How does whisky rile you up?

I love trying new whiskies. BUT People who regurgitate marketing lines about NAS scotch without seeing the obvious logical fallacies and contradictions inherent in them really grind my gears. A recent discussion on Facebook illustrates my point.

A person said “there are a lot of ‘pros’ about NAS too” to which I retorted “while some NAS whisky is good, there is nothing ADDED to its quality by removing or concealing age information.” The person proceeded to list a bunch of NAS whiskies he liked, completely avoiding my point. Yes, there are good, even great NAS whiskies. No, they are not made better by the lack of age information.

I find that marketing in the industry is excessive. Whiskysponge.com is great a satirical alternative to it all.

Due to the marketing behind NAS, some people buy into the corporate dialogue. I am riled by NAS apologists who use cask strength / high ABV whisk(e)y as an example of good NAS.

To me, such styles are separate. To sight Aberlour A'Bunadh or Ardbeg Corryvreckan as good examples of NAS is to lie by omission. Us, the enthusiasts are the champions of cask strength - you're preaching to the choir.

The real NAS issue is the 40-43% ABV, artificial colour and chill filtering, that often replaces or sits besides an age statement from the same distillery for a slightly higher price.

I also get agitated by people singing the NAS gospel. I don't think there is something inherently bad about whisky without an age stated on the bottle but the way it's being sold to us, as something new, innovative and perhaps better, is upsetting. I totally agree with the speaker before me, NAS adds nothing of value while the opposite could be argued.

Another thing that I sometimes have an issue with (and this is "on" me) is when my friends don't take it as seriously as I do. I can be quite the anal retentive when it comes to stuff that interests me and I will get quite annoyed when I put a big effort into creating an atmosphere for testing whisky investing time and money and inviting friends just to have them consider it a party-night not granting the tasting process the adequate value and attention. I know, I should know that everyone is not as interested as we are but still it annoys me greatly!

@Alexsweden I have to restrain myself when I have people come over and fill their glass with ice before even trying the whisky I’m offering neat. I have to remind myself it’s their preference not mine.

Whisky itself is always good and fun and positive.

Having few drams with friends in person is always good and fun and positive. If you're a nutjob like us, the only trick is to hold your tongue when you hear someone mention an untruth that doesn't really matter.

Chatting about whisky online, though, has all the same perils inherent in any online discussion: People type poorly and obscure their own points, people skim and misunderstand your points, people neglect to reply so a conversation stands unresolved, people perceive the wrong tone in your posts, people say things from their anonymous screen name that they'd never say to your face, people get the wrong idea about their anonymous correspondents and pin unfair motives to them, etc., etc. Plus, if any whisky consumption is happening on the other side of that keyboard, then the odds of these things happening increase by about 174%.

I'd say that's a fair estimation, @MadSingleMalt

I'd have to echo some of the points above about the NAS, but Frost pretty much sums up my thought(s) on this. They're not bad per se but just call it what it is!

What concerns me also is if longer term NAS replace younger age stated malts and the crowd simply lap it up . . . while, ironically, the older whiskys become beyond the reach of mere mortals!

@Alexsweden You should probably reserve your efforts for your whisky buddies who you know are into it to the same extent as you. If you are just having a bunch of assorted friends over, don't try to convert them, just let them have a good time and drink what they want.

Ima be honest - I wish I had more whisky buddies/a club to join. My area seems to lack in general interest.

What is whisk(e) y, outside of the marketing and industry. It's a product that is consumed for a few purposes.Firstly, most people drink to get phished and that's all they want from it. Secondly, some start trying to figure out what it is about whisky they like. A great chef is not just someone with technical skills but, they also have to have great taste buds. Some are born with that talent, others just don't have it, and others develop it. Hosting a whisky tasting can be a real eye opener, not just into Whisky. Some people will get it others won't. It a discovery process, about yourself and others. It's a social event and also ironically, an introspective/subjective activity. Whisky in not something that is an absolute. Everyone, will have their own perspectives on it one should be respectful on their views.

@nooch, I notice that you have posted on your Connosr profile not one word on who you are, what you like, or where you live. It should not surprise you that you are having difficulty making whisky friends. You have refused to reveal even the most basic social interpersonal information. Is this also the way you relate to people face to face? If so, it is no wonder that no one is hanging out with you. Your whisky buddies are not likely to come knocking on your door unless you express that you are interested and available for having whisky buddies.

@nooch & Victor - I feel I'm in a similar boat; moved to a new city a few years ago, which is pretty much when my love of whisky blossomed, and have had a few different jobs in that time so haven't really built up a whisky social group yet. My social life, if that's the right word, is pretty much spent with my young lad or at the golf club and due to the former I'm not really joining in the social side there too much either at the minute . . .

I will take Victor's advice and update my profile. I will probably join a whisky club at some point as well, as I know there's at least one in my city and there's also a whisky bar (which I've not yet been in . . . tried twice but was shut both times! To be fair, life's pretty hard core at the minute and an hour or two alone in the evening to enjoy a nip or two is most welcome :)

Anyone trying to track down the possible existence of local whisky clubs might do well to dig around on Reddit. I found there's some very random pages there that turn out to house your local soon-to-be-whisky-buddies whom you never knew existed. :)

For example, here's the page for fans of whisky in Wisconsin: www.reddit.com/r/Whiskonsin/

@OdysseusUnbound, @Frost, @Alexsweden, and anyone else who gets fired up about NAS will probably find this post on Bruichladdich blog interesting. If I'm reading that screen correctly, it was just posted today:

bruichladdich.com/article/…

@MadSingleMalt that Bruichladdich post has a lot of yadda yadda yadda, blah, blah, blah, to say that they would be happy to reveal all detailed whisky contents on the bottle/box if only the SWA rules allowed it. Sure, I agree that Bruichladdich's hands are probably cleaner than those of other distillers/bottlers, but wouldn't it be a whole lot better for everyone if they were willing to just come out publicly in favour of changing the rules? Snide blog ruminations are less useful than a simple public polite request for a change in the rules.

@Victor I've asked the same questions Bruichladdich brings up before. Here and elsewhere. I realize that changing the regulations isn't simple, but it IS doable. I personally feel that most of the bigger dogs in the game (like a distillery that rhymes with Lacallan or a multinational corporation that rhymes with Biageo) don't want things changed.

@OdysseusUnbound, I am certain that you are right that the rules remain the way they are because of the powerful vested interests of some of the bigger players. Those players are happy to play fast and loose with obfuscation of detailed knowledge of the contents of their products. The consumer ignorance engendered by that obfuscation allows for the possibility of shady quality down-grading shennanigans.

Yes, it's the old Mushroom Treatment:"Keep 'em in the dark and feed 'em shit."

@nooch agreed I need to find a club in Nash.

@Victor - I agree with what you say about putting in the request, and I run the risk of sounding a bit of a conspiracy nut here, but I can imagine there are pretty murky reasons why it's not that simple for them

My experience and understanding of the British establishment (of which the SWA seem very much a part of) is that things go deeper than you would at first imagine and they have a lot of very muted, but powerful, sway. Hence why new distilleries always offer the Royals a token cask - it greases the wheels, so to speak, and I don't blame them for doing it - I would, it would be good business!

I'd wager that if they did make such a request they would eventually struggle as a business for one reason or another . . .

Likely being way too semantic here (and apologies for doing so) but there is a difference between excitement (which all of us should feel as we give our most precious gift to this site/each other, which is our time) and getting 'riled up' (which your use of the word disagree suggests the intent)

What excites me about spirits - appreciating time/conversation w friends over a dram, learning & then sharing information about an enjoyable topic & sharing good product w friends.

What cautions me about spirits - got too immersed in the collectible side & purchased far more than I should have - have somewhat rectified that (still work to be done to curb that mild OCD in me), being mindful of people consuming too much in a given night

What riles me up about spirits - nothing agitates me nor should there be. Some random thoughts:

• Whiskey is a most enjoyable hobby (how we fill our space) not a necessity, a healthy perspective

• We are in control of our time (on the site) and wallet and these choices should lead to enjoyable not frustrating experiences

• Three aspects of leadership is balancing the tension between passion & composure and interacting successfully w a spectrum of personalities and effective communication. Combined, these three type to your bullet points on people & content. As well, leadership does not have an on/off switch between personal and professional

• Very comfortable when there is disagreement w my comments; I am here to learn (and there is a great deal of knowledge on this site) and appreciate when people take the time to influence my thinking. Learning is a positive.

• The whole Lot 40 CS thread has been interesting to follow. The old me would probably have been in constant check and driving across the city. Now, my thought is I have more than enough quality stuff; there will be more quality stuff in the future; I am not worse off if I don't have it; why get worked up? I credit some wise Connosr members for helping me build this new operating model (which works for sports gambling as well - don't chase, stick w your system). To be clear, not judging those who are upset just trying to understand the deeper why

• Humor is hard to assess in an online medium - the lack of tone and kinesics are not conducive to always getting it but there are definitely some quick-witted members (I like my humour the same as I like my martini's)

Droning on too long so will keep other thoughts for a more appropriate time/thread.

Thanks for introducing the topic Nozinan...jr

@Victor Thank you for that honest feedback Victor. Even though your intended recipient is Nooch, your words ring true for myself as well.

In assessing my participation on this site, these thoughts come to mind:

• I did not effectively manage my break from this site last year. Due to some personal stuff (more) and not loving the message board vitriol (less), I took a timeout. I should have mentioned this to those who were planning the Summit as I had broadcasted my intentions to go - my apologies for this lack of common courtesy.

• I don't feel that my reviews would offer a lot of value relative to other members. Not an excuse but a choice of time; I feel that my value to site is in facilitating conversation rather than adding another review (when you have a high enough sample size, you don't need another is a business rule I live by). The happy medium is that I should take the time to comment on those who have spent their time/energy reviewing - my bad and I will rectify.

• Can do a better job of interacting w the Ontario crowd. This is the most interesting introspection for me as it is contradictory to my nature (significant premium on friendship & time). I generally spend 2-3 nights a week w all types of friends and have often referred to sharing my collection w other members but have not acted upon it. So here is an APB to all Connosr members that mi whiskey et sous whiskey for any gathering or drop in (if you want to make your way to northern Richmond Hill). I have an open door policy for my friends and it is about time it be extended here.

  Thanks again Victor - this is my first blush response and will think further over the next couple of days

@JayRain, very nicely expressed. I look forward to your increasing participation on Connosr and in Toronto and in Ontario outside of the "Greater Toronto Area".

@JayRain Welcome back. I just want to say that I value all opinions and another review, even of a well known whisky, is always welcome. Why? Simply because I am always looking for the reviewer with a palate similar to mine and who likes the flavors I do. For example, I know my palate to be similar to a Connosr member from Ontario, but strangely we do not like the same whisky. So he is a reference for me, but I need to read others reviewers as well. Maybe you are a reference for many among us (or could be one) so don't underestimate the value of your reviews.

I’m pretty riled up in a positive way about Compass Box. I wrote them an email last night about the various ages of the components of my particular bottle of Oak Cross and got a response today. Well done.

@OdysseusUnbound, it is hard to find anyone who does not respect the professionalism and quality standards of Compass Box.

@Victor There's someone on ATW who demonstrates skepticism of the CB motives

@Nozinan, OK, you found one. In the words of the immortal Waylon Jennings, "There's one in every crowd, for crying out loud...why was it always turning out to be me?" Not me in this case, but you get the idea. @Nozinan, I expect that you have often been "the one in every crowd" yourself, though not about Compass Box.

@Victor Don't get me wrong... I'm not criticizing Glaser or CB. I just found someone who does...

@OdysseusUnbound, you want to spill those Oak Cross beans?

(Yes, I know their response probably asked you not too. But that sounds like empty CYA to me.)