Working for the weekend

I have decided to use the weekends to have maple syrup in the morning instead of whisky for my Sammy's Syrup Society Maple Mission...
...just kidding.
But I do think it wise to take weekend breaks in this Malt Mission.
Why? Well, a few reasons
(1) To address the complaints, comments, etc. that I receive during the week
(2) To address any other whisky related issue that comes to mind
(3) To give my kidneys a rest (cloudy, cloudy, cloudy...clear!)
(4) To buy myself more time to secure some samples before I exhaust my home supplies...

So today I just want to explain a few things.

There is only one way to drink whisky: the way you like it.
But when i am tasting whiskies with evaluation in mind, I tend to use one of these.
I refuse to use those tulip shaped glasses cuz they look stupid and break way too easily.
I tend to (carefully) nose the whisky at bottled strength first, make some notes, and then tip a fingernails amount into my mouth, just enough to touch all parts of my tongue and then essentialy evaporate. If I want to, I add water at this stage, and nose again. Otherwise I just take a bigger sip doing the Richard Paterson-ish hold-hold-hold thing, make some notes, and call it a day.

I do not provide scores in my notes because I find them confusing and often meaningless. I feel the same way about film reviews that say nothing nice about a film and then give it 3 stars. Besides, there are plenty of other whisky nerds out there providing scores for obscure bottlings that no doubt benefit the collector, the whisky afficianado, and the wealthy.

My hope, as it has always been since I started to enjoy whisky seriously in 2002, is to try new whiskies, learn the ways they operate differently, learn their histories, and to explain all of this to others in a casually educational and fun way.

My notes are meant as introductions to each malt/blend so that whoever reads them can narrow their search for the one or two bottles they might buy in a given year. But I also hope to include enough info to keep the experienced whisky fan interested while turning new drinkers onto the idea of whisky, not JUST Macallan or JUST Ardbeg, but the flavour possibilities that whisky as a spirit can provide.

When I note prices, I include UK prices based on my favorite UK whisky shops (see the links to the left).
When I note Canadian prices it usually means that the LCBO in Ontario carries the item. I use the LCBO as a general Canadian price not to be an Ontario-centric dick, but because the majority of provinces use a state monopoly system with liquor and beer, and Ontario has the best selection and the best prices. Look at British Columbia, Manitoba, or Nova Scotia. American prices (where listed) vary the most, so only use them as a guide.

That is enough for now.