly. This has made me want to develop a deeper understanding of this richly varied drink. The problem of course is one of price. It’s not cheap!
One solution is the good old subscription box. I wrote recently about looking for a good gin subscription box. But I’ve been trying this for whisky too, and for a couple of months now have been getting samples from Whisky-Me.com. The price is pretty decent, just £7.95 for 50cl each month, or £7 if you sign up for a whole year at once.
Each dram arrives in a little plastic pouch, reminiscent of the ones used for the posher types of organic baby food. It might seem a little odd at first but it works pretty well. They fit through a letter box easily and I’ve not yet had one leak or burst.
I did wonder at first whether there was a sustainability problem but the company has addressed this on their website and it seems to be OK. They also offer a free pouch of whisky for every 10 empty ones customers return to them.
If you fancy signing up to Whisky Me, you can get your first dram for free if you use this referral link: get your free whisky »
I had a go at the Little Gin Box for its packaging being too plain and utilitarian. These pouches could also fall foul of the same problem but somehow I don’t feel they do. Perhaps there’s enough design on them to keep things interesting. Perhaps I enjoy the modern, innovative feel of how it’s delivered. I don’t know… For whatever reason the packaging seems fine, even though it’s definitely far from indulgent.
One distinct benefit, if you like your whisky chilled but not diluted, is that these pouches are easy to fit into the fridge!
The whiskies themselves have been great. Whisky Me give brief tasting notes for each one consisting of three flavour descriptors, and I’ve found them to be pretty accurate so far.
For example they tell us May’s whisky, Ailsa Bay Release 1.2 – Sweet Smoke, will taste of orange lollipop, barbecue sauce and fresh heather. There’s a brief write-up and video on the website too, and while it’s not as in depth as you’ll get with each week’s beer from BeerBods, for instance, it’s enough to paint a picture of what you’re about to taste.
This seems like a good way to taste a wide variety of whiskies at a sensible price, and without landing myself too much whisky to get through each month.
I can imagine I might stick with this one for a while, so you can expect to read more about the whiskies I try on this blog in the future.
If you fancy signing up to Whisky Me, you can get your first dram for free if you use this referral link: get your free whisky »
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